What to Do with Your Children's Unwanted Clothes

When children grow out of their clothes or have a change in style, you might be wondering what you should do with all their used clothing items. We'll provide some tips in this article.
What to Do with Your Children's Unwanted Clothes

Last update: 20 March, 2019

When your kids grow up and don’t want or don’t fit into their old clothes, you may be wondering: What should I do with all my children’s unwanted clothes? It’s certainly a shame that you have to get rid of so many pieces because they don’t fit anymore, especially ones that are still in great condition.

However, the process of replacing children’s unwanted clothes is inevitable. In the best case scenario, you can give clothes in good condition to siblings or relatives. However, you need different strategies for old, worn-out clothes.

When your children’s unwanted clothes aren’t suitable for donation or other relatives, you can use your creativity to make new things with them. All you need is a little bit of time and imagination to create something great and unique.

First steps when dealing with children’s unwanted clothes

The first thing you should do with your children’s unwanted clothes is take them and put them in a box. Then, go through them. You’ll need to know certain information about each piece, such as:

  • If it’s broken or ripped
  • Has any smudges or stains
  • Wear and tear of fabric
  • Previous repairs (usually in the seams)
  • Etc.
What to Do with Your Children's Unwanted Clothes

It’s important to go through children’s unwanted clothes. Then, separate them into those that are in good condition and those that aren’t.

Next, you need to wash the clothes that you’re going to give to another person. Once dry, you can iron and deliver them to their new homes. Remember, although they’re used clothes, it’s important to make them look nice and appealing for the new owners.

Not many people like getting clothes as gifts. Therefore, you need to make sure to talk to the person in advance to see if they want them or not.

Once you donate the clothes that are in good condition, you should separate the rest of the clothes into categories: pants, flannels, socks, and so on. Depending on the size and characteristics of each garment, you might be able to make new things out of them.

Ideas to reuse children’s unwanted clothes

1. Personalize

Customizing garments is one of the ways you can take advantage of anything that is already worn out. When we say personalizing, we mean taking an old or boring garment and modifying it to suit your own tastes and interests.

However, you need to think about what you’re using to create something newSometimes you can’t make what you want out of what you’re using.

Some common things people make out of unwanted clothes are: patches, pins, dyes, ties, ribbons, bows, buttons, bags, cutting it into gym shirts, etc.

For girls, lots of times, you can use sequins to make old clothes modern and trendy. Children often like patches in the shape of cars or their favorite superheroes.

What to Do with Your Children's Unwanted Clothes

2. Create other dome decor objects

Old clothes can become new objects, like bracelets, necklaces, pillowcases, and more. It’s a good idea to make simple objects, like sachet bags. You can sew these very easily, both by hand or with a machine. In addition, you can use them in drawers, cabinets, and dressers to make them smell nicer.

Scent bags come in many different aromas, like floral, citrus, sweet, or fresh. Additionally, some of the most popular are rose, eucalyptus, mint and lavender. In fact, you can even make them with mixed herbs.

You can also use your children’s unwanted clothes as rags to clean different surfaces. While it’s not very sentimental, it’s very practical and useful.

As you can see, you don’t need to worry about finding ways to reuse your children’s unwanted clothes. Now, you can see there are several solutions.

Use your creativity, and take advantage of the old clothes. You can even save money and have fun while making new things.


This text is provided for informational purposes only and does not replace consultation with a professional. If in doubt, consult your specialist.