Old
sweatshirts can be inspiration for new crafts. Useful and beautiful household
items can be made from discarded sweatshirts. Launder them and cut them open at
the seams to yield flat pieces of fabric for your crafting pleasure. Discard
worn ribbing and cut out any stains. Save old sweatshirt pieces until you have
a stash from which you can choose for crafting purposes. If you have no old
sweatshirts, go to a local thrift store and find some. Extra-large men's shirts
give you the most fabric for your money.
Blanket or Throw
Cut squares and rectangles from several
sweatshirts in coordinating colors. Cut sleeves open at the underarm seam and
lay flat to cut. If the sweatshirt has a logo or picture, center it on one of
the squares. Arrange rectangles to make a blanket-sized piece and sew together
like a patchwork quilt. The seams will not ravel, so there is no need to line
the blanket unless extra warmth is desired. Bind the edges with wide bias tape
for extra durability. If you have several large sweatshirts from the same
college, use them to make a stadium blanket for football season or a picnic
blanket for tailgate parties.
Braided or Crocheted Rug
Cut old sweatshirts into long strips, about two
inches wide for a braided rug or one inch wide for a crocheted rug. Sew ends of
strips together and roll strips into balls like yarn. Braid a rug using 3 balls
of fabric strips. Coil braid and lace into a round or oval shape until rug is
desired size. Crochet a rug using one ball of fabric strips and a size "P" or "Q"
plastic crochet hook. Crochet in rows to make a rectangular rug or in rounds
for a circular or oval rug. 100% cotton sweatshirts make absorbent bath mats as
well. Craft stores sell non-slip backing for rugs, which can be applied to the
finished project.
Baby Bibs
Children's sweatshirts or the sleeves of adult
sweatshirts yield enough fabric for baby bibs. Use an existing bib to trace a
pattern. Cut two fabric bib shapes for each bib. Place wrong sides together,
pin, and sew seam binding around the edges, leaving enough binding at back
edges to tie in a bow at the back of neck. Alternatively, use a bib pattern
that overlaps in the back and use a snap or hook-and-loop closure. Bibs are
another opportunity to recycle the school or team logo on a sweatshirt-use the
logo centered in the front of bib.
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