Just ask Amy Reynolds, there is nothing wrong with giving old clothes a new purpose. That is the basic idea behind her business, Teamwear Totes, reports MyCentralJersey.com. She takes old sports jerseys and turns them into unique tote bags, pillows, or cinch sacks.
Since the business was launched in August, Reynolds, a mother of two, said she has created about 50 items.
Reynolds describes her creations as “bleacher chic,” after developing the idea while attending the Montgomery Baseball League games of her son, David, 11, who attends the township’s Lower Middle School. The team recently had purchased new uniforms and Reynolds no longer had use for about six baseball jerseys. Instead of donating them to goodwill or tossing them in the garbage, Reynolds decided to recycle the jerseys into tote bags, which she could use to store items during the games.
The team’s spectators, she said, quickly noticed the totes with the team’s logo on it and asked where they could get a tote of their own.
“The moms from his team went crazy for it,” Reynolds said. “Sitting in the bleachers, we talked about other types of bags I could make and what kinds of jerseys would work and what prices people would pay. It was like a business school case-study session, while the kids warmed up for the game. I left with orders for several bags.”
Logo from Teamwear Totes