How do I make a felted bag out of a sweater?

[danaan]

I have a wool sweater that doesn't fit anyone and I want to make a bag. Can someone tell me how??

[triciarn]

I saw this on HGTVs Thats Clever

Tricia

[QueenSheba'sMom]

I was thinking about exactly this on the way to work this morning

[danaan]

great! now ideas for what to do with the body of the sweater? it's a cream fisherman's type........ kinda scratchy wiyh little knobbies....

[seekermage]

I have a pattern from womans day mag? or one of those mags where you take the body of the sweater, sew the bottom closed (thats the bottom of the bag) and then basically cut a square or rectangle shape but at the top cut strips for the handles going up to the neckline/top of the sweater. So it would be a square with the handles coming out the top (wherever you position them either closer to the sides or the middle) . You then sew the the strips together for the handles and either bring the edges together and stitch them to make it sturdier or hem them. The other pattern called for the top to be hemmed and then adding funky handles like leather straps, or those wooden ones you can get and enterchange. I know Walmart and Joannes etc sells handles for purses in the craft section, You can always add some funky trim to the top to make it sturdier to hold a heavier handle etc. And for the bottom you can fold and sew down the corners to give it a more squared off look and a flatter bottom etc. Sorry my directions arent the best. I hope you get the main idea though. Just play around with it, Im sure you will figure it out. Once its nice and felted it shoudl be really easy to work with! Oh, and if you havent felted it yet, just wash it on hot water and dry it in dryer on hot. When its all made I would then wash it with wool wash and make it nice and soft and yummy smelling. I know when I made my felted bad it smelled awful from the whole process. Turned out great though! Good luck do post pictures when your done.

[pixie-n-hertwoboys]

have you ever visited crafster? OMG I love that site now! LOL its addicting. heres a link to a tutorial with a felted bag and mittens bag

heres the link to the womans day mag

have fun!