30 Times People Mended Their Ruined Things Very Visibly And Only Made Them Cooler (New Pics)

Just because something gets broken, torn, or old doesn’t mean we need to throw it away. 92 million tonnes of textile wasteends upin landfills in the U.S. every year as it is. But there are ways to prolong the life of an item of clothing. One of them is mending, and it can be quite an art form, too.

To know more about the benefits and joys of visible mending,Bored Pandareached out to fiber artist and author ofMending MattersandMake Thrift MendKatrina Rodabaugh. She kindly agreed to tell us why mending clothes instead of throwing them away can be so joyous and shared some practical tips for aspiring menders. Read her insights below!

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Embroidered Couch Repair!

Third Attempt At Darning!

Short Had Holes. Made Some Fish About It

When I was little, my grandma used to darn the socks for our entire family. Granted, she was the one who knit them in the first place, but she was also the one who would repair them when there would be nothing but big holes left in the heels. Back when she was growing up, there was no such thing asfast fashion. Even suggesting to throw the socks out would’ve seemed incredibly wasteful.

I Covered Up A Wine Stain On My Favorite Dress With A Cross Stitch Flower (X-Post From /R/Crossstitch)

Fixed A Small Hole In The Sleeve Of My Boyfriend’s Jacket. Do I Tell Him Or Let Him Find It?

Really Happy With How This Came Out, Dandelion Seed Head Over Some Small Tears In A Shirt

The wish to be more eco-friendly is one of the reasons artist and authorKatrina Rodabaughturned to mending as well. “I love so many things about mending clothes!” she tells Bored Panda. “Mostly, it repairs the textile and puts it back into rotation and prolongs its usefulness. It’s better for theenvironmentif I’m able to wear my clothes for as long as possible and reduce waste.“However, there’s thecraftingaspect as well. “I also love that it allows for experimentation with simple design elements like color, line, and scale,” Katrina says. “I love that it’s calming, centering, and quiet. And I love that it lets me practice basic stitching and patching—a micro session of crafting in a full day.”

However, there’s thecraftingaspect as well. “I also love that it allows for experimentation with simple design elements like color, line, and scale,” Katrina says. “I love that it’s calming, centering, and quiet. And I love that it lets me practice basic stitching and patching—a micro session of crafting in a full day.”

First Visible Mend!

My Boyfriend’s Mom Had A Medical Emergency And The Emts Cut Her Favorite Jacket. I Mended It For Her Christmas Present

Advice Please! A Great Idea Or Absolutely Horrendous?!

When you’re a beginner at mending and have never done a stitch in your life, it can be hard to navigate the world of crafts. Especially if you’re trying to be more sustainable and friendly to the environment; knowing what tools and materials to choose for mending matters. You wouldn’t want to go for a polyester or nylon thread when your goal is to reduce the use of synthetic fibers.

Denim Opus Complete!

Patched A Hole In The Crotch Of My Jeans

Fixed Some Holes With Bees

Katrina says that you don’t need much to start mending. “Most of my mending materials are quite simple—thread, needle, yarn, patches, scissors, thimble, and a ruler,” she tells us. “I love that the tools are not highly specialized and are common enough that most folks can access them easily.”

I Sewed Some Doilies Into Both Knees Of My Jeans (My First Mend Ever)!

Had A Stain On A Shirt, Fixed It With A Little Ducky!

Cold Snap Here, So I Needed To Patch A Hole In Favorite Winter Coat

When it comes to fibers, Katrina prefers to go natural. “I opt for biodegradable fibers like cotton, linen, and wool to reduce my use of synthetics, whenever possible.” She recommends using castoff clothes or remnant fabrics when you’re making patches. That works really well for mending woven garments like denim.

First Attempt At Sashiko, Covering A Grouping Of Stubborn Stains

Ripped Jeans

My First Visible Mend And First Embroidery Ever!

And what about fixing knitted or crocheted garments? “If I’m darning knits, it’s great fun to plant-dye tiny skeins of wool yarn to use for special mending projects—though leftover yarn from knitting projects is great too.” People can either use store-bought natural plant dye extracts or experiment with homemade options like coffee, black tea, or onion skins.

First Time Mending & Embroidering!

My Favorite Pair Of Shorts Ripped And So I Thought I’d Give Vm A Try

A Snail To Fix A Torn Pocket Corner

If this list inspired you to try visible mending, Katrina has some useful tips about where to start. “Try to match the fiber of the textile you’re mending with the fiber in the patch and thread,” she recommends. “If you’re mending mid-weight denim jeans, try to use a mid-weight denim patch and mid-weight cotton thread. If you’re darning a bulky sweater, use bulky yarn.”

Added A Little Strawberry To My Daughter’s Damaged Shorts

Mended My Toddler’s Shirt With Some Mushrooms!

Been Going Through It; Mending My Clothes As An Attempt To Mend My Self

A mistake many beginners can make is to use a patch the size of the hole they’re mending. Katrina points out that the patch or darn should always be bigger than the hole or fray. “It needs to attach to the undamaged part of the textile so make the repair bigger than the hole. You can always practice your stitches on a fabric scrap to help warm up.”

The Adhesive That Holds Together The Covering On My Headphones Ear Cups Came Apart

Darning Pattern

Salvaging A Sentimental Sweatshirt

Nobody’s born an expert, so don’t get upset when you fail. There’s no superglue in mending; you can always fix a mistake. “Remember that they are just stitches and you can take them out and start over if you like,” Katrina says. “The more you stitch, the more you’ll get comfortable with your stitches, like handwriting. Mend things and have fun!”

Promised To Mend My Husband’s Pants Forever

Rescued My Favourite Hoodie

I Thought You Guys Might Appreciate My Pants

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“Mended” Taxi

I Don’t Know If This Counts, But These 25¢ Shorts Didn’t Fit Right So I Added Side Panels. Now They Fit Like A Dream

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Parchment Holes In A 14th Century Manuscript Repaired Using Embroidery. Circa 1417 Ce, Now Housed At The Uppsala University Library In Sweden [500x375]