Meaningful Holiday Gifts for Grievers
By: Allison Gilbert
My favorite gift ideas for grievers all share the same sentimental ingredient: clothing that belonged to the loved one who died. Transforming jeans, sweaters, and T-shirts into new and meaningful objects is a poignant way to keep the memory of family and friends alive.
Below are three of the best ideas I’ve come across for repurposing virtually any kind of clothing:
Make handwoven rugs, table runners, and Moroccan-style poufs out sweatshirts, coats, and sweaters. You can also create throw pillows and bean bags.
Create teddy bears out of fleece jackets.
Fashion duffel bags, gym bags, and everyday totes out of corduroy and other thick material.
By reimagining ordinary objects we can honor and celebrate those we miss most.
Have you repurposed clothing? Please share your photos on our Facebook page here. We’d love to see your projects!
Allison Gilbert is co-author of Listen, World!: How the Intrepid Elsie Robinson Became America's Most-Read Woman, the first biography of American writer Elsie Robinson. Her previous books include, Passed and Present: Keeping Memories of Loved Ones Alive. On Allison’s popular grief and resilience blog, she features Q & A’s with some of the most notable names in our culture today including, Arianna Huffington, Jon Stewart, and bestselling authors Henry Louis Gates, Jr., Dani Shapiro, and Susan Orlean. She is host of "Women Journalists of 9/11: Their Stories,” a 20-part documentary series produced in collaboration with the 9/11 Memorial & Museum. Featured journalists include Savannah Guthrie, Maggie Haberman, Linda Wertheimer, Dana Bash, and many others.
Please take a moment to follow her on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. She’s everywhere as “agilbertwriter."