Old Sweater to Chic Accessory

I been creating numerous upcycle project lately and I am not sure why. It could be that I cleaned out my closet and found great items that I just can't get rid of yet since I feel as they still have some wearing life left in them. Or it could be that I am being frugal since as I blog a new roof is being applied to my house and that is a huge expense but it will keep us warm,dry and safe for years to come. So I think it is a combination of both so bear with me as I explore yet another upcycle. This Red sweater has become too pilled and too short for me although I still like the color with its flecks of red and yellow.

I had an idea that was inspired by some handmade knit items that I had seen on Etsy.

I loved the idea of the Scarflette and I can knit but just the basic stitches and trying something fancy was just not going to happen. So I decided to make one out of this old sweater. First I did my least and most favorite thing..Cut the sweater up.

I cut along the seams of the sweater to have the least amount of fraying. This is what is looked like once I cut the arms off and cut up one side of the body.

I had cut the sleeves open as well along the seam so I could see exactly what I had to work with. At this point I had no idea how I was going to make this scarf. It took a few trial and errors to get to the end result,but it is worth it so keep reading. Next I took the sleeve and marked a rectangular piece 5" wide by 28" long with chalk.

Then I zig zag stitched on top of each chalk mark. I did this since I wanted to cut the sweater and I didn't want it to fray when I did.

Then I cut along the outside of the stitch.

Now this is where the project met a crossroads. I thought I wanted to sew a seam binding to the edge and when I attempted it, it looked horrendous so I had to rip it apart and lost some valuable craft time in the process. So I took the other road and folded one of the ends and sew it down.

So I pinned it and sewed it under. Now the nice thing about using a sleeve is that one end already has a finished edge so you only have to sew one edge. The sleeve edge will be the outside edge of the scarf so it will look nice and pretty. The next step was to fold over the long edges and sew.

I just love how the edge came out and looks like a professional scarf. The last step was to find a button and sew two snaps on since I was not cutting the sweater and making a button hole. I sewed a button on the front and a snap on the back behind the button and a corresponding snap to the front of the underside scarf. Then you have a Scarflette!

It looks much better on and it nice and warm.

Perfect when you just want a little warmth on your neck or in my case when the air conditioning is still on at the office and it 32 degrees outside! It was super easy and fun, so cut up a sweater and make one or two! They could be a Christmas gift! Enjoy!