The new affordable Bolton fashion trend which everyone is loving

Upcycling is the new fashion trend in 2024 as more people start to learn skills to recycle their clothing and give their furniture a fresh look.

The Market Place Bolton, Bolton at Home and the University of Bolton teamed up this week to put on a series of workshops to show people how to upcycle old materials into something new and stylish.

The sessions were part of Bolton's Future Furnishings project to show sustainability has never been more fashionable.

Among the workshops was the scrunchie-making class.

People were invited to bring in old clothing and learn how to turn them into scrunchies.

Alima's scrunchie (Image: NQ)

Lucia Bradley, from the university, said about the sessions: “It’s been really busy, loads of people from the community have been coming in, especially kids getting involved which is really nice.

“They have just seemed to have loved using the sewing machines, because not everyone has access to one, and just sharing our skills with the community has been great.”

People attending the workshop marked their own scrunchie from scratch, and it was not just girls, but young boys and men took part in the class too.

The class was designed to give everyone confidence to give items a second chance and people had their wrists full of colourful scrunchies by the end

(Image: NQ)

Lucia continued: “When I was at school, textiles was pushed to the side, and it was not important.

“We need to teach, especially the younger generation that this is a life skill, and it is important to know how to do it from a sustainability point of view so instead of throwing away your clothes, you learn how to fix them, attach buttons.”

READ MORE: Project transforming waste materials into stylish items to be showcased at exhibition

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READ MORE: Daisy Hill Reusing and Recycling project to launch

The Bolton News was invited to the class, and I was surprised how quickly I picked it up, with lecturer at University of Bolton Leanne Lewis calling me a ‘natural’ after seeing my skills on the sewing machine.

It was a therapeutic session to be working on something creative which allowed me to pick my own fabric and left me feeling proud and accomplished after tying my hair up with my new scrunchie made by myself.

Future Furnishings hoped to show people that upcycling is not a difficult task but can be done with things people already have.

Other sessions showed people how to make tote bags out of old jeans.