Recycle Clothing for Profit

Re-Use, Re-Cycle, Make Money!

Do you have a sewing machine? Do you have all kinds of torn jeans that you were going to cut up for rags or turn into shorts? Well, you can take your love of sewing and your old clothing and create your own business making brand new products to sell.

This is the ideal small business for someone who wants to make additional income from home. There are very little start-up costs, and your overhead is nothing more than the regular rent or mortgage and utilities you were already paying for in the first place. In fact, you can even claim a portion of these bills as business expenses at income tax time.

To get started, all you need is a sewing machine, some old jeans, a place to work, and some ideas. You can purchase some patterns, or, to save even more money, make your own. Where To Get More Used Materials

Once you have run out of jeans to cut up, you are going to need more fabric. The first thing you should do is ask friends and family members to donate their old jeans. You can also place free want-ads asking for old jeans (don’t forget corduroys and leather items too). Offer a fair price, such as $2/pair for jeans and cords, and $10 and up for leather goods. Just make sure that you clean everything you purchase before re-selling.You can also visit consignment stores for old jeans. Many of these stores have jeans that they can’t sell because they have holes or tears, and will offer them as work pants at even lower prices. You can often get these for as low as $1/pair. You can also get great deals on other items to recycles, such as faux fur and leather coats and jackets.

Check out craft fairs and want ads for people who are selling notions. You are going to want things to trim your items, such as ribbons, lace, buttons and other items.

Make Items People Want

You’ve got all of the supplies and materials you need, so now, what do you make? One of the first things that comes to mind is bags, purses and wallets. You can make really cool looking purses from patchwork denim and other fabrics. For linings, use old bedroom sheets purchased at consignment shops.You can create awesome floppy or brimmed hats and vests from old clothing too. There are all kinds of patterns available at sewing supply stores. Want to save even more money? Go online and download some free patterns, and just print them out yourself!

You can even create some nice seasonal items from old jeans, such as Christmas stockings, and make a great profit. Think about it. If you already have the jeans, you just have to cut out the stocking shapes, stitch them together, add a few decorations, and you can sell them for $7-$10 each. If it only cost you $1 to make, you will be getting quite a profit!

Go Back from Recycle Clothing to Green Small Business Ideas