Mittens made from an old sweater

Today I am making mittens from an old sweater.  I absolutely love upcycling old things to make them new.  Not only is it "green" but its fun to do.  I am constantly looking at things and wondering what I can remake them into.  This idea is a "pinspiration" from pinterest.com.

For this project you will need:

• An old sweater
• scissors
• Sharpie or ink pen
• Sewing machine or
• needle and thread. 

I used embroidery floss for thread since it is what I had on hand.

I will be using a needle and thread since the machine I am using is kaput at the moment.  It is not a whole lot of sewing so it can be done either way.

This is an easy project and would be great for a beginner.

Step 1:

Align the bottom edge/hem of the sweater.  This is going to serve as the base for your mittens.


Step 2:

Next, place your hand down on the sweater as seen above.  Spread your thumb away from the rest of your fingers and have your other fingers sit naturally.  You will want a little wiggle room between them.

Step 3:

 Trace around your hand.  TIP: Make sure to trace about a half inch from your hand as seen on the thumb.  (I didn't do that very well in this pic).  This gives you seam allowance when sewing the mittens together.

Step 4:

Repeat steps 2-3 for the other hand.  If you are not very good at tracing with your non-dominant hand have someone else trace for you.  Be sure to remember the seam allowance.


Step 5:

Follow your line that you traced and cut out the mittens.  Be sure to cut through the whole sweater so that you are cutting both the front and back of your mittens.

Step 6:

Make sure the edges are matched up and bind stitch the edge (through and over the fabric edge).

Step 7:

 Flip the mitten inside out once you are done sewing and there ya have it.

Step 8:

Repeat steps 5-7 for the other mitten

Optional Steps:

I chose to stitch a heart onto the left mitten.  I just cut out the shape I wanted placed it on the mitten and stitched it in place.  Feel free to embellish however you would like or not at all.

These were fun and easy to make.  I think they would make cute gifts for friends or loved ones.  It is a great way to transform something you were going to toss or get rid of and there are endless possibilities.


Have fun crafting!