DIY Thrift Flip
Sewing Techniques for Transforming Old Clothes into Fun, Wearable Fashions
DIY Thrift Flip is an encouraging, inspirational guide with instructions for turning thrift-store finds into more fashionable, fun, wearable clothes.
Part of the enjoyment of thrifting is the hunt for a treasure, the book says. When the items they find aren’t a perfect fit, creative DIYers like April Yang see the potential for remaking them. Here, Yang shares shopping tips alongside tutorials and projects to help others convert their own finds, using materials including sweatshirts, leggings, and maxi skirts.
The book details what to look for in a sewing machine, where to shop, how to evaluate garments, and basic alterations like adding sleeves or pockets—information that’s helpful as a refresher on the basics, or even as a starting point. Then, twenty delightful patterns (most for women) introduce creative ideas for altering common thrift-store finds, such as adding cutouts to a bodycon dress, turning a t-shirt into a kimono-style jacket, making pant legs wider, and sewing curtains into a skirt. Some projects include QR codes for in-depth tutorials, and the book’s step-by-step photographs and before-and-after shots of the garments or fabric are edifying.
Enabling thrift-store shoppers to make secondhand basics their own, the style guide DIY Thrift Flip is confidence giving.
Reviewed by
Sarah White
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. No fee was paid by the publisher for this review. Foreword Reviews only recommends books that we love. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
