SWEATER PILLOW TUTORIAL

I have a pillow addiction... I just can't have enough of them!!!

This winter I am warming up the beds and sofas at StoneGable with SWEATER PILLOWS.

These cozy accent pillows are made from sweaters I purchased at Goodwill.

Both of these pillows took just a little over an hour to create...

If you can sew a straight line you can make these sweet sweater pillows!

STONEGABLE SWEATER PILLOWS

old sweaters

down pillow forms 

ruler

marking chalk

buttons

needle and thread

sewing machine

Chose sweaters with interesting designs and nubby textures.

Machine wash the sweaters in warm water and dry in the dryer on a normal setting.  I wanted to shrink the sweaters a little and make the knit tighter.

Put the down pillow form into the sweater and center it. Estimate where the seams will be. (I used the rows of cable to be a guide.

Remove the pillow and turn it wrong side out.  Using a ruler and marking chalk draw the pillow on the sweater. Leave an extra 1 1/2 to 2 inches on the ribbed edge.

Pin both sides of the sweater along the markings. I started at the bottom of the sweater.

Sew three sides of the sweater along the marked line (watch the pins!). Do not sew up the bottom of the sweater... you will need the ribbing to stay intact.

Cut the three sides of the sweater leaving about a 1/2 inch allowance. 

 DO NOT CUT THE RIBBED END OF THE SWEATER.

Turn the sweater right side out.

Fill with the pillow form. Sew buttons to the ribbed side of the pillow to close.  I chose old buttons from my button jar. Some of these were my grandmothers.

To make the ruffle on the larger pillow, cut off one sleeve of the sweater. Open it up by cutting the seam.

Cut off the cuff.

Cut the sleeve into even strips.

Sew a large running stitch down the center of each strip.  

Pull the top thread gently and gather up the sweater into a ruffle.

Sew the ruffles sections together at the ends and then sew the ruffle to pillow at the ribbed end closure seam.

My sweater pillows are warming up my new living room sofa...

I think I'm going to get a few more sweaters and make some for our guest room bed!

I was trying to think of other things I could make out of the sweater remnants... like this...

Look at this great tuttleneck from one of the sweaters... I made something out of it that I am giving as a gift!

Look for an upcoming DYI post!

 Save any unused sleeves... you can use them to make SWEATER PUMPKINS!

How cute are these!!!

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