Out With the Old, In With the New: Thrift Flip

Tools and materials:

• Two pairs of sweatpants
• Scissors
• Sewing machine
• Tie-dye shirt
• Nike t-shirt

Two-tone sweatpants

For my first DIY project, I wanted to transform the two pairs of sweatpants that I got. They were both the same size and brand, so I thought it would be cool to combine the two together to make a two-tone pair. Doing this is actually pretty easy; simply cut both pairs of pants down the middle to separate the legs and then sew them back together. 

To sew them back together, match the legs together by aligning the edges and pinning them in place. The right sides should be touching. (To avoid the mistake I made, double-check that you are sewing one left leg and one right leg together. I started the pinning by the crotch, allowing the rest of the pants to stay aligned as I continued to pin. Once the pants are completely pinned, sew them together using a straight stitch. Remember to leave a small hole by the waistband to allow the strings to come out of. 

Cut your t-shirt 

I got three different tie-dye shirts, but this vibrant colorful one was easily one of my favorites. That said, I knew I could spice up the traditional tie-dye style by adding a Nike t-shirt into the mix. To do this, the first step is to cut both shirts into thirds. (If you want the shirt to be a little oversized, feel free to cut the middle of the Nike shirt a little bigger as I did). 

Once I had all my pieces cut out, I assembled them together and pinned them right sides together. To do this, I lined up the shoulder seams first and then continued all the way down the shirt. Next, to sew the shirt, I used a straight stitch. Once that’s done, I hemmed the bottom of the Nike shirt to fit the length of the tie-dye shirt. 

Despite my two left leg mishap, I am really happy with how these sweatpants turned out. I thought it was a pretty cool and unique take on traditional sweatpants. As for the tie-dye shirt, I am absolutely thrilled with the final result. This shirt has become my go-to t-shirt, I practically wear it every day. I hope you guys enjoyed these thrift flip ideas and have been inspired to get a little crafty!