Instead of tossing that old sweater, why not upcycle it into something new? Here are 5 sweater upcycle ideas!

Is this true for you too? Each season, when we clean out the closets, we end up with sweaters that are too worn, too small, stretched out, shrunk, or we simply aren’t going to wear anymore. What do we do with them? I knew there had to be something we could do to make use of them.

These projects are fairly quick (I think the longest one took me about 30 minutes, the others from 5-15 minutes) and do require a basic knowledge of sewing skills. But if you can sew a straight stitch by hand or on a sewing machine, and know how to do a zig-zag stitch (yay for sewing machine presets!), you should be good to go.

{You can grab a free printable copy of these instructions at the end of this post!}

 

1. Boot Socks and Babylegs

Have you seen all the super cute boot socks that are out there? How about the cuffed-edges and cute patterns peeking out of the tops of your favorite boots? Well, now you can have some too, without too much effort and no expense!

Take a sweater with cuffed sleeves (it looks better than a straight sleeve)- make sure you get one that isn’t too bulky or loose in the sleeves otherwise, the “socks” will fall down around your ankles!

Cut the arms off just around the armpit area. This will be the bottom of the socks.

Turn the sleeve inside out, fold the fabric over half an inch or so, and sew a straight stitch to secure it down, then a zigzag stitch to prevent the edges from unraveling.

Turn right side out, and pull it on, cuffed end first. There you have it, a super cute boot sock!

You can do much the same for Babylegs leggings. Oh, how I loved Babylegs on my little one’s chubby legs!

You can make your own out of a slim-fitting sweater or shirt. Measure the length of your baby (or toddler’s) inseam. Cut the sleeve to fit the length. Make sure you use a tight-sleeve, so they don’t fall down around your baby’s ankles.

Turn inside out, fold over the cut edge, stitch and zigzag to seal. Turn right side out and apply cuteness to a child.

 

2. Headband

For a cute, warm winter headband, use the turtleneck part of a sweater, a wide, ribbed waistband, or a part of a ribbed sweater.

Cut a strip out the width you want your headband to be (best to measure around your head to make sure it will fit snugly with a little stretch).

Cut a piece of fleece the same length, or a little shorter, and sew to the inside of the band.

Sew the ends right side together and turn inside out. I used part of a side-buttoning neck on the red sweater and used the buttons to attach instead of sewing. You could also sew on buttons and do a buttonhole if you’re feeling more adventurous!

Related post- Do you have jeans with holes in them? Here’s an easy, no-sew way to patch them!

3. Mittens

Using the sleeve of a sweater, trace an outline about an inch bigger than your hand. Cut out the mitten shape and turn the fabric right sides together.

Sew along the outside, close to the edge, leaving the bottom of the sleeve open for your hand to go in. Zigzag the edges, turn right side out and you have yourself a proper set of mitts!

4. Coffee Cozy

Cut off the cuff of the bottom of a sleeve, sweater or turtleneck. If you’re using the sleeve cuff of a woman’s or tighter fitting sweater, it should be a perfect size to fit around a mug. If you cut your sleeve out of the bottom or top of a sweater, size it to fit around your mug.

Zigzag stitch the cut edge of the fabric to prevent unraveling while you’re sipping your java or tea. If you have a mug without a handle, you can simply slip the sleeve on, or sew the edges together to make a sleeve.

If you would rather make one for a handled mug, you will need to sew either snaps or a button or a button with a loop eye of elastic.

Embellish with buttons or fabric flowers and enjoy your hot drink!

5. Infinity Scarf

This upcycled sweater project took a bit more time and effort, but I absolutely love the results!

First, cut the body out of two sweaters, just below where the sleeves attach. Make sure they are the same size, trim if not.

Turn inside out, fold over the cut edge and sew a straight stitch 1/2 ” over and a zigzag stitch to seal.

Next, cut the sweater loops into 4 identical panels – trim them to be the same size.

Sew the panels together, end to end, alternating one sweater with the other – making sure to sew the right sides together.

You can leave the sweater open for a traditional scarf, or sew it into one long loop for a great winter infinity scarf.

One more fun way to wear this scarf – a hooded scarf!

I hope you enjoyed these ideas! Now it’s time to go through your closets and see what new creations you can come up with from what’s buried, deep in the back. These ideas don’t take much time and you’ll have a new way to wear that sweater.

Happy upcycling! Do you have other ways to upcycle a sweater? I’d love for you to share your ideas in the comments!

Enter your info below to subscribe to our weekly newsletter and receive a free printable instruction sheet!

 Guest post from Lauren Mirecki