If you love digging through piles of clothes in ukay-ukay shops in search of hidden gems, then you're probably also familiar with thrift flipping. This is the concept of purchasing pieces for cheap and altering them to make them fit better or create a new article of clothing, though early definitions of the term include the idea that the reworked item will be sold for a higher price. But for the folks over at TikTok, it seems to be more about "updating" the look of their existing pieces with a bit of sewing, painting, and more.
Check out these TikToks to help jumpstart your DIY journey:
A button-down shirt transformed into a dress
@hehe.phoebe turning a 50 cent shirt into a dress ???????????? ##foryou ##fyp ##thriftflip ##thrift ##thrifting ##notapro
? Fire Flower - Summer Salt
This TikTok user named @hehe.phoebe takes her "50-cent shirt" and turns it into a dress. There was some cutting, measuring, and sewing involved—and she did sure make it look easy! She then caps off the look with a thin belt.
Cute co-ords
@kamilarobles_ Something simple???? ##thriftflip ##foru ##diy ##foryourpage ##outfit
? Pretty Girl - Clairo
The first rule of an ukay-ukay veteran is to never skip any section of the shop—not even the granny-looking dresses. In the case of Kamila Robles, she turned her vintage find into cute co-ords!
Hoodie revamp
@hemmedclothing Pastel yellow Nike reworked crop, the perfect little summer hoodie?????? ##thriftflip ##sewing ##ukfashion ##fyp ##depop ##diy ##nike ##rework
? Toosie Slide - Drake
You might have a couple of hoodies in your drawers, and if you've always wondered how to make them fit better, here's something worth trying. You can sew a garter into the hem of your newly cropped hoodie to create a ruched finish. This will give you the illusion of a smaller waist.
Embroidery for a dainty flair
@shannayeh custom made this for one of my depop customers ???? dm me if you want to buy one! ##embroidery ##diy ##thriftflip ##fyp ##foryoupage
? original sound - emymoore3
Deconstructing clothes can be hard if you're a beginner. You may opt for embroidering flowers onto your clothes to really personalize them. This "thrift flip" embroidery project takes after a popular logo, but it's up to you which design to sew on your plain piece.
Paint on your pieces
@sof.26 Really happy with how they turned out ???? ##fyp ##allthedifference ##fishcontent ##foryoupage ##painting ##thriftflip ##art
? Seve - Tez Cadey
Thrift flipping isn't just limited to sewing. You can also paint on your clothes to give them an artsy feel. For this TikTok user, jeans served as a canvas to her handdrawn swirl patterns.