How to Turn Your Knitting Swatches into Home Decor

Most knitters hate the dreaded swatch making section of their knitting projects, but they also know that it is one of the most important steps that will help keep your knitting project coming out fabulous. Most swatches are at least a 10 by 10. That is a large amount of yarn to waste. But, the dilemma of what to do with all that hard work. Well, I say put it to work for your next project, a matching pillow and a table runner.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Knitted Swatches

1. Gather all the swatches that you have had from all those knitting projects. Now, sort them by the color of your décor.
2. Lay out your design. This is where you get to arrange your square to see if you have enough swatches for both the pillow and the table runner.
3. How to Make the Pillow.
   
   Place four of the 10 x 10 squares, your choice of colors to create a 2 x 2 square pattern to create the front of the pillow. Create another one for the back of the pillow.
4. Use the mattress stitch and connect all the four squares together for the front and do the same for the back panel.
5. Connect the now two large pieces with the good side facing each other and sew three sides of the pillow together.
6. Insert a pillow form and with mattress stitch close the top of the pillow.
7. How to Make the Table Runner.
   
   Gather your knitted swatches in the color pattern that you would like for your table runner. Determine the length of your table runner, keeping in mind that you will be adding tassels to the end.
8. Layout the square in the design that you are happy with while trying to keep the same consistency as you did with the pillows design layout.
9. Connect all squares using the same method that you did with the pillow.
10. Sew on two color coordinated tassels to each ends of the knitting swatch table runner.

Tips & Warnings

• Use different color of thread to sew the squares together and use a cross stitch to connect them. This will make the other colors pop.
• On the pillows, try making the back in one solid colors, so that way if you change your color in your décor, just flip the pillow.