Weekend DIY: Upcycled Sweater Pillowcase

This post is written by contributing author Paige Ronchetti.

I was on Pinterest a few days ago when I came across something I hadn't seen before. Now, given how many hours a week I devote to my addiction, this was significant. Not much gets past these eyeballs.

And yet, I found myself suddenly inspired to make...

Upcycled sweater pillows! Brilliant! I pranced on over to the thrift store to get a cheap, neutral sweater I could use as my guinea pig. As usual, this project was extremely easy.

You'll need:

•  an old sweater
• straight pins
• scissors
• pillow insert
• sewing machine and needle/thread

First, turn your sweater inside out and stuff it with the pillow insert. You may or may not have to pin the sides (I did), but the top and bottom will always need pins. Start at the top or you won't be able to remove your insert for sewing:

Once the pins are in place, cut off the excess fabric. I left about an inch to make sewing easier, but I went back after that was done and trimmed even more.

Sew around three sides of your pillow case, leaving one open for re-inserting the pillow. Turn the cover right side out and place the pillow inside. For sewing the final side shut by hand, I recommend the slip stitch so there's a seamless look all the way around. This tutorial explains it with excellent pictures.

Once you've closed that last seam, step back and admire your work. You're done!

This is so soft and cozy I think I'll make a few more for fall and winter. 

Have you ever made anything out of an old sweater? Or used some other non-traditional material to make a pillowcase?

Paige Ronchetti lives in the Chicago suburbs with her husband. They have no kids and no pets, which gives them a lot of time for eating spicy food and looking for bargains. Paige's blog is Little Nostalgia is a collection of projects and pretty things. There you can find DIY tutorials, home decor inspiration, and affordable fashion ideas. When she is not blogging, Paige is working on her vintage-inspired jewelry lines, Little White Chapel and Oh Nostalgia. Connect to Paige via twitter or pinterest.