DIY Gift From a Sweater!

          Today I’m giving you another knock-out idea.  Last time I posted an idea for you, it was my best cookie of the season, and now I’m giving you a wonderful, wintry gift you can make in just minutes.  I didn’t share it sooner because I gave it to my daughter for Christmas, and didn’t want to spoil the surprise.

          It’s a pillow you can make from a sweater!  This is a cashmere herringbone sweater that was given to my daughter, Nicole, by a friend who didn't want it and had never worn it.  But it was way too big for Nicole, so what to do?

          I made it into a pillow and mittens!  It’s super easy—you just cut the front into a square or rectangle to fit the pillow you have in mind, allowing an extra inch for the seams.  Then you sew it to a back side that you create from two pieces you'll cut from the back.

          Since this sweater was so large, I was able to use a standard bed pillow (a super soft one!).  But even a small neck pillow would be darling. 

          I saved the little triangular neck design by placing it near a seam, just to add a bit of detail.

         For the reverse side, I cut two slightly longer pieces from the back, using the stretchy bottom edge for the overlapping edges of the pillow cover.  Slick trick, no? You just slip the pillow inside-- no snaps, no zipper needed.

          I cut mitten shapes from the two sleeves, using the stretchy cuff edges for the wrist bands.  Then I sewed them together, turned them inside out, and they were done—easy peasy! 

          And you can do this with any sweater—a cable knit, an argyle, whatever would make a fun pillow to curl up with on the sofa or on your bed.  If you have a cherished sweater that’s out of style, stained, or fraying, see if you can salvage enough of the good parts to re-purpose it into a cuddly pillow.  Get a clothing shaver to shave off any pills (they are super cheap—here’s one of my youtube mom videos showing you how to use one).  You’ll be so tickled to have given new life to an old friend.

          And now you have a wonderful gift idea that might cost you exactly zippo! 

Only slightly more than zippo is the cost of my novels—check ‘em out here and enjoy cuddling up with a good book AND a comfy pillow!