Did you know that fall doesn’t always begin on the same day? Its start can fall between September 21 and 24 and is defined by the autumnal equinox, a very precise moment in Earth’s orbit around the Sun. At this moment, the length of day and night is practically the same and, while we say goodbye to it, spring begins in the Southern Hemisphere.
And although it’s still going to take a little while to arrive, we’re continuing to give you recipes for cold weather; that way, you’ll have them on hand when you need them. Today we’re bringing you one of those recycling and DIY projects we love: how to make a hat by recycling a sweater. In fact, we’re going to explain two different ways.
If there isn’t a sweater you want to get rid of, you don’t have to go without a hat. Remember that we have a tutorial for making a fleece-lined hat like the one in the photograph—super easy!
But if you already have the sweater ready to be sacrificed, choose whichever method works best for you, and let’s get to work!
How to Make a Hat by Recycling a Sweater.
Technique No. 1.
Seen at conideade.com
The simplest one! In this case, we’re going to cut two pieces from the sweater fabric and join them together, using a sewing machine or, if you don’t have one, sewing by hand or using fabric glue. It’s as easy as this:
Turn the sweater you’re going to use inside out and place a hat you already own on top of it to draw the shape with a marker. Center it carefully and position it so that the bottom of the sweater—the waistband—matches what will be the bottom of the hat, where the opening is. Now cut along the line you drew, cutting through the back of the sweater at the same time so that you end up with two identical pieces.
All done? Now you just have to sew them together on the machine and turn the hat right side out so the seam is on the inside. Don’t have a machine? No problem: use fabric glue and let it dry thoroughly.
Technique No. 2.
Seen at canvasjune.com
For this second method, we’re going to cut the part of the sweater below the sleeves, creating one rectangular piece. Open this piece with scissors and measure how much you’ll need in one of these two ways:
- With a tape measure: Measure your head and transfer the measurement to the fabric.
- Directly on your head: Take the entire piece and adjust it around your head.
Cut the piece according to the measurement you got, stretch it out completely, and fold it over itself into three or four equal parts: either way will work. Once you’ve folded it, cut the top into a semicircle (it doesn’t have to be perfect, so don’t worry). Now open it again—you’ll see that it has 3 or 4 “bumps”—and sew or glue the fabric piece together again along the straight edge, up to where the semicircle you cut begins. Do this with the fabric inside out so the seams stay on the inside.
Now all that’s left is to close the top by joining the “bumps” together. We got a real kick out of this video showing how to make a hat by recycling a sweater explained by an American teenager… Even if you don’t know English, you don’t need it to understand him :) Just watch out, because he takes on sewing by hand, although it takes him quite a while to thread the needle. If he can do it, so can you!
Do you want to add a pom-pom to your hat?
Then make them yourself using whatever yarn you like best, following this very easy process we found on the So Creative Things blog. Use yarns in different colors for an even prettier and more surprising result. Running low on yarn? PStop by the shop and take a look at all the ones we have to choose from.
And don’t forget that as a member of Lulu Ferris, you get a discount on all the products in the shop.
