Clearing Out the Wardrobe: What to Do With Outgrown Clothes

Children hit growth spurts when it seems that none of the clothing they have fits any longer. If you are lucky enough to have multiple children, pass out-grown clothes down to younger siblings. Remember that younger siblings may resent getting all the hand-me-downs. Therefore, if you can afford to, make sure to buy some new items for younger siblings from time to time.

Even if hand-me-downs for siblings are an option, eventually you will have clothes no one can wear. Cleaning out outgrown clothing becomes a necessity when there is no longer room for newer clothes. The key to clearing out those outgrown clothes is to develop a system that works for you. Some families find once a month works well. Others go through clothes when the season’s change – once when school starts in the fall, when the cold weather sets in, when it is time for lightweight spring clothing, and when school lets out for the summer break. Another idea is to sort clothing on washday, passing some items to younger siblings, boxing those that need to go to somewhere else, and tossing those items no longer usable. Here are some ideas of what you can do with outgrown clothes.

Sell Outgrown Clothes

Either have a yard sale or find a local consignment shop. Consignment stores generally only accept items that look new. Moreover, of course, the shop may be unable to sell your items. Additionally, you can sell children’s clothing on EBay or various internet sites specifically designed for buying and selling gently used items.

Donate Outgrown Clothes to Charity

Charities and organizations such as domestic violence shelters and churches always need clothing for those they serve. Additionally, passing your children’s gently used clothing to those in need teaches your children the importance of helping others.

Pass Outgrown Clothing to Friends and Family Members

Some of the clothing you buy for your child is so special or expensive you and your children do not want to let those items go. Allow your children to retain some items to give to their children someday. Alternatively, choose a family friend or relative to share this clothing with before it comes time to get rid of it.

If you decide to throw out unusable clothing, consider recycling parts for other projects.

• Remove zippers and buttons. Cut pieces of fabric to use as patches.
• Refashion into new clothing – for example, jeans into a denim skirt or shorts
• Turn pants into a tote by cutting the legs off a pair of kids’ jeans or cords, sewing the bottom closed, and affixing a long strap to the top opening.
• Create dust cloths and cleaning rags from all-cotton clothing.
• Cut squares of favorite and memorable outfits and create a quilt.
• Save infant and toddler clothes to be used as baby doll clothes.

Clearing out the wardrobe and deciding what to do with outgrown clothes does not need to be a dreaded task. With some planning and preparation, those clothing items your children can no longer wear can be repurposed or given to someone else consistently enough that your will have sufficient storage space for the clothing they can wear.