How to Repurpose a Shrunken Sweater Into 4 Fun Accessories
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
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!
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.
Chop on through as close to the underarm seam as possible.
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.
Now, I have a very cute cover for my less-than-stellar tote 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.
Next, attach each strap to the handles, as shown.
Now, I have my handles sorted out, and I have popped my tote bag into the cover.
All you have to do is stitch around the top to secure them together.
Your tote bag is now complete! What do you think of this awesome sweater bag?
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!
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!
And just like that, you have a boho-style sweater necklace!
Or, you could use it as a super fun headband. There are so many things you can make from this old sweater upcycle.
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.
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.
Then, grab one of the strips and stick it on the end.
Next, wrap the remaining strip around the bracelet. This is pretty easy and quick.
Keep adding glue every few wrap-arounds and repeat this until you wrap the whole bracelet. Pull the fabric tight when wrapping the fabric.
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?
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.
It came out okay, but I decided to add a few pom poms to spruce it up even more!
I’m left with three strips. What should we do here? Pin the ends together and braid them!
Once it’s all braided, knot the ends together and trim off the excess.
You should now have a cute braided scrappy bracelet!
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.
Enjoyed the project?
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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.