Give Your Old Dupatta a New Life

When a large garment or piece of apparel gets old, faded, boring to wear, or for some other reason is not to be worn any longer by you, there are three courses open to you. Make it a mopping rag, give it away or repurpose it.

The Indian dupatta especially the handloom version, just like the saree, is better off seen as something different. To give it that extended lease of life would be supporting eco-friendly measures like one-less-for-the-landfill for now.

Since you’ve decided that your old dupattas are to stay with you but in newer avatars let us find out what all you can do.

• • Make fancy cushion covers
  • Chop it up to make a headband out of it
  • Make a shrug with it
  • Re-use it as a stole
  • Make a coin pouch
  • Patchwork bedcovers and blankets are all the rage right now
  • Turn it into a table cloth
  • Hang them as curtains or wall hangings
  • Craft out a Kimono
  • Create a Poncho
  • Make a Kaftan top
  • Do a Photo frame with dupatta border
  • Re-fashion dupatta into jacket
  • Convert into stylish top
  • Use the dupatta as a cape
  • Re-fashion into a beautiful clutch
  • DIY Palazzo pants
  • Check out a few videos that give you many other ideas.

  Take them one by one.

• Create a cozy feeling with fancy cushion covers
• There are two ways to get it done. Get all the throw pillows / cushions together.
  
• Get it done. Breathe new life into the room. Your dupattas get their lease of life.

   

• You can make a lovely headband by cutting it up
  Cut up the old dupatta into two halves. Use them to create two new headbands.Note - the video uses scarves to get the headbands done. The dupatta cut into two could do nicely to fetch you two headbands. The more adorned or colorful it is better the result. Check out this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uh5Kr-2munw After doing it yourself, you could experiment more.
  Get it done by your local tailor giving him a dupatta and ask him how many cushions / pillows could he get done with one dupatta. If he says two from one dupatta and you have six cushions then you need three dupattas. Choose your dupattas, tell him how you wish the mix to be, get it done. If border embroidery be on one of the three then it could be used to create something fancy. If you want the room to be lit up, use bright vibrant colors. If you like it slightly mellow, use a mix of light and dark.Do it Yourself by following the steps shown in the video link given https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kRzGh7rX1P0
  
• Create a lovely shrug from it to flaunt
  See the demo on how to make a shrug   on this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TPEqp1rbSWI and Do It Yourself (DIY). The shrug is a western outfit. Use a desi design with some adornment to make it look Indian.
  
• Reuse your old dupatta as a stole
• Chiffon and georgette dupattas work fine but anything with Indian embroidery would do even better. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c3_AuH8EYb8 . Check out the various ways you can use your dupatta like a scarf or stole. And then try to do it yourself.
  
• Make a coin pouch from your old dupatta
  While it is always felt that professionals could do a job better, why not be enterprising and watch a Do It Yourself video like this one below and then DIY. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ojirkFC2zI

  

• Patchwork bedcovers and blankets from dupatta - done at home
  Just like this Multicolour Patchwork Reversible Silk Dupatta with Kantha Work has been fashioned, you could use your old dupattas to create wonderful quilts soft and warm. Check out this video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2PoPW05JsY4

  

• Make a table cloth and runner out of your dupatta
  Making a table cloth is very simple and can be done at home and from your own old dupatta. Don’t have the foggiest about how, check out the link.See this following link if you are keen on different runners from your old dupattas .
  
• Hang your dupattas as curtains or wall hangings
  There are plenty of videos on how to convert your old dupatta into a wall hanging. From the very simple to the elaborate and highly decorative you can watch them But if you have a DIY link as above, then you can simply learn and unleash your creativity.
  
• Craft out a Kimono
  A very attractive top- of-fabric wear, a kimono shrug is eye-catching and adds that extra which otherwise would simply make what your wearing like any other. Check out how you could actually be using your old dupatta to create something interesting like the kimono shrug.
  
• Create an attractive Poncho
  In its simplest form the poncho is essentially a single large sheet of fabric with an opening in the center, for the head, and often it has an extra piece of fabric serving as a hood.
  Now designed as fashion items Ponchos are the same shape but of different material. They are designed to look fashionable and provide warmth while remaining breathable and comfortable, rather than to ward off wind and rain. Made out of wool or yarn, knitted or crocheted Ponchos with festive designs or colors can be worn at special events as well.See if you can make it at home with the help of this link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gEuv0T93nhQ
  
• Make a Kaftan top
  A traditional kaftan or caftan is an ankle-length garment with long, flowing sleeves. This loose type of dress was originally a long, buttoned up robe mainly worn by men in the Middle East. Today it is a fashion item worn additionally by women. Want to make it yourself at home? Here is how https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OWsSLcuhEFI
  
• Making a Photo frame with a dupatta border
  Many a dupatta border has wonderful floral adorning. This can easily be used to create a Photo frame from such an old dupatta that you are no longer wearing and not likely to wear.
  By wrapping the modified dupatta about the wooden skeleton of the photo frame, you have a chic looking stylish photo frame to show off. You could also gift the embossed piece to someone.
  

• Re-fashion dupatta into jacket
  Floral dupattas no longer worn could easily be converted into nice breezy jackets for feminine wear. How do you make it? Read the DIY on https://www.unnatisilks.com/blog/bored-of-your-old-dupattas-in-5-minutes-turn-them-into-trendy-jackets-without-stitching .
  
  

• Convert into stylish top
  Why cut or tear your old dupatta when you feel like wearing new tops for different dresses that you wear? Simply watch this link to know how. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8v8YUtI9BE.
  Try them out, learn how to do them fast. Experiment with your own combinations.
  

• Use the dupatta as a cape
  A cape is a clothing accessory or a sleeveless outer garment which drapes the wearer's back, arms, and chest, and connects at the neck.
  In full evening dress, ladies frequently use the cape as a fashion statement. It protects the wearer or the fine fabrics of their evening-wear from the elements, especially where a coat would crush—or hide—the garment. Capes may be short (over the shoulders or to the waist) or a full-length cloak. It is very much popular in India also where capes have been worn over sarees or delectable lehengas especially. Check out how your dupatta could be converted into a cape with this link.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWK1AgIGJS0
  

• Re-fashion into a beautiful clutch
  A clutch or a woman's small usually strapless handbag is now an article of fashion that is termed as an accessory especially with Indian sarees or salwar kameez.
  Why not try making it in the comfort of your home from your old dupatta?
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdK1ovdEL_U.This video gives you the method to do it. Practise a few times. Use a couple of your old dupattas to fashion small, cute and trendy potlis and cloth clutches. They would be an instant hit.

• DIY Palazzo pants
  An extremely wide-legged women’s trouser that flare out from the waist are the Palazzo pants. Of very many materials, they can be plain, striped, or even printed. Light gauzy, flowing, fleece to velvet palazzo pants can be worn anytime of the year. Popular in the spring and summer, can be worn so many ways and are much more versatile than most people think.
  You wish to make them yourself? Check out this video.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JH9mmNNWymE .
  
  

• Other ideas from your old dupattas
  Other ideas in refashioning fabrics from your old dupattas can be learnt from here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKyvGkT7Sg0&t=28s .
  
  

There are very many ideas apart from these and new ones keep flowing in regularly. The aim of getting new fabrics from old is to extend the life of a fabric as much as possible.

This prevents unnecessary buying, stops one more garment from entering landfills, gives you the satisfaction of having done something that you believe in yourself, will be doing it by yourself, and creating the new for yourself.