How to Create Clothes in Stay Home or Stay Hotel Quarantine-

Photo by Dmeranda in Wikipedia under sewing.

 No needle? No machine? Never mind. the internet has videos showing how you can create and re-purpose clothes. As I contemplate two weeks in lockdown quarantine, with not enough clothes, I am wondering what I can do. Watch videos for answers. My own answers include: glue, staples, safety pins, ribbons, scarves, beg and borrow.

Glue

If you have a fabric glue, that helps. 

No glue? Some fabrics have a glue backing. For example iron on patches. With a reversible white tee-shirt, you can iron patches onto the front and the back to create different looks for a video conference everyday. Or add patches so that on day one you have one, on day two two, and so on. This would work if you bought patches in sets of assorted patches on the internet.

Staples

You can also use staples,  i am cautious about bits of metal and points. 

Pins and Safety Pins

Another choice is safety pins, concealed. 

Brooches

Or Brooches.

Ribbons

Ribbons.

Ribbons can be made into belts, straps for tak tops, and matching hair bands. 

Wrap Dresses, Sarongs and Wrap Skirts

Or do what they did in the old days with togas and sarongs and sarees. Wrap it around and fasten it on one shoulder. 

You can also secure an off the shoulder dress with a ribbon strap over the other shoulder.

Scarves

Stock up on or buy a set of different colour scarves, or same colour scarves. Or remember to pack a few of your own scarves.

Finding Fabric

Or cut up an old garment which has stains or tears, or just one you no longer like, as you would not wear it anyway. But the colour might contrast or match a shirt, or blous ir skirt or dress or trousers.

Cut the hem off a long dress. Buy a maxi dress and cut it to knee length and you have matching fabric for a stole or jacket.  

A scarf, like a sarong, can be tied in a dozen or more ways. For example:

1 Hanging loose with ends forwards.

2 Hanging loose backwards.

3 Hanging loose forwards with ends looped.

4 Hanging loose forwards with ends knotted.

5 Hanging loose forward with ends in a bow below the neck.

6 Twisted in a spiral and knotted at the side of the neckwith one pointed end hanging forwards

7 A bandanna tied in a bow at the top of the head in front.

8 A bandanna tied behind the neck and spread to make a cap.

9 A bandanna tied with a bow at the side of the neck above the right ear.

10 As 9 but add a broch to fasten the bandanna, above the ear on the other side, the left ear.

11 Tied in horizontal pleats around the neck with a bow at the neck, like a bow tie. 

12 Folded scarf into half and then again to make a concertina, then spiralled to make a rose. Fasten with glue or safety pin. Use on ribbon as a pendant, on shoulder as a brooch or decoration, or between bust to cover cleavage. 

Patches

Think about quilts from patches. think about iron on patches. Most hotels can supply an iron.  

Beg and borrow

Your home or hotel probably has sheets and pillowcases.  A sheet or pillowcase can be repurposed for daytime or evening clothing.

Sheets and Pillowcases

 In a hotel I had no costume, so I used a toga style sheet over white underclothes and slip to make myself into a ghost with a white pillowcase as a hat.

You could ask housekeeping if they have old sheets or curtains which are torn or stained which you can borrow or keep. 

Flowers

A flower can be turned into a corsage or button hole decoration. Or tuck it into a bandanna or hairband.

Fruit

Fruit could be made into a Carmen Mirands hat with a pillowcase twisted into a circular support. 

Plastic tray

Even a plastic tray could be cut with two slits for ribbons as a head-dress or head-dress support.

Useful Websites

About the Author

Agnela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.