Tuesday's Toddler Tornado: 5 Ways to Reuse Baby Clothes

After Little Bit was born, we saved every stitch of clothing she outgrew, knowing we would be trying for another baby relatively soon (and hoping for another girl). Now that Bitty Baby is growing out of them, we've got piles upon piles of baby clothes that are taking up space in their room. Much of it will be consigned or donated, but some pieces are either too worn or too sentimental to give away.

Here are 5 ways get some more life out of those baby clothes:

1. Give to a teddy bear to wear.

Some garments are just too dear to us to part with. From both girls I have set aside a few outfits to hold on to as keepsakes. One is the going home outfit that Little Bit wore home from the hospital, and the others are just outfits that I loved seeing them in.

By dressing a medium-sized teddy in their clothes, I can hold on to the clothes, have them out where I can see them regularly, and make a bear look adorable!

2. Refashion into a quilt.

You can create a keepsake to last forever by cutting squares out of them and assembling a quilt. Even if you don't have mad sewing skills, there are companies like this one that will use the clothes you send them and make a blanket for you.

3. Embellish over stains and give away.

I always hated throwing away onesies with small stains, but what else is one to do with them? This Recycled Life shows just how to hide little blemishes, and make those onesies even cuter, by sewing sweet appliqués over the stains. Then, you can donate them, pass along to a expectant mother, or save for your own future bundles!

4. Use as scraps for crafting.

Even worn-out and stained clothing can have some good spots left on them. Cut off the bad parts and save the rest for future arts and crafts projects. Fabric collages are always fun. You could also use the fabrics as scrapbooking embellishments, or use pieces of them to make appliqués to cover up other stained clothing (see #3). Really the possibilities are endless.

5. Repurpose as Gift wrap.

The colors and themes found on baby clothing are ideal for wrapping a gift for another baby. Fabric is often a better choice than paper when wrapping awkwardly shaped items such as pacifiers, bottles, and some toys. You can find many ways of folding fabric to cover your gifts here.

These are just a few ways to squeeze a little more life out of those adorable baby clothes that you just can't find anything else to do with. Because really, who wants to throw away a sweet little yellow ducky romper just because it has a little spot on it?

Do you have any tips for parents of babies and toddlers, or even preschoolers? Parenting lessons you'd like to pass on? Snack ideas your just itching to share? Or a product you think every Mommy and Daddy of little ones should know about? Post your link here every Tuesday and check to see what others are doing!