What's the Deal: Finding new uses for old furs

WAYNE, Pa. (WPVI) -- This new year, what's old is new again. And you an find many ways to give new life to things that are simply taking up space in yours.

When it comes to furs, whether you are hanging onto heirloom pieces, have outdated styles or simply want to part with yours because you have no plans of wearing fur - we have expert tips to maximizing your closet's potential.

Jessie Ferber from Jacques Ferber Furs in Wayne, Delaware County says most old furs just need a little reworking to get a lot of wear out of them.

"If you have it - people want to use it. It's not a good investment if you're not enjoying it," she said. "A lot of coats walk in and were purchased for a special occasion and they are my age. They are out of style and the good thing with fur is we can change it up."

So Jacques Ferber Furs took a 35-year-old coat and gave it a whole new look.

They made it reversible - all fur on one side and all weather on the other.

"So people go from wearing things once a year, to really wearing something constantly and actually using it," said Ferber.

With the leftover bits and pieces, you can make smaller items like pillows or earmuffs - so every piece is being used.

You can also make a handbag with your extra fur - one that even doubles as a muff.

"And then you have this very designer bag that's usable. It's an evening bag, it's a hand warmer," said Ferber.

If you have no plans to ever wear the fur, Ferber can also create a blanket.

"And you get to use it every day - it lives on your sofa," she said.

One family was sentimentally attached to grandma's furs.

"So what we did was we brought in her fluffy old furs that no one wanted to wear and we made 10 teddy bears," said Ferber.

One for each of her grand kids.

"It's a way to preserve that emotion that we attach to things," said Ferber.

But if you're really looking just to de-clutter, Ferber says they have you covered.

"We do buy things a lot and we do trade things in a lot. It's also a good way to move things out of the closet," she said.

Just remember, with the trade-in and consignment option, it's still used clothing so you won't get retail value.

But you will get a little something back for something that you're not using anyway.