We outgrow our clothes and then we’re left with the task of figuring out what exactly to do with them. For some, the first thought that comes to mind is to donate them to charity so that someone else can benefit from them and enjoy them. Others of us choose to save them for growing children who may be interested later in life. And then there’s the creative and fashion forward soul that would much rather upcycle clothing than recycle it. If you’re considering repurposing your clothes that no longer fit, here are some great suggestions for ways to upcycle your ill-fitting clothes.

1. Get Alterations

If you really want to get back into those clothes you could make a few tweaks to your lifestyle or try EmSculpt Neo. But if you’d prefer to hold on to those threads just a little while longer, taking a trip down to your local tailor is a great idea. Have them alter the clothes to fit your current size and buy your favorite dress more time.

2. Make Pillows

Even if you’re not great at sewing, making pillows is a very simple and easy project to undertake. All you’ll need to do is make four straight lines of stitching. You don’t even have to have access to a sewing machine. You can recover an existing pillow or buy some batting to fill your brand new pillow.

3. Make Hand Bags

If you’re really good with needle and thread, create a handbag, coin purse or wallet. And if you’re still growing into sewing, keep it simple and turn those pants or shirts into a grocery tote bag.

4. Create Clothing Patches

Especially if you have children in your family, you’ll probably need a patch or two here and there. Just because those jeans got a hole in them, doesn’t mean that their life is done. Patch it up with a cool accent from some sassy pants or a killer bathing suit.

5. Add Pockets

Jazz up a plain tshirt with a cool print pocket or a solid accent color. Putting a pocket on a shirt is pretty simple and can be done by hand. Get adventurous and put a pocket near the waist or if you’re really ambitious give your tee a cool collar.

6. Flower Accents

If you’re into accessories, you can turn unused clothes into cute little fabric flowers. Make simple rosettes or a more complicated lily from the fabric of your old clothing. Just glue them to a hat pin or a bobby pin and you’ve got a great new accessory.

7. Quilting

The art of quilting isn’t as popular as it once was, but it is a beautiful and worthwhile pastime that deserves some consideration. Although there are tons of intricate and beautiful ways to work a quilt, feel free to keep it simple if you’re not that confident in your skills. A quilt is something that you can pass onto future generations, like a forever hug.

It can be sad discovering that something doesn’t fit as well as it used to, but there’s no need to lament the loss of a great piece of clothing when you can give it fresh life in a new form. There are tons of ways to repurpose clothing, so use these suggestions to get those creative juices flowing. You’ve got this!