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DIY: Mini Mitten Ornaments from an Old Sweater


Holiday craft projects are my favorite! I don’t know what it is around Christmas time, but my crafty side sparks up even more. I made these DIY CD Ornaments last year and since it's been one of my most popular blog posts, I thought you might enjoy another Christmas ornament tutorial. I had some leftover wool sweaters from my DIY Sweater Mittens project and decided to put them to use. This time, they became mitten ornaments for my Christmas tree. They're actually small enough to fit a baby's hand!

They also make great gift toppers. Tie them onto gift boxes, bags or even money envelopes for a special touch that will make them say, “Aw, you shouldn’t have” even before they’ve opened the gift! I’ve always been a firm believer that handmade gifts are the most special. Don't you think?







If you’ve got one old sweater, you can make at least 5 of these cute little ornaments. You could probably even make a lot more if you use the entire sweater, top to bottom. So grab a pair of scissors and let’s get started!

P.S. Check out my DIY gift wrapping paper tutorial for another holiday craft.


Materials:
• Wool sweater (at least 60% wool)
• Scissors (I love all things Fiskars!)
• Embroidery floss similar to the color of your sweater
• Threading needle
• Yarn (about 8 inches)
• Optional: Buttons, colorful embroidery floss and/or additional fabric for decorating

 

Steps:
• Prep the Sweater: Wash the sweater on the warm cycle then dry on high heat. This will felt the wool fibers together so they won't fall apart when you cut them (kind of like tangled hair). Your sweater will shrink significantly. Tip: Place your sweater in a mesh laundry bag to avoid the wool fibers from clogging your machine.
Trim: You can either use the sleeve cuffs or the bottom ribbing of the sweater to create these mittens. Either way, if the sweater cuffs or ribbing is more than ½ inch, trim it a little shorter so the new mitten's cuff will be proportionate to the rest of the mitten (see step 1 image above).
• Cut Out: Cut out a small mitten shape. Mine is about 4 inches long. It doesn’t have to be perfect since you’re not going to be wearing it! 
• Flip Over: Flip the two mitten pieces inside out so that two outer pieces are now facing one another.
• Sew: Thread your needle with embroidery floss and do a simple running stitch along the edges (not to close). Make sure not to sew shut the bottom of the mitten.
• Flip: Now the fun part! Flip over the mitten to see your finished product.
• Decorate (Optional): Use buttons and colorful embroidery floss to decorate. I also sewed on a thin cuff from another sweater.
• Create Hook: Fold the piece if yarn in half and tie a knot at the bottom. Sew it into the mitten with the knot inside. 


Happy holiday crafting! Follow along on Facebook and Twitter to see all my new DIY projects.


9 comments:

  1. Good idea! And good job!

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  2. Ha ha! this is fun. i definitely wouldn't have thought to do this with leftover sweater pieces.

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  3. Great ideia. Those look so cute :)

    xoxo

    Espelho da Isabel

    *

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  4. Love it !!! awesome idea

    xoxo
    elfie
    http://elfie-a.com

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  5. very cute idea! I think I may have to stop off at the thrift store for a sweater!

    -krisimiller.com

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  6. I love it! Simple and nice!

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  7. So cute! I'm going to be on the look-out for old sweaters to upcycle. :)

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