How to Repurpose a Shrunken Sweater Into 4 Fun Accessories

5 Materials
$3
2 Hours
Easy

Unfortunately, I shrunk my sweater in the wash, and I simply cannot fit into it anymore! So, I decided to repurpose this shrunken sweater. I’m going to show how I upcycled my old sweater to make

Tools and materials:

  • Scissors
  • Sweater
  • Fabric tote back
  • Plastic bracelets
  • Glue gun
DIY socks out of sweater sleeves

1. DIY socks

For the first transformation, I cut off the sleeves, sewed up the ends, and turned them into a pair of comfy socks! 

Flipping the shrunken sweater inside out

2. Sweater tote bag

The sleeves are socks and I have to figure out what to do with the rest of the sweater (that’s now a vest). First, flip it inside out. 

Cutting off the bottom close to the underarm

Chop on through as close to the underarm seam as possible. 

Sewing the raw top edge closed

Now, set aside the top bit. We’ll now be concentrating on this bottom bit! First, stitch the raw top edge closed, leaving the finished edge open. 

Covering a fabric tote bag with sweater material

Now, I have a very cute cover for my less-than-stellar tote bag! 

Cutting out handles for the bag

But, you know what? I’m not happy with the tote bag's handles. So, I’ll grab what’s leftover from my shrunken sweater and cut some straps. 

Attaching the straps

Next, attach each strap to the handles, as shown. 

Sewing the straps

Now, I have my handles sorted out, and I have popped my tote bag into the cover. 

Sewing the fabric to the tote bag

All you have to do is stitch around the top to secure them together. 

DIY sweater tote bag

Your tote bag is now complete! What do you think of this awesome sweater bag? 

Old sweater upcycle

3. Sweater choker necklace

Now, I have this little piece left from my shrunken sweater. I decided to make a cute sweater necklace with what’s left! 

Cutting out the collar

Open the neckline to the wrong side and cut close to the finished interior seamline. Like this, you won’t have to do any stitching!

DIY sweater collar choker necklace

And just like that, you have a boho-style sweater necklace! 

DIY sweater collar headband

Or, you could use it as a super fun headband. There are so many things you can make from this old sweater upcycle. 

Cutting the sweater fabric into strips

4. Sweater bracelets

From this last bit that I have, I think I’ll cut them into strips and make some adorably fun bracelets! The strips don’t have to be symmetrical or perfect in any way. They can be of different sizes. 

Using a hot glue gun

The next step is to wrap and stick them around these old (and ugly) looking bracelets and fancy them up a little. You’ll need a hot glue gun for this. Start by placing a little blob of glue to one section. 

Sticking a fabric strip to the end

Then, grab one of the strips and stick it on the end. 

Wrapping the fabric strip around the bracelet

Next, wrap the remaining strip around the bracelet. This is pretty easy and quick. 

Adding glue and fabric to the bracelet

Keep adding glue every few wrap-arounds and repeat this until you wrap the whole bracelet. Pull the fabric tight when wrapping the fabric. 

DIY sweater bracelet

There is the little sweater bracelet! It looks nicer than that cheap plastic and has a lovely ridged texture. What do you think of the final result? 

Wrapping the fabric around the snap bracelet

The next snap bracelet is different. It’s best to wrap the fabric as close to the last snap as possible. Do the same wrapping technique as the first. However, because this bracelet has a pattern, I’ll need to do a double wrap to cover it up. 

DIY sweater bracelet with pom poms

It came out okay, but I decided to add a few pom poms to spruce it up even more! 

Braiding the strips together

I’m left with three strips. What should we do here? Pin the ends together and braid them! 

Knotting the end of the bracelet

Once it’s all braided, knot the ends together and trim off the excess. 

DIY braided sweater bracelet

You should now have a cute braided scrappy bracelet! 

How to repurpose a shrunken sweater

How to repurpose a shrunken sweater

All done! That’s how you repurpose a shrunken sweater! Now I have a bunch of accessories, which all match. Thanks for joining me on this old sweater upcycle. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.

Suggested materials:
  • Scissors
  • Sweater
  • Fabric tote back
See all materials

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 1 comment
  • Darlene Darlene on Jun 09, 2022

    FYI. If you shrink your sweater in the wash, just soak it in a gallon of water with I cup of fabric softened. Threads will be relaxed enough that you can stretch it back to fit you. Be sure and lay flat to dry once you stretch it back out.

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