How to Make a Sweater Dress Using Old Sweaters

Learn how to take those sweaters that you never wear and create an awesome stylish one of kind sweater dress.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Sewing machine, or needle and thread, scissors, 2 sweaters that are the same size

1. Take (2) long sleeved sweaters that are coordinating colors. Decide which one will be the bodice and which will be the skirt. Decide if you would like to make it with short sleeves, no sleeves or just keep the long sleeves. I really like to make them with short or no sleeves.

2. If you would like to make it with short sleeves, fold in half and cut the sleeve about an 2 inches longer than you would like them, to allow room for the seams. If you would like it sleeveless cut almost all the way to the top of arm sleeve, allow 2 inches for seams.

3. Put on the sweater that will be the bodice of your dress. Look in the mirror and decide how long you would like the bodice. You can make it go under the bust (which looks really cute) or you can make the bodice a little longer so it hits at the waist. (note: try belting it both at the waist and under the bodice and see which look you prefer).

4. Take the sweater that will be the skirt and fold in half. Cut directly under the sleeve @ the arm pit. Discard or recycle the top part. You can save to make another dress later.

5. Now turn both the bodice piece and the skirt piece inside out and match seams together, pin and sew seams together. (Tip: sweaters are usually made out of sretchy fabric so try to just guide the fabric through the machine, rather than pulling, to avoid strecthing. If it stretches too much the seams may not match up. If this happens you can just cut the piece that is a little too long and then sew the new seam, then go ahead and sew the middle seam (under bust or waist seam). After that is done, fold over and pin the bottom of the skirt seam and the sleeves.

6. Try on and belt if you'd like. You now have a super cute, unique sweater dress that no one else will be wearing. You can also feel better knowing you recycled and keep two sweaters out of a landfill.

Tips & Warnings

• If you are really crafty you can make a coordinating belt too out of the scraps. Or you can crochet one if you have yarn laying around, for a cute and vesitile belt.
• Just make sure that you don't stretch the fabric too much when sewing.

[writeitout]

on 3/11/2009 Great way to be creative and recycle. 5*

[thevail]

on 2/3/2009 This worked really well! Thanks for the idea! A couple variations include:

Use a larger mens sweater for the bottom half and put the waist band at the top, then stretch the raw edge as it goes through the sewing machine for a pretty lettuce edge.

Also, you can use the discarded top half of the large men's sweater to create a co-ordinating shrug.

Reduce Re-use, Recycle..and Re-style!

[derbyka]

on 12/14/2008 I never thought of putting two together! good idea!