Living in a society so driven by consumerism and commercialism, it’s easy to get swept up in the idea of spend, spend, spend. For those of us ladies who are unemployed, spending all our money on college applications, or simply bored, here are some fashion tips on how to save money by spending cash in smart and crafty ways. From the magic of Pinterest, I give you the wrap-around knot skirt and the t-shirt bag.

Wrap-Around Knot Skirt

With spring just around the corner, the temperature goes up along with the hem line! An old maxi skirt or some scrap fabric can give you a new spring necessity, an updated version of the pencil skirt.

1. Buy about two yards of scrap fabric at the fabric store (usually  $3/yard) or cut up something old (like a maxi dress) so you have a two-yard  strip of fabric.
2. Hold one end of the fabric at your hip.
3. Wrap the rest of the fabric around your body once until it meets at the same hip it started at.
4. Twist the fabric as preferred from one hip to the other, across your lower torso..
5. Wrap the remaining fabric around your body one more time until it meets the beginning hip.
6. If you know how to sew, stitch the fabric down. If you don’t, clothes pins can also be used and give an edgier look.

Voila! A new skirt for spring, and only $6 and 10 minutes of your life. Compare that to this $20 skirt from Forever21 and you have yourself a bargain.

No-Sew T-Shirt Bag

For those of us with an abundance of random shirts in their closet that don’t get worn enough, here is a fun way to recycle some old tees, no sewing skills required.

1. Find an old t-shirt.
2. Cut the sleeves off of the shirt. This will make straps to go over your shoulder, so you can cut a circle as far down the side of the shirt as you want, depending on how you prefer your straps
3. Strap length will also determine how far down to cut the neckline of your shirt, cutting a rectangular or semi-oval shape from the neckline down the length of the straps.
4. At the bottom hem of the shirt, cut two-inch strips all around, like fringe.
5. Flip the shirt inside out and tie knots with the fringe, using ones directly across from each other to tie tightly, as this will be the bottom of the bag.
6. Flip the shirt right side out and you’re done!

A free bag is 15 minutes well spent, plus, it’s like you cleaned out your closet and rewarded yourself with a new bag. Compare that to Urban Outfitter’s $30 totes, and you have yourself a bargain.