From making cute, homemade DIY fashion accessories to simply creating different items of clothing, use your old leggings to make something new, save money and get creative.
What can I turn my leggings into?
There are plenty of ways to reuse your old leggings and turn them into something useful, creative, or fashionable, and don’t worry – not all of these options require a sewing machine! Whilst some of these items will turn out better if you sew them, they can still be created perfectly without touching a needle and thread.
1. Make a stylish top
If your leggings are at the end of their journey, why not turn them into a great top? Even if you’re no good at manual sewing and don’t have a sewing machine, plenty of no-sew options and tutorials are available online! Even if your leggings aren’t new and you simply love the pattern of your leggings, you can upcycle a pair of leggings and turn them into a top if you’re feeling creative. If your leggings are a little worse for wear and you’re not sure you want to re-wear them on your upper body, make the top but keep it as a designated workout/laundry day/pyjama top. Nobody needs to see you in it, but you’ll definitely still find it useful!
2. Make a cute headband
If your leggings had bright, colourful patterns on them, use your leggings to make them into headbands. If your leggings were black, you can make headbands to use when taking off your makeup or styling your hair – it doesn’t take too long, and it’ll save you buying headbands every couple of months when yours seem to “disappear” from the bathroom!
3. Make leg warmers
If you’re handy with a sewing machine or even just incredibly precise with a pair of scissors, turn your leggings into a pair of winter leg warmers!
Pop them on under your jeans during the colder months to keep cosy when you’re out and about, or even just lounging around the house. You can find plenty of tutorials online detailing how to turn your leggings into leg warmers, many of which require no sewing machine and no sewing needles! Some of these tutorials require only a pair of scissors, some elastic, some lace and of course a pair of old leggings!
4. Make scrap friendship bracelets
Remember the good old days of friendship bracelets and scooby bands? Take a trip down memory lane and turn your old leggings into some funny creative gifts for your friends. If you’re too old for all that, you can always gift the bracelets to your young family members or put them into goody bags at their next birthday party. Follow this tutorial here to learn how to make the best scrap fabric bands.
5. Make a choker top
Choker tops are all the range at the moment, but what if your size is sold out? Not to worry, you can easily turn an old pair of leggings into a choker and craft yourself a stylish choker top. All you need is some old leggings, some scissors, and a top matching the colour of your leggings. Check out a tutorial here.
5. Make a pair of knee-high socks
Knee high socks came back into the fashion in the early 2010s and have stayed in fashion ever since! Rock the look by turning your old leggings into a pair of thigh-high or knee-high socks. If you’re handy with a sewing needle, check out this tutorial here to recreate some socks for yourself. Whether you pair them with some knee-high boots and a mini skirt for a stylish look, or pop them under your jeans to keep warm during the winter, a pair of knee-high socks is a fantastic upcycle from a pair of old leggings.
6. Make a bandeau top
So, you bought your leggings during the winter months, and now the summer months are coming up and you need some new clothes for your holiday wardrobe. Before rushing over to ASOS to snatch up all the latest crop tops and bandeau tops, why not create one yourself using a pair of your old leggings? Also, if you have more than one pair of leggings in the same colour and style, you can even keep one pair intact and create a bandeau top with the other. Voila – a brand new pair of matching summer co-ords, and all it didn’t break the bank!
7. Can I make a skirt out of leggings?
Yes! Leggings are one of the best materials to use if you want to make your own DIY skirt, as the built-in stretch fabric gives you the skirt a great, fitted bodycon look. If you want to create an even more skin-tight bodycon look, transform a pair of yoga pants into a skirt – the material sticks to the skin like glue and will highlight your shape and curves – especially your bum! Find out how to create your own homemade skirts by following along to this handy YouTube tutorial.
8. How do you reuse kids’ leggings?
If your little ones are growing up too fast and growing out of their leggings every 6 months, don’t fret! You can refer to the handy guide above and make similar items, or, instead of throwing them away, donate your children’s leggings to charity shops (provided that they’re still in an acceptable, wearable condition.) If they’re too worse for wear for a charity shop, you can use the smaller sized leggings to make new clothes for your kids, hairbands or even fun dog chew toys for your pets!
Old leggings can be used in a multitude of ways, so next time you catch yourself about to throw them in the bin, refer to this handy guide and give yourself a new piece of clothing instead!
Oh and don’t forget to replace your old leggings with our ruched bum leggings, honeycomb leggings or our tie dye leggings!
From making cute, homemade DIY fashion accessories to simply creating different items of clothing, use your old leggings to make something new, save money and get creative.
What can I turn my leggings into?
There are plenty of ways to reuse your old leggings and turn them into something useful, creative, or fashionable, and don’t worry – not all of these options require a sewing machine! Whilst some of these items will turn out better if you sew them, they can still be created perfectly without touching a needle and thread.
1. Make a stylish top
If your leggings are at the end of their journey, why not turn them into a great top? Even if you’re no good at manual sewing and don’t have a sewing machine, plenty of no-sew options and tutorials are available online! Even if your leggings aren’t new and you simply love the pattern of your leggings, you can upcycle a pair of leggings and turn them into a top if you’re feeling creative. If your leggings are a little worse for wear and you’re not sure you want to re-wear them on your upper body, make the top but keep it as a designated workout/laundry day/pyjama top. Nobody needs to see you in it, but you’ll definitely still find it useful!
2. Make a cute headband
If your leggings had bright, colourful patterns on them, use your leggings to make them into headbands. If your leggings were black, you can make headbands to use when taking off your makeup or styling your hair – it doesn’t take too long, and it’ll save you buying headbands every couple of months when yours seem to “disappear” from the bathroom!
3. Make leg warmers
If you’re handy with a sewing machine or even just incredibly precise with a pair of scissors, turn your leggings into a pair of winter leg warmers!
Pop them on under your jeans during the colder months to keep cosy when you’re out and about, or even just lounging around the house. You can find plenty of tutorials online detailing how to turn your leggings into leg warmers, many of which require no sewing machine and no sewing needles! Some of these tutorials require only a pair of scissors, some elastic, some lace and of course a pair of old leggings!
4. Make scrap friendship bracelets
Remember the good old days of friendship bracelets and scooby bands? Take a trip down memory lane and turn your old leggings into some funny creative gifts for your friends. If you’re too old for all that, you can always gift the bracelets to your young family members or put them into goody bags at their next birthday party. Follow this tutorial here to learn how to make the best scrap fabric bands.
5. Make a choker top
Choker tops are all the range at the moment, but what if your size is sold out? Not to worry, you can easily turn an old pair of leggings into a choker and craft yourself a stylish choker top. All you need is some old leggings, some scissors, and a top matching the colour of your leggings. Check out a tutorial here.
5. Make a pair of knee-high socks
Knee high socks came back into the fashion in the early 2010s and have stayed in fashion ever since! Rock the look by turning your old leggings into a pair of thigh-high or knee-high socks. If you’re handy with a sewing needle, check out this tutorial here to recreate some socks for yourself. Whether you pair them with some knee-high boots and a mini skirt for a stylish look, or pop them under your jeans to keep warm during the winter, a pair of knee-high socks is a fantastic upcycle from a pair of old leggings.
6. Make a bandeau top
So, you bought your leggings during the winter months, and now the summer months are coming up and you need some new clothes for your holiday wardrobe. Before rushing over to ASOS to snatch up all the latest crop tops and bandeau tops, why not create one yourself using a pair of your old leggings? Also, if you have more than one pair of leggings in the same colour and style, you can even keep one pair intact and create a bandeau top with the other. Voila – a brand new pair of matching summer co-ords, and all it didn’t break the bank!
7. Can I make a skirt out of leggings?
Yes! Leggings are one of the best materials to use if you want to make your own DIY skirt, as the built-in stretch fabric gives you the skirt a great, fitted bodycon look. If you want to create an even more skin-tight bodycon look, transform a pair of yoga pants into a skirt – the material sticks to the skin like glue and will highlight your shape and curves – especially your bum! Find out how to create your own homemade skirts by following along to this handy YouTube tutorial.
8. How do you reuse kids’ leggings?
If your little ones are growing up too fast and growing out of their leggings every 6 months, don’t fret! You can refer to the handy guide above and make similar items, or, instead of throwing them away, donate your children’s leggings to charity shops (provided that they’re still in an acceptable, wearable condition.) If they’re too worse for wear for a charity shop, you can use the smaller sized leggings to make new clothes for your kids, hairbands or even fun dog chew toys for your pets!
Old leggings can be used in a multitude of ways, so next time you catch yourself about to throw them in the bin, refer to this handy guide and give yourself a new piece of clothing instead!
Oh and don’t forget to replace your old leggings with our ruched bum leggings, honeycomb leggings or our tie dye leggings!