Crafting with felted wool sweaters...

[AfricanQueen99]

Several years ago I got the wise idea to make Christmas stockings with felted wool sweaters and I bought *holding head in shame* about 50-60 greatly discounted thrift-store sweaters.  Anyway, I'm going to finally make this so they'll be ready for Christmas 2013.

Clearly I will have LOADS of extra already felted wool.  And I want to use it all - one of my 2013 goals is to work through my craft closet and clean it up!

Help me keep a running list of things to make with this stuff.  Please include photos, blog posts, etc so people can come back and have a one-stop thread.

[AfricanQueen99]

Here's what I have bookmarked:

Toys/Things for Kids:

crowns - http://juicy-bits.typepad.com/juicy_bits/2008/09/32-felt-birthday-crown-tutorial.html

flowers for decorations - http://thelongthread.com/?p=1548, http://whipup.net/2008/11/07/felt-flower-tutorial/

balls/dryer balls - http://resweater.blogspot.com/2009/12/christmas-gifts-i-made-dryer-balls.html

"paper" dolls - http://resweater.blogspot.com/2011/10/its-tutorial-tuesday-felt-paper-dolls.html

Housewares:

coasters - http://resweater.blogspot.com/2010/03/tutorial-tuesday-lavendar-trees-beaded.html, http://www.marthastewart.com/273107/custom-coasters

Holidays:

Christmas trees - http://thelongthread.com/?p=1656

Compiled lists:

http://alwayschrysti.com/always-chrysti/2008/11/18/100-ways-to-reuse-your-old-sweaters.html

http://blog.betzwhite.com

Edited by AfricanQueen99 - 1/14/13 at 1:52pm

[rere]

Check out Betz White
http://blog.betzwhite.com/?m=1

[AfricanQueen99]

I *heart* Betz White!  I wish I could sew as well as her and make every one of her designs.

I added it to the list. :)

[nstewart]

Originally Posted by AfricanQueen99 

Several years ago I got the wise idea to make Christmas stockings with felted wool sweaters and I bought *holding head in shame* about 50-60 greatly discounted thrift-store sweaters.  Anyway, I'm going to finally make this so they'll be ready for Christmas 2013.

Clearly I will have LOADS of extra already felted wool.  And I want to use it all - one of my 2013 goals is to work through my craft closet and clean it up!

Help me keep a running list of things to make with this stuff.  Please include photos, blog posts, etc so people can come back and have a one-stop thread.

I love felted wool and have a pile of sweaters to use too!

Some ideas (could be gifts too):

- felted wool shorties/longies (the longies are cute just for warm pants if you don't have babe in dipes to make them for)

- mittens http://tlc.howstuffworks.com/family/felted-wool-mittens-from-old-sweaters.htm

- toques http://snapguide.com/guides/upcycle-an-old-sweater-into-a-cute-hat/

- I want to do a patchwork quilt for camping that is a mix of denim (I have a pile of old denim!) and wool (great 'cause you can use leftovers from other projects)

- little animals http://www.marthastewart.com/265648/felted-stuffed-animals

- sweater dress for a little girl (same way you'd make a men's dress shirt into a dress.  Super easy 'cause there's so little sewing and so cute!)

-leggings (for little girls) or leg warmers

The toques and shorties/longies are obscenely easy and make great gifts.  I've done the animals (I made wool lambs as gifts for nieces/nephews last easter) and they were more time consuming but not hard.

I just did a google image search for "how to upcycle sweaters" and there are WAY too many awesome ideas!!

[rere]

Just made myself some slippers from a felted sweater.Toasty!