How to Recycle a Sweater into a Chair Cover

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.

Erika Kern

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.

Erika Kern

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

Erika Kern

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 you couldn't tell from last week's post, I love sweaters. My sweater fascination doesn't end with just one "turn sweaters into home décor" post. If I had my way, my whole house would be covered in sweaters. This latest project adds a quirky twist to a simple chair redo.

Supplies

• Chair
• Sweater
• Seam ripper
• Scissors
• Staple gun and staples
• Felt, large enough to cover the bottom of the chair's seat (optional)

For the matching pillow:

• Another sweater, for the pillow back
• Pins
• Sewing machine
• Pillow form or stuffing

Ideally, you have a chair around the house that could use an update, but if you need buy one, worry not. The world is full of fun secondhand furniture. Check out Craigslist, eBay, your local thrift store, yard sales, flea markets, or antiques mall. Don't be afraid of something that might need more love than just a new seat cover. The more DIY fun, the better.

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

Once you've chosen and prepared the chair, choose a sweater that is big but not overly large. Depending on the size of the seat you wish to cover, a ladies' size large should be big enough to do the job.

This sweater was a thrift-store find marred by a big, ugly hole. I can't wear it, but that doesn't mean I can't craft with it.

Use a seam ripper and scissors to take the sweater apart. Use the largest piece, the sweater's back, as the fabric to cover the seat.

Don't worry if the seat is a larger than the sweater. Since it's a sweater, you can take advantage of its inherent stretch.

If the sweater is patterned, make sure to center the pattern to the cushion. Also, make sure the 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 the sweater tight but not so tight you distort your pattern, and use a staple gun to attach the fabric to the chair seat.

The bottom of the covered seat can be left unfinished, or . . .

. . . it can be prettied up with 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 the seat is covered, fit it back onto the chair.

A cute comfy sweater becomes a cozy chair cover with little time and effort. Leftover bits of the sweater and some help from last week's tutorial helped to create a matching pillow. The pillow back is made with another sweater, and the cover is stuffed with a 14-inch square pillow form.

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

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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

Sister_Diane writes: This is AWESOME!!
Posted: 12:36 pm on January 14th

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