Utah mom upcycles charity finds into fashionable outfits for her kids

By Emma Dunn via SWNS

A mom who taught herself to sew watching YouTube saves almost $358 a year by upcycling charity shop finds - turning them into fashionable outfits for her daughters.

Haidee Burner, 33, started learning how to make clothes for her two little girls - aged 5 and 2 - when she realized how expensive it was becoming to buy brand new outfits.

She started by creating skirts and dresses from fabric she bought – trying to mimic the sewing skills from her seamstress mom, Maria Kaczor, 60 - before turning to YouTube tutorials.

Haidee then turned her hand to upcycling and now spends her time searching through thrift stores for clothes she can turn into stylish pieces for her young daughters.

She turns adult tops into dresses or dungarees and jumpers into rompers or hoodies in just a matter of hours and says her girls “love it.”

Instead of spending up to $60 on a new branded jumper, Haidee finds and upcycles sweatshirts for just $7 and makes dresses for $11 – rather than forking out $38 for a new one.

She says she used to spend an average of $398 on brand new clothes every year but now spends just $78 on her kids' outfits by upcycling.

Haidee, a respiratory therapist from Salt Lake, Utah, said: “I loved buying my daughter clothes, but it was getting really expensive.

“I thought ‘I can do it.’

“It’s been a big learning curve, but I love it.

“It’s my creative outlet.

“It’s better for the environment and a lot cheaper.

“My girls love it.”

Haidee - who lives with husband, Andrew, 36, who works in the technology department at a Home Depot - first made a little skirt for her eldest daughter in early 2020.

She said: “I winged it.

“I then started watching YouTube tutorials.

“Then I did a community sewing class.”

Haidee would buy her own fabric and create designs to make her own clothes for her children but took up upcycling when the cost of fabric increased in 2021.

She said: “I saw people on YouTube and TikTok doing stuff like that.

“You have to look through every piece of clothing at thrift shop.

“It takes a long time, but I enjoy it.”

Haidee buys the clothes she likes before bringing them home and planning her designs.

She said: “It’s so satisfying to see the end product.”

She can put together a shirt dress in about an hour but other outfits, using multiple fabrics, can take three to five hours.

Haidee said: “My eldest daughter is pickier, so I have to take her with me to pick out what she wants.

“I can’t remember the last time I bought something new.

“They love it.”

Haidee now makes most of the girls clothes herself - but will buy the odd item new.

She said: "I don't buy stuff brand new unless it's a really good deal or I see something really cute that I don't want to make.

"I would say one every few of months.

"Now I do buy and upcycle quite a bit but it's just because I enjoy it.

"If I was just doing it simply because they needed clothes, I would probably spend $78 on clothes for the season."

Haidee also saves the scraps of clothes to use if she is missing material for future designs.

She said: “It’s my me time.

"It helps me relax."