Repair Week – Old Shirt to Bucket Hat

Charity shopping and upcycling Queen, Hannah Elliman is the last in our series for Repair Week 2022, but boy is it a good one. Check out the below easy, how-to video and see Hannah transform some old shirts in a bucket hat. Yes you heard right, a bucket hat. The perfect addition to your summer wardrobe.

Read More »

Crochet Love.

Hello everyone! My name is Stevie and today I wanted to share a little bit about how I got into crocheting my own clothing and how charity shopping ties in with that! I’m a huge fan of shopping pre-loved and have been buying from charity shops for years but recently, I’ve got more and more into up-cycling, DIY projects and making my own clothing – crochet being my main craft of choice!

Read More »

Embroidery Upcycle for Barnardo’s

Hi, I’m Laura from www.thriftylondoner.com, where I talk all things money saving- including lots of reviews of the best charity shops in London, with regular up-cycles and repairs that you can follow along with on Instagram @thriftylondoner.

Barnardo’s stores always feature high on my list as affordable, well organised places to find unique pre-loved clothing. One of my favourite Barnardo’s stores in London is in Brixton, but the store that has a special place in my heart is the dedicated Barnardo’s vintage store in Cheadle (you can follow them on Instagram @barnardos_vintage). If you live in Manchester or you are ever visiting- it’s a must-visit!

LauraRead More »

Fall Back In Love With Your Wardrobe

Calling all fashionistas!

For those working from home it doesn’t mean wearing pyjamas all day (although a day here and there is definitely a treat!). No more pandemic sweat pants or lockdown lounge suits, it’s time to rediscover your wardrobe!

Why not riffle through your wardrobe, and re-discover those hidden gems. Whether this is through restyling, re-wearing, repairing or up-cycling, it’s time to fall in love with your wardrobe. Be sure to share your re-loved looks with us over on Instagram and tag us using #ReLovedWardrobe. We can’t wait to see what you put together.

Having a clear out? Be sure to pop those items to one side and donate them once our stores re-open. Somebody else will love those “not so you pieces”.

Want to share your top Barnardo’s looks with us and feature on The-Thrift? Comment below and we’ll get in touch!

Caring For Your Clothes

Hi everyone!

My name is Camilla, and I have been kindly invited to guest blog on The-Thrift to talk about a subject I am very passionate about: maintaining and prolonging the life of clothes. Essentially, making them last as long as possible!

This is such an important topic and I feel that most of the time people might give up on a perfectly fine garment. They may be unaware that they can mend them, think repairs are too difficult or simply don’t have the time.

Today I want to show you three simple steps you can take in order to extend the life of your clothes. I hope you will find this useful!

Making your knitwear look brand new

One of the main issues I find when charity shopping is bobbling fabric.  Once an item bobbles, people don’t know how to restore their knit to its former glory.  You might want to consider investing in a fabric shave. Acquiring one of these was the best decision I ever made clothes-wise: it changed my life!  A little dramatic perhaps, but it made me aware of how people wear clothes and expect them to look new without any maintenance.

camilla 3 x1Read More »

My Up-cycling Challenge

I was asked by Barnardo’s to join in with Recycle Week by up-cycling an item of clothing surprisingly sent to me, I automatically thought, WHAT A FUN CHALLENGE!

As an avid repairs and up-cycling seamstress with my brand, Soul and Flare, I was excited to receive my parcel. I opened up the box and to my delight there was an indigo wash, women’s denim shirt by Uniqlo. HURRAH!

Denim 1 V2Read More »