30 Things To Make With Old Sweaters

We made it through another winter and now that Spring is here, it’s time to go through our closets and pack up the sweaters until next season. If you have a few that are too worn or no longer fit, you can repurpose the sweaters by making them into all kinds of useful or pretty things. Here is a bunch of clever and crafty ideas you can try, many have you felting the wool first which is easy enough to do by washing in hot water (most projects include detailed instructions for felting). A few of these projects are found in other collections here on Tipnut but copied here to keep things organized in one spot. Have fun!

Recycled Sweater Crafts

Girls Spring Mini-Tote By betzwhite.com

Girls Spring Mini-Tote: Made with a felted wool sweater, scraps of felt and assorted buttons.
Sweater Bottle Vases: Instead of hot glue, sweaters are cut to fit then sewn so they can slip over the bottle (easy to remove and wash).

Sweater Bottle Vases By theprairiegirl.com

Felted Stuffed Animals By marthastewart.com

Felted Stuffed Animals: Free pdf template download for three different animals provided, a lamb, pig and chicken. Finished size is 5 to 8 inches tall.
Make Hats From Recycled Sweaters: Felt an old sweater to make this hat which is still stretchy even when felted.

Make Hats From Recycled Sweaters By craftstylish.com

Recycled Sweater Tote By canadianliving.com

Recycled Sweater Tote: Made with a large-size adult sweater, you can attach leather handles or use strips cut from the sweater. More tote bags to make found here.
Recycled Dog Sweater: Cut from an old sweater vest and turned into a charming coat for pup.

Recycled Dog Sweater By craftstylish.com

Hat & Mitts Set By onepearlbutton.com

Hat & Mitts Set: Pretty mitten and cloche hat set made from a thrifted turtleneck cashmere sweater. Long cuffs feature a row of buttons.
Recycled Sweater Bag: Felted wool sweaters whip up nicely into an easy tote. Embellish with a fabric flower if you like.

Recycled Sweater Bag By whipup.net

Pocket Warmers By gluegunannie.com

Pocket Warmers: Filled with uncooked rice, dry beans, lentils, etc., that will heat will in the microwave. More filler ideas found on this page.
Teacup Pincushions: Made with felted wool sweaters, both written and video instructions provided. See lots of pincushions on this page.

Teacup Pincushions By marthastewart.com

Leg Warmers By createanddelegate.blogspot.com

Leg Warmers: These couldn’t be easier to make, simply cut the arms off an old sweater, finish the edges and voila! ready to wear.
Cozy Throw: A good project to use up 5 or 6 sweaters, finished size is 42″x47″ (though you can make as large as you like).

Cozy Throw By womansday.com

Sweater Picnic Blanket By mylifetime.com

Sweater Picnic Blanket: Wool sweaters are first felted then cut into squares and sewn into a blanket, finished size approximately 4 feet square. Another blanket idea found here.
Make A Throw or Pillow: Instructions for making both a throw and pillow from felted wool sweaters.

Make A Throw or Pillow By bhg.com

Potluck Dish Cozy By craftzine.com

Potluck Dish Cozy: Two felted sweaters are used for this project (one for lining), top flap folds over and held in place with velcro. More casserole totes listed here.
Sweater Slippers: Simple slippers made with a wool sweater, top edge is finished with crochet trim. More slipper tutorials found here.

Sweater Slippers By craftstylish.com

Seat Covers By wholeliving.com

Seat Covers: Reupholster chair seats with thrift-store sweaters (secured in place with a staple gun).
Cozy Candles: Fit sweater cuffs over a glass candle holder for a pretty, decorative effect.

Cozy Candles By countryhome.com

Sweater Tube Scarf By rhythmofthehome.com

Sweater Tube Scarf: With a bit of cutting and simple sewing, you can fashion a tube scarf (or cowl) to wear all winter long.
Tissue Cover: A little pouch cozy to carry a pack of tissues, made with a piece of felted wool. More tissue covers & cozies found on this page.

Tissue Cover By resweater.blogspot.com

Eyeglass Case By betzwhite.com

Eyeglass Case: Made with an 8″ square scrap from a felted wool sweater, trimmed with ric rac and scraps of felt. More eyeglass cases found here.
Pet Bed: This is made by crocheting strips of old sweaters together then shaped into a bed that puppy can cozy into. You’ll find more pet beds here.

Pet Bed Tutorial By craftstylish.com

Sweater Dog Toys By craftstylish.com

Sweater Dog Toys: Make squeaky sweater bones that are stuffed with replacement squeakers (can be found at the pet store).
iPad Sleeve: You’ll also find a Kindle cover here. More iPad & Kindle projects are listed on this page.

iPad Sleeve Tutorial By re-nest.com

Sweater Purse By alemonsqueezyhome.blogspot.com

Sweater Purse: Made with a sweater, fat quarter of fabric, fusible interfacing, batting, ribbon and purse handles.
Aromatherapy Rice Pillow: The arm of a felted sweater is removed to be filled with uncooked rice and tea, ends sewn closed.

Aromatherapy Rice Pillow By themagiconions.blogspot.com

Hot Water Bottle Cozy By thenewnew.blogspot.com

Hot Water Bottle Cozy: Made with a felted turtleneck sweater (large size) and yarn scraps. More hot water bottle covers found on this page.
Sweater Vases: Cover vases and candle votive holders with fabric cut from old sweaters (hot glued in place).

Sweater Vases By bystephanielynn.com

Sweater Laptop Cozy By etsy.com

Laptop Cozy: Made with a felted wool sweater, zipper is added to keep case closed. More laptop covers on this page.
Felted Tea Cozy: Made with two old wool sweaters that have been felted, grosgrain ribbon and a decorative button. More tea cozies listed on this page.

Also see How To Unravel A Sweater To Recycle Yarn and Learn How To Felt Wool Sweaters.
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