Upcycling Baby Clothes and the Art of (Not) Letting Go

I have a confession: I have an unreasonably hard time parting with my kids’ baby clothes. For reference, my “baby” is 3 years old, and I haven’t thrown anything away that hasn’t been irreparably stained or damaged. I have a problem letting go.

As a mom, there is far too much of this “letting go” business. My kids are still at that magic age where they truly depend on me to help them make most decisions, yet….we parents let go when we:

• …send them to school
• ….drop them off at a play date
• …support their extracurricular interests (even when you have zero interest)
• …let them wear THAT?!
• …make mistakes

Yes, this letting go is a tough proposition to me, because I still see their former baby selves when I look at them. I remember their smell and their baby cry and all those cute “first” moments. So, it’s not about the clothes – I get that. But I’ve found a temporary solution. A stop-gap measure to my problem, if you will.

I’ve started upcycling those precious clothes into new creations.

It started with the tooth fairy, when I decided their tooth pillows would be made out of their baby clothes.

But now I’m on a roll, and this sweet kitty purse is my latest and greatest.

Pants to Purse Upcycle

I started with this pair of cords. Admittedly, this wasn’t one of my favorite items….I think this was handed down to us, and the season and size was never spot on. But yet I liked the idea of corduroy fabric for this upcycle project.

I decided to use the existing hem of the pants as the opening hem of my purse.  I also used the existing side seam to help me give a more finished look to the front flap.

I took pretty fabrics from two other baby outfits to use as ear accents, cheeks, and an interior liner, and used flossing thread to stitch a kitty face to the purse flap.

I sewed the ears to the interior of the pant hem, at the purse opening. Then I used the extra bit of fabric on the purse flap (taken from the existing side seam in the pant) and sewed that portion on top of the hem, in front of the ears. This existing seam helps the purse flap stay closed and gives it a finished look.

I sewed the interior lining to the bag, then turned it inside-out to make a final seam at the bottom of the purse to close it.

The finished product is kind of adorable.

 

Most importantly this girl loves it, and I get to be reminded that, while she’s not really baby anymore, she’s still my baby.

What do you think of my pants- to – kitty purse baby clothing refashion? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below!