Say you have a sweater you no longer want. Maybe you put it in the washer and it shrunk, maybe it has holes, maybe it’s starting to look to worn or maybe someone gave it to you and it’s not your style. What can you do with it….let’s make it into a pillow!
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Step 1 – get the sweater. If it’s wool you can put it in the washer and dryer and felt it (it reduces the wool fibers so that you get a more solid piece of fabric that shouldn’t unravel when you cut it- it shrinks). My sweater in the picture above is acrylic so I just cut and sewed.
Step 2 – find yourself a pillow. Most of my pillows have pillow slips that I can take off but any pillow will do as long as it fits on your sweater. Make sure you leave yourself enough room for a seam allowance.
Step 3 – Cut around your pillow and then put right sides together to sew er up!
**One of the good things about not really knowing how to sew is that you don’t know enough to be concerned about tension and stitch lengths and whatever! So never mind that and just go for it. You can always take it apart and start over – it’s only thread!
Step 4 – I sewed up two sides and then I stuck the pillow in it and pinned up the other two sides. I did that so that the fit would be snug. If you were more meticulous in your initial measuring you can probably skip this step and you obviously know what you’re doing!
Step 5 – sew the remaining sides – only on the fourth side don’t sew all the way across. I sewed about 2 inches in on each side to leave room to stuff the pillow in. Now turn it so that the right sides are facing out – put your pillow in – and hand stitch up your opening. And BAM! Well…about 20 minutes later….You have lovely one of a kind sweater pillow!
If you know what you’re doing you can of course add buttons or a zipper for the closure otherwise you’ll have to do like me and just cut it up to get your pillow form out when you’re finished with it. Unless you really, REALLY love it and want to keep it forever! Which you might because it is so cute! So now that I see how easy it is, I’m on the look out for one of those great white fisherman’s sweaters at the thrift store. I think that would make a great pillow for winter!
If you’d like to learn how to make the cute sweatertotespictured above, the instructions are in the January 2009 issue of Country Living (They’re each made from one sweater with cute mitten pockets). Hey, you could make mittens out of old sweaters. These would make really cute Christmas gifts and sew easy:-)!
Speaking of pillows…look what came in the mail right after Christmas from my dear friend Phyllis For The Love of Vintage– cute little gingham pillows and a door hanger!
Thank you Phyllis – I love them! They look great on my window seat! I might be able to start painting today since it’s sunny and not too windy. Come back on Monday for Thrifty Decor Chick’s Mission: Organize & Declutter (it’s not too late to sign up – there’s a button on the top of my sidebar). Have a good weekend everyone!
LOVE IT!! I am now on the mission to find some cute sweaters! Actually I saw an article years ago about turning sweaters into pillows and they use a button up the front cardigan! That way you can unbutton it to take the pillow out, and the buttons added a little extra touch!
Hugs,
Penny
The sweater pillow is a great idea. It’s funny, because as I was reading about the pillow, I was thinking about leaving a comment about Country Livings’ sweater totes. Both are great ideas!
Manuela, I love that idea. Pottery Barn has some large pillows made of creamy cable knit. On sale they’re $25, and I’d need four. Rather than spending even that much, I’m considering trying to find a knit throw to repurpose. We’ll see. Thanks for the inspiration!
Love your idea, I sew, here is an idea so you can reuse your pillow forms–stitch velcro on the last seam, then when you need to change for the seasons etc, it is easier.
Love your blog, enjoy reading and seeing all the decor.
I too love that idea. Buttons would be cute on it. They have all kinds of buttons at craft store and even at Walmart I seen a few. Thx. for sharing.
I’ve got a sweater in mind for the bag that was featured in “Country Living” but so many of my old sweaters are acrylic that I’m thrilled to learn that I can do something like this. How wonderful! Thank you for sharing your clever idea.
I just LOVE all your ideas! Your decorating is fabulous! The pillow idea is so cute! Thank you for sharing this with us.
xoxo
Emily
Thanks for the fun tutorial! Now all I need to do is learn how to sew! 🙂
OMGoodness…I love this…I have several sweaters that I don’t wear and are just hanging in the closet and a brand new sewing machine that has not been used much…I am so going to try this out and will show you when I finish.
Oh! This is the greatest idea I have heard in 2009!! lol!! I LOVE it! Frugal and lovely!! I am going to add it to my to-do list!
Great idea! I think I may have a sweater or two to try this project!
Have a great weekend!
Awesome idea! I love it! You are so creative! How have you been? I hope all is well over there!:)
This is a great idea! Love the idea of finding the sweaters at the thrift store and the mitten pockets on the bag are so cute!
What a Fabulous idea. hmm… might have to copy that. Cute toile pillows too. mishelle
Well…. I’ll be….. that is so cute… I love it…hummm I have a cute christmas sweaters that this would be so cute…. I need more little pillow around they add such a nice touch….
HUgs….. (you are so awesome}
Linda
You are a bundle of activity Manuela! I love the way you not only collect ideas…but act on them!! Thank you for showing us how easy this project really is. I’m Amazed…again…as always!
Warmly,
Traceyxo
Cute pillow, what a great idea! You could even find some nice sweaters at the thrift store if you didn’t want to cut up one of your sweaters!
I love the gifts you received too! Those are adorable!
What a great idea!!
I dont’ sew but really would love to learn. Like the sweatertotes, so neat!!!
Fabulous as always, Manuela!
Your sweater pillow looks great. I saw those tote bags in the magazine. Intriguing!! I may have to try that. Sally
I love the sweater pillow, what a cute idea!
Thanks for the wonderful ideas for the sweaters. the pillows and the totes are both wonderful.
I enjoyed getting to know you at Rhoda’s party. It seemed I was following you around on your tour and I enjoyed reading your really kind comments to those we were visiting.
I have also noticed you on Jen’s Fiddle dee dee blog ocassionally.
I added you to my blog list and would love to get to know you better.
Eenjoy your weekend!
That is a great idea. I’ve seen pillows from yarn for a very high price, this is cheaper and more practical. Great job.
Ciao
Hi Manuela…great idea…I love how blankets look when they felt the wool then piece it like a quilt..I never thought to makes pillows…I’m going to Goodwill this weekend I’ll look for a fisherman’s sweater for you….have a good weekend if it warms up!!
Manuela —
LOVE your sweater project! Darn, I gave all of my Christmas-y sweaters away to charity a couple of years ago. I should have saved them. Very cute!
Jen
Just Beautiful Manuela, I love the Sweater Pillow. Jamie
Thank you for leaving such a nice comment on my blog. You have a nice blog too and I’ll definitely be back. It sounds like we have a lot in common.
Love the red sweater! I just threw one away today and I think I’m gonna drag it back out! Lovely idea!
The sweater pillow is so pretty! You did well! I love the little door pillow, it so sweet and just wonderful, Hubby has decided to tear out our staircase, and now re do the rooms upstairs, beds and a studio for me. We found a plan that lets us put in well not dog houses, but a different style, one large, tall in centerof the roof with window on 4 sides, except he wants a door and a terrace,on the back and two smaller ones, on each side of the large one, where you can see out the front and back. I thought my kitchen was almost done! Now goes my stair case! lol
Wonderful reuse !!!!!!! xoxoxo Clarice
Great idea! I have some beautiful children’s sweaters and know what I will do with them. 🙂
RIGA
Oh my gosh! You’ve been busy. I caught up on all your posts. I love that sweater pillow. I don’t wear sweaters but there are always pretty sweaters at the thrift store. I’ll have to look at them closer next time.
Another wonderful, thrifty, crafty and lovely idea from Manuela! I love it!
Gosh, Manuela, it’s just the cutest. Love it. Very creative as usual. Mimi
I absolutely love this project! I keep meaning to go to the thrift and try my hand at some felting projects too. Phyllis’s pillows are adorable!
Aren’t you smart! That sweater pillow is so neat! Thank you for sharing it. laurie
You pillow is perfect! I’ve thought many times about doing the same thing – but I don’t sew. Your plant is so pretty too – kind of looks like it’s wearing a crown.
What a fantastic idea! I’ll be looking at old sweaters with a different eye now… ThanX for the inspiration.
Love your pillow! I think the fisherman ones will be really cute!
Wonderful idea. And your pillow turned out just beautiful!
Shannon
Such a great way to recycle! Love this idea!
That is a great idea of what to do with old christmas sweaters or even buying a christmas sweater on sale after christmas! Looks so warm and cozy sitting on the sofa!
This pillow is adorable. I love the colors and of course the re-use of the sweater. Plus I am totally with you on just going for it, rather than worrying about stitch counts and all that. Way to go! 🙂
Carrie
Cute! I may have to go thrift store shopping for some sweaters…I just cleaned all of mine out of the closet! Those totes are a great idea too.
I am so excited about this idea! I have the perfect sweater to do this with, one that shrunk, and is to small now. Thanks for sharing!
The sweater pillow is so cute! I saw that sweater bag also in Country Living. What a great idea! 🙂