Make a Winter Sweater Dress Out of 2 Sweaters
I’ve been stuck in a major fashion rut this winter. My daily outfit consists of a bulky sweater paired with skinny jeans and boots. It’s warm and comfortable but getting b-o-r-i-n-g. I don’t have any winter dresses in my wardrobe, so I made this upcycled sweater dress to fill that void. In this tutorial, I’ll show you how to take 2 thrift store sweaters and combine them into a winter sweater dress. You can finish this project in an afternoon and wear it the same day.
I scored these 2 extra large sweaters for $4 each at the thrift store. I usually detest turtlenecks but made an exception as this one was wide enough to keep me warm without choking me. I thought it would be fun to mix these 2 sweaters into a color block dress.
Here’s a quick overview of this sweaters to dress refashion:
- Step 1: Cut out the bodice from the black sweater
- Step 2: Cut out the sleeves and neck of the gray sweater
- Step 3: Cut out the skirt from the gray sweater
- Step 4: Resize and attach the sleeves
- Step 5: Sew skirt to the bodice
- Step 6: Sew the sides of the dress
Use an existing sweater as a pattern to cut out the bodice. Chop off the neck as you’ll be replacing it with the gray turtleneck.
Most sweater collars are fashioned, meaning the collar is made separately and then stitched to the sweater. Pick apart the stitching to keep the turtleneck intact.
Cut out the skirt using an existing skirt as a template. This sweater had pockets in the front that won’t be functional on the dress (pockets around the knees are weird), so I sewed them closed.
Trim the side and top of the sleeves.
Attach the sleeves using the flat technique.
With right sides together, attach the skirt to the bodice.
Sew the sides of the dress, starting from the bottom of the sleeve and ending at the bottom of the dress.
What do you think? This dress is just as warm as my sweater/jeans/boots uniform but cuter.
Here’s a close up of the top. This dress is super comfy as it stretches with your every move.
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Lovely ! Such a great idea . Just love turning old things into new things !! Well done !👍️
What happened to the pockets at the bottom of the jumper?? they can not be seen in the finished dress??