5 Extremely Creative Ways to Upcycle An Old Sweater

Recycle Old Sweaters into New Clothes, Accessories, and More!

Got an old sweater lying around? Or maybe multiple? Well, if you can’t donate them (or you don’t want to), but you also can’t wear them anymore, your only option may be to refashion them into something new.

Many people actually recycle old sweaters into new clothes, clothing accessories, and other things, and it’s pretty unbelievable! With just a bit of craftiness, you too can upcycle an old sweater into something brand new! To help you get started, here are 5 clever ways to upcycle your old sweater and turn it into a whole new hot item:

1. Sweater Boots

Starting off with an old sweater DIY that’s pretty unexpected: sweater boots! You’ll need an old pair of flat shoes for this project, or you could just pick up a cheap pair from a thrift store.

Things you’ll need:

• Cheap pair of flat shoes (used for the base)
• An old sweater with big bulky sleeves
• A hot glue gun
• Cutaway stabilizer
• Water-soluble stabilizer
• Embroidery design
• Buttons for embellishment
• Needle and thread
• Scissors

MAKE THIS PROJECT!

2. Fingerless Mittens

This is a great way to refashion a sweater! I love how cute and simple this craft is.

Things you’ll need:

• Sweater
• Scissors
• Pins
• Needle
• Thread

MAKE THIS PROJECT!

3. Sweater Purse

It blows me away that you can make such a beautiful handbag with an old sweater! You’ll have to find some purse handles lying around to make this project but other than that the materials are pretty standard.

Things you’ll need:

• 1 sweater
• Fat quarter of fabric
• Fusible interfacing
• Batting
• Purse handles
• Ribbon

MAKE THIS PROJECT!

4. Beanie

This is another super cute way to turn an old sweater into a new piece of clothing! Nobody would even guess that it was made out of an old sweater!

Things you’ll need:

• Sweater
• Scissors
• Chalk/Marker
• Thread
• Sewing Machine

MAKE THIS PROJECT!

5. Sweater Cowl

Who needs to buy an expensive circle scarf when you can make one easily from a recycled sweater? This is such a clever and simple craft, anyone could do it!

Things you’ll need:

• Sweater
• Scissors
• Pins
• Needle
• Thread

MAKE THIS PROJECT!

Final Thoughts

Who would have thought that there are so many different things you can do to refashion an old sweater? All of these crafts blew me away with their creativity! I’m almost tempted to head out to the thrift store to find a cheap sweater just to try some of these!

Before you go and start crafting, I’d love to hear from you: Which recycled sweater DIY are you planning to try from this list? Or will you try multiple? Let me know!

More Upcycle Crafts:

• 5 Simple Ways to Recycle Your Old Jeans!
• 5 Ways to Upcycle an Old Bicycle Wheel
• 5 Cool Ways to Upcycle Books
• 6 Creative Ways to Repurpose an Old Crib