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Everyone has old or unsuitable-sized things that it is a pity to throw away. And do not throw them away – it is better to give a second life. How to make the necessary things out of unnecessary things, we will talk below.
Recycling old sweaters and jackets
Sweaters are usually a pity to throw away. As a rule, these are not the cheapest things. But there comes a point when wearing them is no longer possible. Sometimes we translate them into the category of “cottage clothes”, sometimes we just throw them away. But in vain. You can make a lot of useful things out of an old sweater. In particular, functional and / or cute little things for the cold season.
Prepare the house for winter
For example, from a beautiful white sweater you can make a stylish lampshade for a table lamp. The upper part is cut off, taking into account the fact that a couple of centimeters must be wrapped on the back side. This hem is best glued with one of the universal adhesives or with a glue gun.
Sweater sleeves make great bottle warmers. They allow you to keep the contents cool in the heat or warm in the cold. From shorter lengths, it is easy to make covers for mugs. They will be needed, for example, when you want to drink tea or coffee on the balcony in winter. Just do not forget to sew on the bottom – you need to cut a circle of a suitable size and sew it on one side.
Nobody bothers to make a cover for a tall vase from the sleeve of a white sweater. If you put a winter composition of branches in it, the effect will be “wow”.
In winter, you want warmth. If you cut the jersey into identical squares or rectangles, then fold and sew them together, we get a bedspread. If the back side is hemmed with a piece of soft fabric (fleece blanket), you will get a warm, beautiful and cozy blanket. It is desirable to stitch along the edges, stepping back from the collar 1,5-2 cm. This will give the product a more “civilian” look.
In addition to the throw/spread of sweaters, it is wise to make pillowcases for sofa cushions. You can still sew them from squares of the same size. Get a kit. Or use the entire bottom of the sweater.
On the side where the elastic is, you can simply sew it, and it is better to sew the cut off part. If you sew with your hands, try to pick up each loop, otherwise the knitting will unravel. To do this, it will be necessary to remove the thread trimmings to the first whole. Then pull on the thread, releasing several loops on one side and the other. You sew them. With fine knitting, you can pick up 2-3 loops on one side, then on the other. And again with one, then with another.
From a children’s sweater, an almost perfect cover for a heating pad is obtained. In the sense that it is almost not necessary to sew. Just grab it below. It works great if it’s a golf sweater. The high neck closes the neck of the heating pad with a cork.
You can also sew a cover for a heating pad from an old sweater of a larger size, but you will need to cut it to size, sew around the perimeter, leaving a neck. In order to be able to put on the cover without difficulty, it is better to make one side “detachable” by providing the cut with buttons or sewing in a zipper.
Stylish bags from old knitwear
From knitted things – sweaters or jackets – you can sew a bag. A complex shape will not hold, but a bag-bag or a regular rectangular one looks stylish and original.
In order to be not only beautiful, but also practical, sew the lining exactly the same size as the front part. Reinforce the details cut out of knitwear with doubler or other similar material. It will be easier if it can be glued with an iron. It remains only to connect the lining and sew the handles.
Hats and mittens from mom’s sweater
It’s easier than ever to sew a sweater hat for a child. The pattern here is elementary. Make two parts as in the central picture below, sew them together. The width of one part is equal to half the coverage of the head, the height is 3-4 cm less. Ideally, if there is an elastic band at the bottom – a homemade hat will fit snugly to the head.
The top can be sewn by cutting a triangle at the top of the workpiece (as in the right photo above). Or make a long end and tie a nice knot (as in the photo above on the left). For the second option, only soft, plastic knitwear is suitable.
From the old thin knitwear you can sew mittens. Thicker things will not work – the seams will turn out too rough, which is inconvenient. In the simplest case, you can simply trace the outline of the hand, add half a centimeter around the perimeter – for the seam. But in the area of uXNUMXbuXNUMXbthe thumb in such mittens, some inconvenience is felt.
A more anatomical pattern is in the photo above in the center. Sizes given are for medium sized hands, including seam allowances. If necessary, you can increase or decrease a little. For a pair of mittens, do both parts twice. If there is a pattern on the jersey, lay out the front part taking it into account. Lay out the pattern for the finger with the bottom part on the elastic. You sew it on first, then sew the finger itself, and then the rest.
Socks for home, for the whole family
You can make socks out of an old sweater. The sleeves for making the top fit perfectly. The elastic will go up, and the bottom part will need to be cut off. But not evenly, but so that the knitwear covers the foot from above.
To cut out the insole, place your foot on a piece of paper and trace around the outline with a pencil. Align in the area of u5bu3bthe fingers. When you cut, add 4 mm on all sides. This is enough for a seam. Cut out the insole according to the pattern and sew it to the cut off part of the sleeve. You can sew by machine or by hand. If you sew by hand, you can use a thick thread for knitting and a needle with a large eye (the seam as in photos XNUMX and XNUMX above will also be a decoration). If the elastic is too tight, you can cut it off and sheathe the edge in the same way (see photo above).
Warm soft slippers for children and adults
Warm slippers can be sewn from a sweater. And there are several options. Imagine two that both look good and are easy to make. First, cut out the sole from thick paper or cardboard, circling the foot, then according to the resulting template from a sweater or other knitted item. For warmth, you can make a double layer or lay / hem something more dense, such as a coat or suit fabric.
To prevent slippers from slipping, apply droplets of glue from a glue gun to the sole.
For the first option, cut out the front part, which will cover the front of the arch of the foot. You can make a pattern. The length of this part (from the toe to the cut) is determined by yourself, but not more than half the length of the foot. Using a tailor’s tape (or a piece of some kind of tape), measure how wide the top should be in the place where this part should end. And then draw according to these data, something similar to part of an oval. An example, already in the fabric, you can see in the photo above in the center.
Make the heel from a double strip of knitwear of the desired length – so that it covers the back of the foot, reaching the edge of the upper part. Do everything taking into account that the material is elastic and will stretch.
The second option is even easier. You will need to circle the foot, cut out two templates from paper (rice came out on the left). In one of the patterns obtained, cut a hole for the foot according to the template. Step back a few centimeters from the side of the heel. How many? Measure the back of your foot from the floor to the point where the edge of the slipper will pass. From the side of the sock, set aside the distance from the fingers to the place where the slippers should end. Between these points, cut a strip, but so that there is enough material on the sides to cover the foot. Finish the edge of the neckline and sew the two parts of the slipper.
Crafts from sweaters for the New Year and Christmas
If we are already talking about winter decorations for the house, then cute socks are obtained from an old sweater or sweater, in which Santa Claus puts gifts. You can use any large winter socks as a template.
Fragments of sweaters with ornaments can be wrapped around plastic Christmas balls. They will make a very original decoration for the New Year.
Many knitted things can be dissolved. From the resulting yarn, you can make thread pompoms. They very successfully complement all these homemade products.
Valentine’s Day is also celebrated in winter. Warm hearts can be made from scraps of sweaters. Style, size, decoration – to your taste. It’s easy and simple.
What to do with jeans
The second (if not the first) place on the possibility of reuse is with jeans. Even after prolonged wear, the fabric wears out only in places, while the rest is quite suitable.
Covers for furniture upholstery in the style of Denim (“Denim”)
Denim fabric is durable enough that it can be used for upholstery. It is only necessary to sew covers of a suitable size from old jeans. And even pockets will come in handy.
With jeans, even old-fashioned furniture models look stylish and modern. This is not to say that sewing this upholstery is easy. But the result is excellent.
With sofas it can be a little easier – the forms are simpler. And it is not necessary that the fragments be of the same size and color. Combinations only win.
Ottomans with denim upholstery are much more attractive than those with boring fabric. By the same principle, you can drag chairs, stools. For cottage or youth furniture, it is practical and stylish.
Additionally, we advise you to read the article “Do-it-yourself ottoman”.
Pillows and household items
Denim comes in different densities and is used to make not only trousers, but also dresses and skirts. Softer jeans make stylish and practical sofa cushions. Options – do not count. With and without pockets, with a combination of different shades, with decorative zips and stitching.
You can also make seat cushions. They differ from sofas in the filler: as a rule, furniture foam rubber is placed inside. But you can fill it with rags, although this is less convenient. It is permissible to replace furniture foam rubber with ordinary, but high density. Can be cut into squares/rectangles filling old furniture. In general, make a fairly high pad of plastic material and sew a denim cover on it. Similar seat cushions are comfortable on the balcony, loggia. In the country or in a private house in the summer, they generally have no price.
Cutting off the pocket and sewing a belt to it, we get a pocket for a mobile phone. It can be used when charging, convenient to put together with a power bank.
From denim, you can sew different types and sizes of organizers. Below are examples of “normal” applications and examples with artwork. In addition to being comfortable, it looks stylish and attractive.
It is more convenient to store small things in boxes. Cardboard cheap, but quickly frayed. Lined with fabric will last longer. So you can sew a “wrapper” and put it on universal glue.
What else can you do with denim pants or a jacket? A case for a mobile phone, laptop or tablet, a work belt with pockets for tools, a belt bag and probably a hundred other useful things.
Used jeans bags
Stylish backpacks and bags are made from denim. And it doesn’t have to be brand new. Scuffs give charm, individuality. Bags can be sewn in a simple shape. From a skirt it will be quite simple, but you can do it from jeans.
When using denim trousers, you need only one way to align the part below the zipper. One of the options is on the left photo. This can be done if there are no obvious abrasions in this place. Just cut close to the seam, lay on the other side to make it even and sew. Behind the process is similar. It remains only to sew the aligned parts, stitch from the bottom and sew on the handles.
The second option is shown in the photo above on the right. In this case, the side part is used, and the zipper is cut off. The other two photos in the center represent some of the options for using the legs.
Products for dogs
Denim fabric is good because it can be washed frequently, and from this it does not deteriorate, does not stretch, does not lose its appearance. You can make a dog carrier bag out of old jeans.
If you use an old sweatshirt, towel or blanket for the inside, it will also be with insulation.
A few more ideas for pets: dog beds. They can be of different shapes and types.
How to make useful things out of unnecessary things
Knitted or woven items often still look good, but are no longer worn. In order not to throw it away, remake them. Ways of the sea. Better if you know how to sew. In this case, the scope for alterations is almost limitless. Some make good money on this – products can turn out very cute.
Organizers for home and car
To make it easier to keep organized, sew organizers out of old cotton men’s shirts. Make a base from one, cut the second into strips and form pockets. You can hang it on a stick or on a hanger. The option on the hanger will go into the closet. It is convenient to put small things in these pockets: socks, tights, for example.
No less convenient are similar organizers with pockets near the crib. You can put toys and all the necessary little things.
There are plenty of small things in the car, and there are very few opportunities to place them. So a lot of things are stuffed into the glove compartment and lying around the rear window. Sew the organizer to the size of the seat back. You can fasten the “product” with the help of laces in the upper and lower parts.
There are never too many pillows and blankets
Practically any clothes can be turned into useful and necessary things. Use old scarves to make pillowcases for sofa cushions.
Old shirts are also suitable for making pillowcases. Some will even keep their collars – it’s more interesting that way. But even with buttons and pockets, they look just as good.
Flannel and wool shirts will be the “source” for winter pillowcases. Cotton and linen are good in summer. Such covers are not a pity, since at any time you can sew on new ones.
Using patchwork technology, you can sew a plaid from flannel or woolen men’s shirts. They are cut into squares or rectangles. From this “mosaic” a canvas is folded. Then you need to sew the squares of one line into strips, and at the end of the strip between them. To hide the seams, you can make the second side in the same way or from a whole piece of fabric.
Bags and belts are always needed
Bags can be sewn from suit or coat fabric. And not only women’s, but also youth or men’s. To better keep their shape, use dublerin. This is a fabric for sealing the base, with an adhesive layer applied. Parts are cut out of it a little smaller in size (without a seam allowance), with the help of an iron they are glued from the wrong side of the part. The parts are sewn together, laying a line along the edge of the dublerin.
Handles, by the way, can be made from belts that are no longer used. Other accessories will have to be bought or cut from old backpacks / bags.
Sweatshirts and T-shirts are often cut into strips, from which rugs are knitted. The same technology can be used to make bags, laundry baskets and other purposes. How to do it read here.
Throw away ties, few people will raise their hand. But they also go out of fashion, like the rest of the clothes. They make great bags. As well as scarves and belts, by the way.
To make a belt out of a tie, you need to even out its width. Cut off the part that is too narrow, turn inside out. Focusing on the narrow part, mark the cut lines with chalk for sewing. One at the bottom, one at the top.
Cut a strip from the adhesive dublerin, the width of which will be one centimeter less. Glue the strip on one side. Now stitch along the top and bottom. Only then cut off the rest. The fabric is usually “slippery” – if you cut it off earlier, it will be difficult to sew. It remains to unscrew and stitch the buckle. If you want, you can stitch along the edge (as in the photo above on the right).
Beds for pets from T-shirts and sweatshirts
T-shirts and sweatshirts can also be used completely or almost completely. For example, make a house for a cat. The photos below are for options. In the left “participates” the entire sweatshirt or T-shirt with long sleeves. From the foam rubber, cut out the sides with a height of 12-15 cm. Place the foam rubber in the sleeves, bursting them.
In a piece of foam rubber for the central part, you will have to cut a piece according to the shape of the neck. After laying it, sew from below, forming a heel. We also put foam rubber in the central part. If you want, then in two layers. It remains to sew the central part along the bottom edge and attach the side sleeves. The bed is ready. It will appeal not only to cats, but also to small dogs.
Cats love to hide in enclosed spaces. For them, you can make such a house from a piece of cardboard or a cut box. To this “bottom” attach two arcs of wire. Pull a T-shirt or sweatshirt over the entire structure. The neck will be the entrance. By the way, here long sleeves will only interfere. They are still wrapped to the bottom and fixed there in any way. Though pins, even stitches.