How to DIY a Cute Cropped Zip Sweater

Tools and materials:

• V or round neck sweater
• Jacket zipper
• Measuring tape
• Tailor's chalk
• Pins
• Scissors
• Sewing machine
• Zipper foot (optional)

1. Cut your sweater to length

Fold your sweater in half lengthways, matching the side, shoulder and underarm seams and folding it exactly at the point of the V.

Measure from your shoulder to where you want your upcycled sweater to finish.

For me, this was 18 inches (45.75 cm) as I wanted mine to be cropped, but you can leave yours longer, if you prefer.

Mark this length from the shoulder seam of your sweater at the neck edge and sleeve top, and from the center back neck. 

Cut the folded sweater straight across at that length. Open out the sweater and straighten the bottom edge if necessary.

2. Cut the center front

Fold the front of the sweater in half at the center front and center back, matching the side seams.

Mark the center front at the neck edge and hem, and cut straight up the front of the sweater and through the neck band.

3. Hem the lower edge

With your sweater wrong side out, turn up a half inch (1 cm) hem at the lower edge and sew it in place.

If your fabric is likely to fray, make the hem double thickness.

4. Insert the zipper

Separate the two halves of the zipper and pin one of the tapes to one side of the center front, with right sides together and the teeth pointing towards the side seam.

Place the top of the tape a half inch (1 cm) above the neckline and fold it over the raw edge to the wrong side.

Pin the second side of the zipper to the other side of the center front in the same way.

Sew both sides close to the teeth.

Pin the outer edge of the tap to the inside of the front on both sides and sew a second line of top stitching to hold it in place.

DIY sweater

And that's it! Now instead of a plain, boring sweater, you have a cropped zip up sweater that you can style open or closed.

You could upcycle a chunky high neck sweater in the same way and turn it into a warm jacket. 

Do you have any sweaters ready to be restyled into a new top? Please let me know in the comments if you find this tutorial useful and easy to follow.