How to Convert an Old Sweater Into a Beanie
Thao Huynh from 7th Bone Tailoring demonstrates a fast & easy way to make a custom beanie hat from your favorite old sweaters. You can substitute a sweater for any knit fabric or garment with generous stretch and soft hand feel. This is a great way to upcycle any knits in your closet that may be damaged beyond repair.
Materials to create a DIY Beanie
- Old sweater or knit shirt
- Chalk
- Scissors
- Pins
- BERNINA Knit or universal needles
- Mettler polyester thread
- BERNINA sewing machine, we sew on a BERNINA 350 PE
- Iron
This video is for beginning sewists and up looking to gain some speed. This quick project can be made in ten minutes or less! Please leave comments for which types of sweaters work best.
Our December 17 Gift for You:
Today’s gift is a round BERNINA-red Hot-Cold Pack to one awesome WeAllSew fan.
All you have to do is post a comment below answering the following question:
Do you up-cycle when sewing?
A winner will be chosen at random on December 18, 2016 and announced the following week!
Good luck!
The contest is open for comments until December 17 at 12:00 midnight Central Time. Click here for contest rules.
Congratulations to WeAllSew reader “mnjibgirl,” the winner of our December 17th gift. Enjoy!
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74 comments on “How to Convert an Old Sweater Into a Beanie”
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Yes all kinds of things for the Golden Retriever puppies such as beds and chew toys and little scarves
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I’ve used old levis for different projects and tee shirts for doll clothes
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Yes, like many of us who sew, I do up-cycle! I have a stash of previously used trims, ribbons and buttons, as well as some garments to up-cycle in various projects. One of my favorite up cycled Christmas gifts came from my daughter who is also a “sewist”. She used a velvet skirt to make Christmas stockings for my husband and I!
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Upcycling helps me keep cherished items in use after they have served their original purpose. For example, a red and white satin quilt my great grandmother made for me is now a lovely Christmas tree skirt.
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What a great way to recycle and stay warm, thank you.
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I’ve been up cycling old kids clothes into clothes for my daughter’s dolls.
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Great little video! I really haven’t up-cycled any clothes yet but I need to give this a try the next time one of the sweaters in our house has seen it’s better day. I think I have some kids who would just love a beanie like this! Thanks for the chance to play : )
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Sometimes. Would like to use more of my “unwanted” knits to upcycle.
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I’ve discovered that two of my husband’s old dress shirts yields enough fabric to make myself one top. When I’m trying a new top pattern, I use his old shirts as muslins to test the fit. This works great…most of the time! I learned the hard way to avoid permanent press shirts when I quickly discovered that it was impossible to press a crease or iron a seam, lol!
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Yes Iam trying to up-cycle.I think that it is something good.
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I felt wool from old clothes and make purses. I save ALL my fabric scraps and cut them into confetti to use in my landscape quilts. The beanie looks like a great idea!! Thanks for sharing the idea.
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I do recycle old blue jeans into quilts!
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I have done a little up-cycle. I have taken some old denim jeans to make an apron for my niece and I also made a wine bag with the legs of the jeans. I love the beanie idea from an old sweater. I think I might just have to give it a try.
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I often use old, miss-matched earrings or broken necklace beads on my quilts.
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I upcycle ALL of the time: quilts from denim or clothing fabric, certain types of placemats make great bags for Days for Girls hygiene bags, old blankets make great quilt batting for my humaniarian quilts, crafts for myself or for my grandchildren. I once tried making socks for my kids from my husbands old socks. That didn’t work so well!!
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Definately. If something is still good like sweaters, jeans, ribbons and other misc. items I have a recycle box and it is a go to box for various items. I think my most used item is buttons. Sometimes a funky button is all you need on a project. I keep holiday colors just in case I make placements with a pocket for a napkin. Thanks for letting me join in on the conversation.
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Have not tried up-cycling.
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No but after seeing your latest post, I plan to use some old sweaters to make caps/hats and mittens. THANKS for the great idea.
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Yes! Especially, denim and knits!!!
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Yes!!! Love to use old jeans to make picnic quilts.
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Hmm, I have some old cherished sweaters I can’t bear to part with, maybe this is the solution. I love to recycle!
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I haven’t but am totally inspired to try this. Thank you.
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Yes, I up cycle. I remember making our first grand daughter a romper using fabric from a favorite knit shirt of mine. I have a son-in-law’s plaid shirts to make a quilt for his son in the future. Usually it is a sentimental thing rather than a necessity. Linens have been recycled into tea towels.
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I’ve used old clothing a few times.
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Yes! I took a jelly roll race pieced top (which I didn’t like) and treated it as yardage. So far, I’ve made a Sugar Plum Table Runner from WeAllSew, and a bag for holding plastic store bags neatly, and am just finishing up the Let I Snow Holiday Pillow, also from WeAllSew. Much happier with this quilt top all chopped up and made into different things. Also, my husband’s warn out jeans are now a gardening apron for me. Whenever I can create something nifty out of what I already have, I feel victorious. Cheers!
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I haven’t done much up-cycling, other than to use some ties in a few small projects.
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I have re-cycled old worn out jeans into sewn hair bands. Today’s beanie tutorial is a great idea. Thank you.
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I upcycle thrift store finds like old Pendleton shirts
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I love to shop at garage sales and second hand stores for old textiles of all kinds (lace, handkerchiefs, silk scarfs and ties, wool skirts) to incorporate into quilted projects.
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Yes, I hate throwing out something that still has life in it yet.
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I use recycled cloth, old cutter quilts and clothing I buy at thrift shops to create things like Christmas stockings.
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I’ve recycled old quilts
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Yes. Clothes into other clothes.
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I haven’t recycled yet, but have some ideas using old sweaters and cotton men’s shirts that I plan to try. Love the beanie idea, though!
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I do sometimes, especially when making doll clothes.
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I save my husband and son’s discarded oxford dress shirts…..especially the stripped ones or the infamous blue. I cut them up and use them for lining fabric when I make cosmetic bags.
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I always save clothes, buttons, zippers etc to use in other projects.
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I have made a memory teddy bear for my nieces and nephew from the dress my mother wore for my sister’s wedding. Since my mother is now deceased the bears have been appreciated.
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Sure do! Old jeans, chenille bedspreads, vintage doilies can all be given another chance!
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I enjoy upcycling with velvet. I can find beautiful regular and unusual velvet colors/prints at Goodwill and save them throughout the year. This “stash” is great for linings-whether for garments or accessories.
Merry Christmas! -
I upcycle by re-using buttons, snaps, etc. I also use ‘good’ pieces of fabrics in clothing,etc. for doll clothes or quilting projects.
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I like to collect colorful scraps of silks from my own clothing and from thrift store items. I also collect pieces of linen fabric from similar sources. I incorporate these into projects, often with my hand embroidery.
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I try to reuse as much as possible! I felt old sweaters for some of my art projects!
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I do. Mostly used denim into comforters or jackets and vests. I have also taken sleeves from sweaters and put them onto vests or incorporated them into jacket sleeves.
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I cut up my maternity clothes and made dresses for my daughter when she was little. Now I have those same clothes saved in a bag to make a baby quilt when/if she becomes pregnant.
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I do-sweaters into mittens! I have to try this because my stack of sweaters is growing!
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Oh yeah lots! Sometimes I like the fabric still but the style not so much so I will use it for a new shirt.
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I have made bags out of my old sweatshirts. Thanks for the beanie hat idea.
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YES!! I hit second hand stores and grab deals on clothes. Then I bring them home and re-do them to my liking. They don’t “always” turn out the way that I picture them but I have more hits than misses. It sure is a lot less expensive than buying at the mall!!
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I have upcycled a few shirts.
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I have not but really want to start.
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I use old buttons and lace. Also old wool clothing instead of going out to buy wool for a project. Men’s ties have beautiful silk or other fabrics that I have used in a crazy quilt block. We even used scrap satin from a bridal shop.
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I always try to use what I already have before buying something new. I have made many sweaters, and coats for cats and dogs as well as mittens from old leather gloves. Now, by accident, I am making felted wool for appliqué in my quilting.
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I have made some rugs, zippered bags, wool banner classes, and scarves from recycled wool pieces. I love shopping for wool at estate sales, thrift stores and yard sales.
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Just getting in to sewing again. With some of the ideas from this site, I will definitely give it a try.
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My favorite “up cycle” project was a jean quilt with squares from an old red robe for accent.
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I do! And posts like this one give me even more ideas. Thanks for the generous giveaway.
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I don’t up-cycle as much as I would like to. Thanks for the inspiration!
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I make sleeveless tops out of older cotton skirts or dresses and make dog sweaters out of old sweaters.
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Yes, I used materials I have had for along time to make a dog bed. Also save zippers, buttons for future projects.
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I just finished making a market tote and used a darling zipper for the inside pocket enclosure. Zipper had a leather tab with a metal snowflake on it; previously had been on a vest pocket. I’m planning to make another tote and line it with some fabric from a skirt I made a million years ago. I love to upcycle, it makes creations so interesting and unique.
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I searched the thrift store for plush fleece and velour clothing to repurpose into zippered bags to hold and protect my hoops for my embroidery sewing machine.
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I have several fine cashmere like sweaters to recycle but haven’t yet. I keep waiting for the right project.
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What I don’t use myself for recycling I offer to my friends. Very little gets tossed!
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I make old shirts into quilts – t-shirts, hawaiian shirts, or anything!
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I save all my husbands denim work shirts and any jeans that are unwanted. I have used them make really cute cosmetic bags, currently I’m saving them to do a quilt.
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I search the Goodwill and Savers for silk and linen garments. I have lined purses with the silk and converted shirts into vests. I also made a quilt entirely of used men’s shirts with an old sheet as the backing.
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I use my husband’s old paint cloths for different project. Because of their stiffness and paint splotches they make great journal covers, quilt labels, shopping tote bags and many other project that come into my head.
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I haven’t had much success in the past when trying to upcycle – everything looks pretty shabby – but I’m definitely going to try making this beanie!
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Yes I enjoy up cycling. Old jeans make great pot holders
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I definitely do up cycling – I love to turn old clothes into Memory Bears; I’ve made bears for family members and friends who’ve lost loved ones. A hug from a Memory Bear helps ….
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Yes, love to go to the Good Will for fabric and buttons! Can’t wait to try out this and make a Beanie!
Thanks! -
I used an old silk shirt into silk eye masks for my yoga classes.
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I have made old sweaters into mittens.