5 Ways to Make Fashion Out of Trash

'One man’s trash is another Tran’s treasure!'

By: Mariah Thomas

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Photo By: TLC

Photo By: Houston M Photography

Photo By: Rosanna Tran

Photo By: Elizabeth Tran

Turn Your Trash Into Treasure

If you’re a fan of So Freakin Cheap, you might have seen how the Tran family ended the season with a fashion photoshoot using trash materials. Elizabeth made a dress for Charisma out of newspapers, foil, and magazines found in their home.

Elizabeth and her family love making crafts and outfits using garbage because it’s free, sustainable, and encourages creativity. Elizabeth even created a platform called Teens Go Green to share her passion for sustainability. If you’re looking to join this DIY movement, Elizabeth shares five ways she's turned her trash into treasure.

Paper Towel Rolls, Postcards and More

Inspired by the Art Deco buildings and ocean in Miami Beach, Elizabeth created her City Costume for this year's Miss Florida USA pageant. The dress is made from granola bar boxes, postcards, shopping bags, envelopes and paper towel rolls. She even made use of a discarded pool cover.

Elizabeth's tip for creating her dress: Organize your packaging by color. To make sure the big picture is visible, cut a logo or label off a box that's a different color.

Hazmat Suit to Evening Gown

In the first episode of So Freakin Cheap, Elizabeth wore a hazmat suit when she went dumpster-diving. With the help of costume designer Susan Tailor, Elizabeth made this gown using the same suit. If you're looking to replicate the look, Elizabeth's tip is to warm CDs by a window before cutting them with heavy-duty scissors. Always do this with adult supervision!

Charisma also participated in the pageant. Her dress is made from bubble wrap and pieces of CDs.

Junk Mail and Juice Pouches

After conducting a trash audit to see how much waste she collected over the course of three months, Elizabeth showcased her style during a trash fashion show. She made her flower crown from her junk mail and the long skirt from juice pouches. The shorter skirt and the top are from grocery packaging. Her tip: Use trash crafting and fashion as an opportunity to find ways to cut down your waste at home. You can do this through local composts, recycling programs and reusable stores.

Gold Chocolate Wrappers

Charisma and Rosanna Tran came up with the idea to make accessories and embellishments using gold chocolate wrappers. After flattening the gold foil, they created ridges by pressing them into trays that held frozen dumplings. According to Elizabeth, trash jewelry is endless. Next time you need new statement pieces, try making your very own trash earrings, bracelets, anklets and more!

Cardboard Christmas Tree

Looking to celebrate the holidays on a budget? Try making your own decorations — one idea being a cardboard Christmas tree. Elizabeth suggests outlining the tree before cutting it, while making sure it has at least four sides to stand on its own. Using discarded materials, she also made gift wrap, ornaments and picture frames.