Do you have an old sweater kicking around that you never wear? Perhaps you can give it a second life and upcycle it into something fabulous. You can make a cozy pair of mittens, slippers, a hat or even a skirt. For those of you who follow me, know how much I love making things with an upcycled sweater. I think creating something from a felted wool sweater is just one of the best things ever! Cotton and mixed fiber sweaters can also be used to make fun projects.
In this post I am going to:
Show you how to make the most out of your sweaters by properly cutting out your projects to minimize any fabric waist. (After all, felted sweater material is like CRAFTING GOLD).
Give you some great tips on what part of the sweater to use for what kinds of projects.
Show you what you can make with the SCRAPS.
Let’s begin with some wool sweater BASICS.
In previous posts I have shared information on
Check these out if you want more information on these topics.
Cutting out
Maximize you sweater fabric by placing pattern pieces as close together as possible. SAVE YOUR SCRAPS! I will show you what to do with the scraps later in the post.
If using felted wool, most likely you do not have to worry about placing pieces on the grain because felted wool stretches both ways equally. (not always). Unless the pattern says to place on the stretch or grain, you can place the pattern pieces any which way to not waist fabric.
What part of the sweater should you use for what?
Here is a little sweater anatomy.
Bottom & Sleeve Cuffs
The bottom cuff and sleeve cuffs are great to use for Slipper Boot cuffs, Pilot & Pixie Caps, Mitten cuffs, and Beanies.
To use the bottom cuff for projects like these I cut off 4 inches from the bottom cuff and store in a bin for future projects.
* If you think you will be making beanies or caps, hold off on cutting the 4 inches off. Leave the sweater intact.
The rest of the sweater can be used for all kinds of fun projects.
1 Beanies & Hats
2 Mittens
3 Slipper Boots & Boot Socks
4 Slippers
5 Heart Hand Warmers
6 Baby Balls
7 Mitten Cuffs
GET THE PATTERNS HERE
Patterns to make these items can be found in my store, my Etsy shop.
Texture: An upcycled sweater will vary in thickness and texture. Some sweaters are good for some things and not so good for others.
Thick, Heavy Weight: Good for slipper soles, bags, and anything that needs a little more structure. Not good for mittens, slipper tops, or hats.
Medium Weight: Good for most projects.
Thin Weight: Good for lining things like mittens & hats. (Cashmere sweaters work really well). Not good for projects that need any kind of structure to them.
I like to use the inside of the sweater as the outside on a lot of my projects. This adds a different texture and gives some character.
What to do with the felted wool sweater scraps?
You will be amazed at what fun things you can do with a small piece of felted wool.
Mini sweater balls, mistletoe, Valentine hearts, laundry dryer balls, hand warmers and so much more!
Click on the links above to see the whole project tutorials.
When you cut out all your sweater projects, DO NOT THROW the SCRAPS AWAY! Get a bin to keep all your scraps in, you never know when a little piece of felted wool will come in handy.
Go find a lonely sweater and and make something fun!
Whew! To those who made it through the whole post, you get rewarded. How about a 30% discount on any pattern ordered from my shop.
When you are checking out, just type in the coupon code:
felted4you
Enjoy!
Jan Howell
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Jan Howell
Whether it’s a new recipe, a fun craft, or some handy tips for your garden and home, I hope to empower and inspire you with skills that you can use to create joy, improved health, and to do it in a simple way.
