Oh don't pretend you don't remember.  The 1980's.  Molly Ringwald.  Pretty in Pink.  She took a frilly conventional pink prom dress and with some creativity turned into something of her own.

Okay, how about this one.  The 1990's.  Every white dude in America.  Custom jeans.  When Nirvana ruled the airwaves teenage dudes everywhere channeled their inner Molly Ringwalds and made jean shorts and custom jeans, ripping holes and using everything from sandpaper to shotguns to get that perfect grunge look.

Now here we are in the freakin' new millenium and most of us can't sew on a button.  The best most of us can do is stick a safety pin into a pre-ripped faux punk shirt from Hot Topic.

There are so many reasons to learn how to update your clothes:

    1. You can custom-fit your clothes if you happen to gain or lose weight.

    2. You can extend the life of your children's clothes.

    3. You can make your own funky creations and dress to express.

    4. You can give new life to old clothes by updating their cut or style.

So where should you start?  Here's a quick crash-course.

Sew a button.  [Cost: $2 for a mini sewing kit.] You can pick up cheap sewing kits at department stores, gas stations and craft shops that come with a few needles, some thread and a spare button.  Grad an old rag or scrap or fabric and give it a try.  Sew on one or two three and then try mending the top button on that shirt you haven't worn in a year.  Your mom would be proud. :)

Knit a dishcloth or a scarf.  [Cost: $15 - 20 for a knit kit.]  Kint, purl, garter, stockinette... these are all types of stiches you'll need to learn and what better way than by stiching a square (dishcloth) or rectangle (scarf) yourself.  Hobby stores even sell kits now that come with two needles, a ball of yarn and idiot-proof instructions.  All you need is a cup of tea and you have a great way to pass a quiet evening.

Rip a seam. [Cost: $3 for a seam ripper.] And I don't mean by eating a bucket of chicken and then bending over in tight trousers.  A seam ripper is a cheap little gizmo that pops the threads that have been stitched into fabric so you can remove the threads and leave the fabric as intact as possible.  Experiment with any worn-out or outright hideous clothes lurking in your closet.  (Or with the buttons you sewed earlier on.)

Look at a pattern.  [Cost: Free online.]  To understand how clothes are put together you'll need to a) rip apart clother with your handy seam ripper and b) look at patterns.  Sites such as Simplicity have lots of free designs online and a little Googling will reveal a whole community that's happy to share free patterns.

Get serious.  You can sew a button, rip a seam, knit something that roughly resembles a scarf and you've looked at some design patterns.  Now it's time to unleash your inner Molly Ringwald!  But wait, first you need some stuff.  Like a sewing machine [$30 and up], a proper sewing kit [$10 and up], a small selection of thread and fabric and some really good scissors.  The cost does add up a bit at this stage.  If you're lucky you may have a friend who can loan you a few things to get started, and there are some great books to help you learn the ropes of using a sewing machine.  Fact is, it's difficult to do much more than detail work or minor alterations by hand.  If you're going to turn that ghastly bridesmaid's dress into something you can wear out clubbing you'll need the right equipment for the job, and that means buying a machine.

But before you get too serious, make a pouch.  Okay you're all rearing to go, ready to breathe new life into your stale wardrobe.  In the interest of learning to walk before you run, when you fire-up your sewing machine for the first time take that piece of fabric you sewed buttons onto earlier, fold it in half and stitch each side leaving an opening at one end.  You now have a pouch you can use to store your first knit project in and you're ready to start preparing for the next season on Project Runway.

» Basic Knitting Techniques (The Knitting Site)