It’s been about a month since you were working the bad holiday sweater party circuit with those unique sweaters you thought were such a great idea, but now you’ve still got one or two pretty wild ones hanging in your closet. You could simply donate them back to Goodwill, but why not turn them into something you will actually wear for the rest of the winter?

Here’s your how-to Unique-Holiday-Sweater-to-Infinity-Scarf tutorial (+ links to other fun and easy sweater up-cycling ideas).

Step 1: Start with a unique holiday sweater (many compelling varieties are available at your local Goodwill.)

Step 2: With sweater in hand, begin by detaching all parts of the sweater at the seams (i.e. remove collar, sleeves, front and back pieces.)  **IMPORTANT** Each piece of the sweater is a bound knit shape sewn to the other pieces with thread. Be careful not to cut the knitted pieces, only the thread that attaches the pieces together. (If you cut into it the knitted part it can easily unravel later. Though not the end of the world, it is better to avoid if possible).

Step 2.5: Open up the sleeve seems, using the same technique as above.

Step 3:  Lay out pieces with the ribbed ends facing the same direction and sew together (I laid them out in this order: sleeve, back, sleeve, front (as pictured below) but you can do any order that you like). Make sure the ribbed edges match up.

(The edge opposite the ribbed one will be uneven, that’s ok.)

Step 4: Trim the uneven edge so that it is even. (Here you will have to cut into the knitted pattern so be careful not to pull on the ends or they will unravel!

Step 5: Before the ends have a chance to unravel, fold the piece in half (long wise/hot dog style) and sew  the ribbed (finished edge) on top of the raw edge (the edge you just cut) with a simple stich, or with a sewing machine. (You will have a long tube of fabric with open ends).

Final Step: Match up the ends, with right sides together.  Sew until you have a 2-inch opening remaining. Flip right-side out (so that the ruff edge of seams is now hidden inside the tube and sew up the last 2 inches.

You’re done, yay.  Now you can stay warm and have a better way to wear those seasonal oddities more than once or twice a year.

MORE IDEAS

For those looking for a simpler tutorial, or a different way to make the same thing, check out this link: http://fabyoubliss.com/2012/09/25/make-a-new-infinity-scarf-from-an-old-sweater/

For those looking for a more involved tutorial for making mittens/gloves try this one: http://makeanddogirl.com/2012/01/guest-tutorial-felted-sweater-mittens/