Hello, my thrifty friends. Last time, I shared my tips and tricks, and you need to refresh your sweaters. Now that you know how to refresh and care for your sweaters, I want to help you revamp them. Here are some fun ways to revamp your sweaters and give them a new life.
Fully in-vest-ed
Turn your sweater into a vest.
You can easily turn your V-neck cable knit sweater into a vest. Just remove the sleeves. You will need a seam ripper or tiny scissors. Lay your sweater flat and on the shoulder seam where the sleeves meet, snip the threads. Be careful not to cut into the shoulder seam. Take your time and cut all the thread or yarn that holds the sleeve together. Now the sleeve can be easily removed. You should have a clean finished edge. Try it on to ensure you like the fit. You can turn under and stitch down the edge for a clean look. Or leave it as is.
This also works on a cardigan, just remove the buttons and fold over the buttonhole placket. Stitch it down and voilà. You can use the removed sleeves to add a collar like I did. I also added a hook and eye closure to the front.
Leave them in stitches with bold embroidery.
Add a bold contrast stitch to your chunky knit turtleneck sweater. This revamp was inspired by a Rag & Bone designer sweater that was very pricey, not to mention sold out! Equipped with an embroidery needle and white embroidery floss you can get that designer look for less. Simply do a regular straight stitch along the side of the neckline and sleeve. I doubled up the thread to achieve a thicker look. You can also use yarn.
Sweaters to dye for.
Dye it! I tell this story so many times. I thrifted a vintage white sweater from Goodwill. It got a stain on it that would not bleach out. I decided to dye it with Rit dye. Now I have a fun colorful sweater. You can totally customize the dye to your own personal preference.
The ultimate mash up
I decided to make an epic change with a speckled knit sweater that got ruined in the wash. I cut it up and added it as side panels to an upcycled denim skirt that used to be jeans. It’s so unique and one of a kind. Another super fun way to revamp an old or damaged sweater.
So, dig out those “boring old sweaters” from the back or your closet and diy some fun new sweaters to spice up your wardrobe. Invite one or two of your besties over and you can have a whole sweater upcycling party.
~ Taylor S.