How to Upcycle a Sweater Into Mittens

Join the #MittensForGood Challenge for Giving Tuesday 2023.

Join the Challenge

Welcome to the ultimate Giving Tuesday challenge! In this special but timeless tutorial, I’ll be walking your through how to repurpose sweaters from your closet or local thrift store into cozy mittens in just five minutes, perfect for the winter season for those in need.

Giving Tuesday, which falls on November 28th, is a yearly global generosity movement that encourages people to give back to their communities and support various causes, promoting the spirit of kindness and charity.  Join me this year in making a positive impact in our communities by creating mittens to donate to local homeless shelters. You’re not just helping the homeless, but also reducing waste for our planet; did you know that over 85% of ALL thrift store donations never get bought and end up in a landfill?

How to Get Involved

Grab an old sweater from home or head into your local thrift store to pick up a sweater (or two) to create a pair or multiple pairs of mittens! You can find the short tutorial on how it’s done below.

Once you have your mittens for donation ready, bring them into your local participating BERNINA Dealer for donation before November 28, 2023.

Contact Your Dealer

To find your local BERNINA Dealer, visit the BERNINA Dealer Locator on BERNINA.com. All dealer contact information can be found on the dealer locator, so you can connect with them to find out if they are collecting mittens for donation.

I encourage you to showcase your wonderful upcycled mitten creations on social media to help ignite this initiative and inspire others to also contribute within their communities and the planet. Kindly use the hashtag #MittensForGood when sharing your posts, as it allows us to track and share the collective impact we’re making together. You can also post your creations in the WeAllSew Community section for a chance to be featured in our weekly WeAllSew Newsletter! Be sure to select the #MittensForGood Challenge as the post campaign before submitting your post.

What You Will Need to Upcycle a Sweater to Mittens

• A sweater (a ribbed finish on bottom hem is preferred)
• Fleece fabric for your lining (at least 1/4 yard)
• Scissors
• Ruler
• Stretch or ballpoint sewing needles
• Pins or clips
• Polyester all purpose thread
• Fabric weights
• Sewing machine (I use a BERNINA 590 E)
• Printer (for pattern)

You can download my FREE mittens printable PDF pattern HERE and follow along my step-by-step video tutorial below: