Funky Christmas Garlands Made From Old Sweaters.
The one thing that gives me more of a buzz than upcycling my old clothes, is to actually use the scraps from these projects to make decorations for my home. A few years ago I made some super cute sweater ornaments that I hang on my tree year after year. This year I made easy little sweater balls that I turned into garlands and ornaments.
Colorful sweaters and those with a bit of pattern work well with this craft. But you can really use any old sweaters, if you prefer a more neutral decor then choose sweaters in those colors.
To make the sweater balls in different sizes, I cut out circle templates out of paper. These varied in size from 6cm to 9cm in diameter.
Place the circle template on the sweater scrap and draw around it.
Cut out the circle. I cut several circles of wool in various colours.
Thread a needle with strong thread and then stitch a running stitch around the edge of the wool circle.
Pull the thread tight so that it gathers the circle. Before closing the hole, stuff a small amount of fiberfill (I use the stuffing from old pillows) into the hole with your thumb.
The tighter you pull the thread the more it will close.
Carry on stitching the top until the hole is closed. Then roll the felt ball between the palm of your hands to shape it into a rounder ball.
These balls are so easy to make it takes only a couple of minutes to make each one.
I make these whilst watching TV as they don't require concentration and I like to do something with my hands. Before long you will have a whole bowl full of these fun little sweater balls.
I then string the balls onto twine to make fun Christmas garlands. I also use three different sized balls to make ornaments to hang on the tree (see here).
You can make the garlands as long as you like but I use about 20 balls in my garlands.
If you still have some sweater scraps left don't throw them away you can use them to make some beautiful felt roses.
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I always love your projects. So creative and environmentally friendly.
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Now I know what to do with my newly discovered moth-eaten cashmere sweaters! Merry Christmas!
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Moths are a pain. But good luck with your garland.
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