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How to Recycle a Sweater into a Chair Cover

comments (6) January 14th, 2009

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Erika Kern, contributor

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A cute, comfy sweater becomes a cozy chair cover with very little time and effort. Use the leftover bits of the sweater to make a matching pillow.

I found this chair at a local secondhand shop for $10. It needed lots of love. The previous owner had left it out in the elements for who knows how long. Still, I love a challenge. Before I covered the seat, I sanded, primed, and painted the chair a glossy black.

This sweater was a thrift store find marred by a big, ugly hole. I might not be able to wear it, but that doesnt mean I cant craft with it!

A cute, comfy sweater becomes a cozy chair cover with very little time and effort. Use the leftover bits of the sweater to make a matching pillow.

Photo: Erika Kern

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If your sweater is patterned, like mine, make sure to center your pattern to your cushion. Also, make sure your pattern is facing the right direction. Trust me on that one. . . staple-gun staples are a pain to pull out when you screw up.

Pull your fabric tight but not so tight you distort your pattern, and use a staple gun to attach the fabric to your seat.

The bottom of your covered seat. You can leave it like this if you wish but, you know me, I can't leave well enough alone...

So I prettied up the bottom with a bit of felt. This gives the seat a more polished look and will lessen the chance of the sweater material fraying at the edges.

The sweater-covered seat.

Once your seat is covered, fit it back onto the chair.

A cute comfy sweater becomes a cozy chair cover with very little time and effort. I used the leftover bits of the sweater and last week's tutorial and scaled it down to make a matching pillow. The back of the pillow is made with another sweater, and the cover is stuffed with a 14- by 14-inch pillow form.

Now, sit back, relax, and enjoy the coziest chair in the house!

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posted in: sweater, thrift store, chair

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Comments (6)

rainwolfe writes: I am loving all the great things I'm learning on this site to do with the sweaters I have hanging around that I love, but haven't worn in years.
Thanks!
Posted: 12:31 pm on February 2nd

margoly writes: Perfect timing for this wonderful idea! My son gave me 3 extra- large cashmere sweaters (yes, cashmere!) that he no longer wears. He wanted me to make some couch pillows out of them. I just hated the idea of cutting into them -- but now I can hardly wait! The idea for using the sleeves is also great. I will make a 'kidney' roll pillow out of mine. Thanks!

Posted: 10:04 pm on January 16th

gracie_girl writes: Good idea for a comfy chair...

Posted: 4:54 pm on January 16th

sherlo65 writes: This is a great idea! I will try it sometime.
Posted: 9:07 pm on January 14th

erika_kern writes: Thanks! It was much easier than I thought it would be when I first had the idea. Took me no time at all!
Posted: 12:58 pm on January 14th