Have an old cardigan on hand? You can quickly and easily create BOTH a cozy cardigan cowl and a pair of boot socks.
![Finished sweater cowl on model](https://img.ehowcdn.com/375/ppds/0a499182-bd4a-4339-bffa-d49a14434385.jpg)
Things You'll Need
Button-down sweater
Sharp scissors
Needle and thread
Pins
Sewing machine
First, cut across the sweater, starting under one sleeve and ending under the other sleeve. You will be using the bottom part of the sweater for the cowl. Reserve the top part of the sweater for later.
![Cardigan sweater cut, just below sleeves](https://img.ehowcdn.com/375/ppds/c3e37d8d-92d3-41f3-b828-00ca559e8e7a.jpg)
Change your sewing machine to a zig zag stitch.
![Sewing machine controls for zig zag stitch](https://img.ehowcdn.com/375/ppds/f1c5140c-4208-4de3-b496-c43eb4076982.jpg)
Video of the Day
Sew a zig zag stitch along the raw edge of the sweater to keep it from fraying.
![Finished edges](https://img.ehowcdn.com/375/ppds/001deb3a-bfbf-4d57-8976-6ab21b3696af.jpg)
Turn the cowl inside out. Measure, mark and pin 2 inches in on both sides of the cowl.
![Seam marked and pinned](https://img.ehowcdn.com/375/ppds/91779b1c-9ef5-4bda-8394-1949c8ba8ba1.jpg)
Starting on the bottom finished edge of the cowl (to keep the edges even) sew a 2-inch seam on each side of the cowl. Remove the pins as you sew.
![2-inch seams](https://img.ehowcdn.com/375/ppds/44b934ba-bf02-45d0-ad5e-dedb724be59e.jpg)
Trim the seams, leaving a 1/2-inch seam allowance.
![Seams being trimmed](https://img.ehowcdn.com/375/ppds/f43e5751-2221-4c59-bf37-efb0fcaaaf31.jpg)
Turn the raw edge under 1/2 inch (toward the wrong side of your cowl) and pin.
![Folded edge pinned up](https://img.ehowcdn.com/375/ppds/ebdba3d4-dc9b-4a01-8b55-14582cef0b78.jpg)
Sew along the pin line, removing the pins as you sew.
![Folded edge being stitched down](https://img.ehowcdn.com/375/ppds/d9af27b0-77c3-4a16-8fc9-e0e6cbd5bdf1.jpg)
Fold the sewn edge toward the wrong side of the cowl to create a 3-inch hem. Pin in place.
![Hem being pinned in place](https://img.ehowcdn.com/375/ppds/195b1772-acb7-4fc1-aa53-ef700a59f443.jpg)
Use a slip stitch to hem the cowl. Remove the pins as you stitch.
![Hand stitched hem](https://img.ehowcdn.com/375/ppds/811c6a6a-271c-4edb-a390-ccfd3bcfa4cd.jpg)
If you'd like to add some extra buttons to the cowl, remove the buttons from the top of the sweater.
![Buttons removed from cardigan](https://img.ehowcdn.com/375/ppds/74b640f0-0cb4-45cd-a678-44992f17fffd.jpg)
Turn the cowl right side out and hand stitch the buttons to the cowl an equal distance between the existing buttons.
![Buttons being stitched to cowl](https://img.ehowcdn.com/375/ppds/2f0ebb77-57b5-489b-aa71-034cf76b02b0.jpg)
Cute as well as warm and toasty, a sweater cowl makes a great gift -- for yourself or someone you love.
![Finished cowl worn by model](https://img.ehowcdn.com/375/ppds/5ca6e881-f6cb-4d44-a8ea-b678c0cf813c.jpg)
You can even make use of the sweater sleeves by cutting 12 inches off the bottom of the sleeve and finishing the raw edge with a 1/2-inch hem…
![12-inch piece of sleeves cut off](https://img.ehowcdn.com/375/ppds/133344ae-1dba-425d-81ce-1f8f8ac5ecc0.jpg)
…to create some cute boot socks.
![Finished boot socks](https://img.ehowcdn.com/375/ppds/d28f923c-f277-443b-9788-806ba889adfa.jpg)