Thursday, January 17, 2013

Sew and Tell: old sweater ~ new storage


Sweater Can 6I’m sure you’ve seen many, many beautiful “old sweater” projects. Sweaters can be used to make pillows, vases, cozies and more. Every time I visit a thrift store I check for cable knit sweaters or other pretty knits to make some of the beautiful items I’ve seen on Pinterest and on other creative blogs.




Here are some of the sweater vases I found on Pinterest:


This is one of my old sweaters. It was literally in the donation bag when it dawned on me that I might be able to use the sleeves for a Valentine or spring project. I still may do that but decided to use the body of the sweater and all the fun stripes to cover this old coffee can for storage.



To make a vase, you use the sleeves of the sweater and simply slip the vase into the sleeve for a tight fit. For this large coffee can, I used the body of the sweater so I cut a piece longer and wider than I needed.



  1. Starting at the top of the can glue gun the finished edge just under the rim of the can. The knit should be slightly tight but not overly tight especially in this case since I was dealing with stripes and wanted them to be straight.
  2. Glue the first raw vertical edge to the can.
  3. Glue the second vertical edge to the can matching up the edges with the first piece.
  4. Trim the bottom so that it’s an inch or two longer than the can and glue it to the underside of the can.
  5. The only parts that are glued are the top, bottom (underneath the can) and the raw edges so you can move the knit around so the stripes are straight.
  6. Another option is to sew the raw edges together, slip the “sleeve” onto your can and then glue the bottom.

And if you have kids, you probably have boxes of crayons. Somehow they always end up broken and in a box or plastic bin.



I decided to use this bin for all those crayons. These bins would also be perfect for legos and other small toys that have multiple pieces. Once you put the lid back on, you can stack them up. So before you clean out your closets, save your sweaters for some crafty fun.


Thanks so much for stopping by today.

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15 comments :

  1. I like how your sweater crayon holder turned out!
    Oh, and the brown cable vase-wonderful.

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  2. My grands crayons are in a big plastic coffee can. This is a great idea and I think I will try it.

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  3. genius!

    such a fab use of knitwear past its prime.

    :)
    michele

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  4. Looove the stripes Carolyn! And such a good match for the crayons :-) have a wonderful weekend!

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  5. I need some crayons STAT! As an excuse to make one of these Qt's. You are so uber crafty Carolyn! Rub some of that talent off on me ;)

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  6. I LOVE this idea!!
    I will definately making some of these soon!

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  7. This turned out so cute! What a great idea.

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  8. Thanks for linking up Carolyn! I LOVE this project the stripes are so fun with the crayons!! I featured your post in my wrap up http://tidymom.net/2013/winter-crafts/

    Have a beautiful Sunday

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  9. This is so cute Carolyn!! You are gonna make me want to save all my old sweaters!! :) Thanks for sharing!!

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  10. I LOVE this project! It's so practical, but it's trendy and cute too! I want to try it for sure. I hope you'll join up with us on Eco Kids: http://organicaspirations.blogspot.com/2013/01/handmade-step-stools-and-eco-kids.html

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  11. Love the idea and the colors, thanks for sharing.

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