I upcycled my mom's old bandhani saree with this 'no scraps left behind' zero-waste approach.
When I was approached for the Fashion Upcycled project for MissMalini.com's fashion Insta page, the first item of clothing I could think of was a saree. Because it's such a versatile product that can be transformed just by styling or revamping, it was my number choice. A few years ago, I had made a kimono jacket from my mom's old saree. So, taking the learnings from that project, I wanted to take this upcycle a bit further.
For the Fashion Upcycled project specifically, I decided to make three clothing items from an old saree. My mom graciously again gave away her old georgette bandhani saree. It is something others might find in their mom's closet, so it worked perfectly for an upcycle showcase. I decided to make a kimono jacket again, and taking advantage of the length of the saree, I also decided to make a kaftan and a scarf. Here's the whole process of how I did it:
However, I didn't want to stop just there. The motto was 'no scraps left behind'. I was thinking of ways to use leftover scraps from the project to make this one a zero-waste upcycle. That's when the concept of making scrunchies came to me. I even used the fall of the saree and made solid maroon-colored ones too! Check it out below:
Overall, I was so happy with this whole #RashReimagines upcycle. Not only were the results stunning, but the entire project ended up being a zero-waste one! As a conscious fashion consumer, this was a great deal for me.
I hope this encourages you to give an old saree a new life and turn it into some stellar fashionable items. Just remember, no scraps left behind!
Love,
Rashmi B.
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