So Here's My Life

The things we make,
the food we eat and
the shenanigans in between.

A blog about making things by
MICHELLE SEXTON

Tuesday, February 11, 2014

Sweater Boot Cuffs from Sleeves DIY in 15 minutes or less

I have a "thing" for upcycling clothes. I've mentioned it before, so I apologize if I sound like a broken record, but I LOVE it. I find it incredibly gratifying to change up an unused article of clothing into something better. I also find it fun to save the unused and discarded pieces for future projects. It's kind of like a game for me...or more like a challenge - "How many different things can I make from this ugly sweater?" The answer? Lots of things! Last week, I shared about how I converted an ugly sweater into an awesome, non-dorky vest...well, at least I think so. Anyway, I saved the sleeves from the sweater and decided to use them for something else - Boot Cuffs.

I know what you are thinking - "Wait a minute...didn't you make boot cuffs a couple of years ago?" Nope. It was leg warmers and mock boot socks. Here's the thing - the legwarmers and boot cuffs are awesome (and yes, I still wear them and still get compliments), BUT some of my boots fit so snugly, I'm not able to wear the leg warmers and zip up boots. Oh, the tragedy! (First world problems right here.)

Enter the boot cuffs - the perfect solution for snug fitting boots. Isn't the whole point of wearing leg warmers to show off the cute "socks" by allowing them to peek over the top of your boot anyway? (Well, aside from the fact that they provide extra warmth). Duh! Why didn't I think of this sooner? I'm going to blame it on the Mom Brain. Yeah. By the way, I forgot to mention this earlier, but this project was so easy, it only took 15 minutes to make. Sssssssssssscore!

How to turn sweater sleeves into boot cuffs - 15 minute tutorial - click through and learn how.

So, it all started with the sweater. Sweet, wonderful, loud, hand-crafted sweater from Norway. It spoke to me that day in the second-hand store and said, "You know I'm wonderful. I just need a little work. Please buy me so I can reach my full potential." So, of course, I had to oblige.

upcycle an old sweater into new articles of clothing

Here's how I made the boot cuffs:

how to turn sweater sleeves into boot socks

I started out with two leftover sweater sleeves.

turn sweater sleeves into boot cuffs - start 8 inches below cuff.

make sweater sleeves into boot cuffs

serge at the bottom

Starting at the cuff (the portion of the sleeve that sits on your wrist), measure approximately 8 inches down and serge a line completely around the sleeve. Trim off the excess fabric below the serge.

turn inside out, fold over, and pin

Turn the serged sleeve cuff inside out, fold the fabric, and pin. Serge (or use a straight stitch on) the pinned portion of the fabric.

measure excess, mark, sew, and trim

serge along marked path

Almost done (believe it or not)! Turn the sewn cuff right-side out and slip it onto your leg, just below your knee. If the cuff fits snugly, breathe a sigh of relief and relish in the fact that you have completed this simple project with very little effort. However, if the cuff came with really baggy sleeves, like mine did, you have one more adjustment to make. Since the baggy sleeves fit loose around my calves, I had to taper the sleeve portion to create a snug fit. While wearing the cuff, get an approximate idea of how much fabric needs to be removed to achieve the desired fit around your calf. Turn the cuff inside-out again and mark the fabric. If you like to be precise, you can use a measuring tape and mark off the excess fabric. I'm impatient, so I estimated and marked about a "pinch" of fabric. Sew a line down the marked path and trim off excess fabric.

finished product, inside out

Turn right-side-out and wear! That's it, friends! Super quick and easy!

Make boot cuffs from a pair of sweater sleeves - simple 15 minute tutorial

Hey, guess what? Did you like this little mini-upcycled project I did with the leftover scraps from last week's project? I made something else, too. Come back next week and see what it is. :)

4 comments:

Unknown said...

awesome!! pinning these too :)

Unknown said...

This is an amazing tutorial! I especially love how it takes less than 15 minutes :) I saw your blog from the link up and I'm following you now!! Thanks for a great post :)

http://guesswhoknowsclothes.blogspot.com/

Anonymous said...

This is a super awesome project. I love the look of boot cuffs, but all of my boots are a tad too snug. I can't wait to find a sweater to do this with!

OneKriegerChick said...

I've wondered about doing this with a couple old sweaters...It looks so cute! Love that you used a color!!

Thanks for linking up to Hit Me With Your Best Shot...Can't wait to see what you've been up to this week!

~Ariean