How to Create a Cozy Cardigan Cowl and Boot Socks From an Old Sweater

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Have an old cardigan on hand? You can quickly and easily create BOTH a cozy cardigan cowl and a pair of boot socks.

Image Credit: Beth Huntington

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.

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Image Credit: Beth Huntington

Change your sewing machine to a zig zag stitch.

Image Credit: Beth Huntington

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Sew a zig zag stitch along the raw edge of the sweater to keep it from fraying.

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Image Credit: Beth Huntington

Turn the cowl inside out. Measure, mark and pin 2 inches in on both sides of the cowl.

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Image Credit: Beth Huntington

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.

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Image Credit: Beth Huntington

Trim the seams, leaving a 1/2-inch seam allowance.

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Image Credit: Beth Huntington

Turn the raw edge under 1/2 inch (toward the wrong side of your cowl) and pin.

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Sew along the pin line, removing the pins as you sew.

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Fold the sewn edge toward the wrong side of the cowl to create a 3-inch hem. Pin in place.

Image Credit: Beth Huntington

Use a slip stitch to hem the cowl. Remove the pins as you stitch.

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If you'd like to add some extra buttons to the cowl, remove the buttons from the top of the sweater.

Image Credit: Beth Huntington

Turn the cowl right side out and hand stitch the buttons to the cowl an equal distance between the existing buttons.

Image Credit: Beth Huntington

Cute as well as warm and toasty, a sweater cowl makes a great gift -- for yourself or someone you love.

Image Credit: Beth Huntington

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…

Image Credit: Beth Huntington

…to create some cute boot socks.

Image Credit: Beth Huntington

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