Turning old into new: Kintsugi DIY
Broken is often synonymous with negative things: Broken items are damaged, no longer whole, forever inferior. Even when mending a broken item of clothing, we try to get it back to its undamaged state, make it whole again and make it as perfect and “unbroken” as possible. We should distance ourselves from this idea if we are serious about slow fashion. We should accept tears, holes and other flaws as part of (fashionable) life and celebrate their beauty by implementing clever DIY clothing ideas rather than discarding them.
Kintsugi for clothes – wabi-sabi for life
Perhaps the Japanese art of Kintsugi can offer a new perspective? This ancient joining technique has been used in Japan for at least 600 years to repair ceramics using gold. It is based on the philosophy of wabi-sabi, according to which beauty is inherent even in broken objects. In traditional kintsugi, skilled craftsmen reassemble broken ceramics, porcelain items and other pottery with gold lacquer. The crack shines like a beautiful ornament and is transformed from a flaw into a desirable quality.
If we transfer this thought process to your closet, you can use Kintsugi to rediscover the pieces that have seen better days and need some care. If you look at flaws not as unsightly blemishes, but as chapters in the fascinating history of your garments, you can enhance them and turn old into new. Why do darned tears and holes always have to be invisible, for example? Draw attention to them with seams and patches, sew and become an active part of the story yourself. At the same time, turn unwanted rags into inspiring and unique it-pieces.
DIY idea: Kintsugi step by step
Looking for inspiration? In our simple Kintsugi-inspired video and step-by-step instructions, you'll see how easy it is to turn old things into new ones.
Kintsugi jeans – a DIY tutorial for clothing
What you need:
- A pair of torn jeans (ours got caught on barbed wire during a hike)
- Colorful patterned fabric (we used an old tea towel)
- Scissors
- Pins
- Tweezers
- Needle and thread
This is how it works:
- Select a part of the pattern that fits on the tear
- If necessary, enlarge the tear so that the pattern is perfectly framed by the tear
- Fringe the edges
- Pin the patterned fabric to the inside of the jeans so that the tear is backed
- Sew it in place
- Celebrate the beauty of imperfection!
Sew it yourself: Kintsugi for everything in your closet
Always remember that Kintsugi is about much more than just DIY ideas. It's a mindset based on the philosophy of wabi-sabi. The new old jeans are beautiful because of - not despite - their imperfections. With DIY stitching on a tear, you draw attention to the story instead of distracting from it.
In this way, old clothes become new again, the jeans are given another life and can stay in the wardrobe for longer. And the colorful thread over the tear will forever remind you of your shared history.
What you need:
- A damaged item of clothing (moth-eaten sweater, cardigan with frayed sleeves and so on)
- Colorful fabric scraps, lace, patches to sew or iron on, sequins, glitter stones and other embellishments that match the size of the hole, tear or damage
- Scissors
- Pins
- Needle and thread, textile glue or an iron
This is how it works:
- Find eye-catching colors, patterns and shapes
- Choose an embellishment that matches the damaged area or a thread in a bright color
- Glue, sew or iron on the decoration and/or fill the hole with colorful thread in an eye-catching pattern
Wear it with pride!
Image credits:
Header image: Getty Images
Image of two japanese women walking in traditional dress: Shutterstock
Image of jeans with embellishments around holes: Shutterstock
DIY
Get inspired! Our nifty DIY ideas, exclusive styling tips and easy-to-follow care advice will help you to become more slow-fashion minded.