“Visible Mending”: 30 Times Folks Brought Beauty Back To Broken Or Torn Items

In a world that often encourages disposable culture, where we replace old and worn-out items with new ones without a second thought, it’s truly inspiring to see people who refuse to give up on their favorite possessions.

#1 You Guys Inspired Me!

Image source: Master_Tinyface

Before and after of one of my favorite dresses that had a small stain that bothered me so much that i stopped wearing it. I rose this simple dress from the ashes to make a statement piece I love even more.

#2 Covered Up A Bleach Stain With A French Knot Sheep!

Image source: Baramitzvah

#3 Finished!!

Image source: kittyissocrafty

These took such a while, but I’m so happy with the end result. I reinforced several thin spots and puckering areas with patches underneath then added lots of embellishments. I like to think of this as my ode to Monet’s water lillies.

#4 Someone Chewed A Hole In The Beautiful Quilt My Friend Made. Friend Sent Scraps, Thread And A Letter For The Offender

Image source: pepperonipizzatarian

#5 I Got Hair Dye On My Collar. Oh Well, Mending Time!

Image source: fancy-francy

#6 Problem Solved Thanks To Some Little Soot Sprite Friends!

Image source: gah-bah

#7 When We’re Not Sure A Blanket Stitch Will Be Enough, We Embroider. Overachievers Unite For Mending Glory!

Image source: megheanne

#8 Heavily Darned 1000 Year Old Tunic From Egypt

Image source: cranefly

The blue and possibly the brocade are “original”, and everything else is mending. Some darns match, some don’t, and the brown in the middle is quite decorative, but it’s darning too. The museum notes indicate that something about the construction suggests this may have originally been an adult garment, which was then cut down for a child. And then mended, and mended again, most likely passed down to someone else and someone else and someone after that. This is YEARS of wear & loving mending, and on a small garment that means no one could have worn it their whole life, so we’re seeing the history of multiple people who cared about this garment, and cared for it, and kept using it. Fantastic.

#9 Everywhere There Is Now A Pigeon There Once A Moth-Hole

Image source: kautskybaby

The pigeons are needle-felted. For the holes that were larger than one or two knitted loops I used extra strong thread to sew them shut before starting the felting process.

#10 “Repaired” My Granddaughter’s Stick Unicorn

Image source: GrandmainWA

Last time she was here she kept nagging me to fix this little 2 cm. seam opening. So instead of taking the 3 seconds to just sew it back together, I backed it with blood red flannel, added some big black “stitches” over it, then a Velcro band-aid with optional removal felt pool of blood. She’ll love it.

The poor unicorn has a hard life & is used mostly as a weapon to bop her big sister, FYI.

#11 Mom Patched A Quilt. Pup Has Been Gone A Couple Years Now, But This Lives On

Image source: Final_Meaning_2030

#12 I Fixed My Lamp Using The Stained Glass Soldering Technique, I Was Told You Guys Might Like It

Image source: Shinylittlelamp

#13 The Cats Clawed Up The Side Of The Chair, I Think You Guys Will Like How My Mom Fixed It Up

Image source: Mems137

#14 Upcycled/Patched/Jeans & Ankara

Image source: afrykanized

#15 This Is How I Repair My Dress

Image source: HangChu

#16 He Didn’t Want To Throw This Rug Away Because It Belonged To His Grandmother

Image source: Lions-not-sheep

#17 Embroidered On Flowers To Cover Some Paint Splatters

Image source: spaceyblob

#18 A Sharpie Leaked In My Scrubs Pocket And Didn’t Come Out After Several Washes. I Do Work At An Animal Shelter, So I Embroidered A Cat Over The Stain

Image source: bahamutangel

#19 Mended A Small Hole In A T-Shirt With Cross Stitch

Image source: Bluebird_pi

#20 Doggo Got A Hold Of My Favorite Dress So I Tried Visible Mending For The First Time

Image source: ren_aine

#21 My 10 Year Old Mended My Jeans For Me

Image source: LetoTheTyrant

#22 This Patch Might Bite You In The…rear Pocket Of The Vintage Jeans I Patched. Scrap Of Stretchy Fabric And Sashiko Thread

Image source: Art_Is_Basic

#23 My First Decorative Mend! My Partner’s Moth Eaten Cashmere Sweater Needed Some Love

Image source: halfsewn

#24 It Was Either This Or Thousands Of Dollars To Replace The Whole Floor, They Don’t Make Tile Like That Anymore

Image source: ProjectDirectory

#25 Squishmallow First Aid

Image source: sockphotos

#26 Owl Lost An Eye. My 7yo Asked Me To Make An Eyepatch. Owl Is Now Ready For A New Career As A Pirate

Image source: rvodenh

#27 My First Time Embroidering! I Hid A Bleach Stain Under A Crocodile

Image source: HumusGoose

#28 Can’t Mend His Bones So I’m Mending His Shirt

Image source: Advanced_Crab8702

My son was in an accident where someone ran a red light and hit him on his motorcycle. three surgeries and a month later I got his personal effects including his Joyce manor shirt. I washed it up and stitched up where the EMTs cut through his clothing.

#29 Embroidered A Little Throwback Dino To Cover A BBQ Sauce Stain

Image source: Lovingbutdifferent

#30 Snoopy Shirt Had A Hole, So I Added A Little Woodstock

Image source: JayXFour