How to Make an Afghan From Old Sweaters

Lower the thermostat this winter and save a few dollars. Wrap up in this simple to assemble and easy on the pocket book sweater afghan. Teenagers will love to curl up in this afghan in front of the television and you will love to snuggle up in a favorite reading chair with its warmth tucked in around you. Or you can toss the afghan at the end of the bed to add to the covers on especially chilly nights or just drape it around you for a cool night on the porch. You can make your sweater afghan meaningful by using much loved, but worn out family sweaters. Read on to learn more about how to make an afghan from old sweaters.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Four to six large adult sweaters
• Thread to match
• Sewing machine
• Hand sewing needle
• Scissors
• Measuring tape
• Pins
• Steam iron

1. Cut the sweater fronts and backs into matching sized blocks. Do not cut the ribbing off the sweaters.

2. Sew the cut edges of each sweater square with a zig-zag stitch to prevent unraveling.

3. Lay out the sweater squares on a flat surface, such as the floor. Arrange in rows across and down to determine the number of sweaters and squares needed for the sweater afghan.

4. Position the ribbed edges on the top and bottom edge of the afghan. The sides of the sweater afghan will have the raw edges.

5. Pin and sew the squares together with the right sides facing and using a 1/2-inch seam allowance. Be sure to back stitch the ends of each seam to prevent the seams from coming apart.

6. Steam iron the seams open. If they still do not lay flat, hand stitch the seams to the back of the sweater afghan.

7. Fold the side edges of the sweater afghan under a 1/2-inch and repeat. Pin the side hem in place. Hand stitch the hem securely. You could use the sewing machine at this time, but the bulk is usually too much for a standard sewing machine to handle.

8. Steam iron the hemmed edges of the sweater afghan.

Tips & Warnings

• All the sweaters used for the sweater afghan should have the same fiber content. For example, if using wool sweaters, they should all be wool.
• Cut apart the sleeves of the sweaters to create soft and comfortable matching throw pillows or make smaller versions of the sweater afghans into lap robes for a local nursing home. The texture along with the warmth will be gratefully accepted.
• Add an extra row of sweaters to the back on the bottom of your sweater afghan. This will create a pocket to keep cold toes toasty.
• If your sweaters have any stains on them, cut out simple felt shapes and applique them over the stains.