Heart Ornaments from Sweaters

Anyone who knows me knows that I LOVE to make things from old sweaters!  There are bins of used sweaters all over my house.  This year I made more of the heart sweater ornaments.  I mean, like a LOT more.  Probably over 100 of them.  

They are fun and easy to make.  Part of the joy of making them is going on the "hunt" to find the used sweaters that you can use to cut up.  I like to go to some second-hand shops and rummage sales to find just the right colors and textures for my crafting.  I'm always on the look-out for that special find.  

My favorite sweaters are the ones that have a pattern on them, but they are hard to find unless you are willing to pay a lot for them.  And I like using ones that have wool in them so that they shrink a bit and don't unravel as easily.  

To make them, wash your sweater in hot water and dry on a hot heat setting so that the fibers meld together.  I use a heart cut out shape and sew them right sides together leaving a one-inch space to turn them inside out.  The best thing about working with the sweaters is that the fabric is very forgiving.  You can stretch it back into shape.  Stuff with fiber fill and sew closed the opening.  I used a thick gold strand for the hanger.  They can be used as ornaments or as bowl fillers for your table display (just cut off the hanging loop).

I like to give them in groups of three or four so that the colors coordinate well together.  They make beautiful hand-made gifts around the holidays.  :)

What sort of things have you made from used sweaters?  

 

Gnome Ornaments for the Holidays

 You see them in all the stores.  These cute little gnome figures seem to be the trend for this year's holiday decorating.  So of course I just had to make some!

This year I decided to decorate my home with soft colors other than the usual red and green.  I found some cute gnomes in the stores and I'm using them for my Christmas decor this year.  They are muted colors and so I decided to go along with that scheme.

I looked a couple of patterns online and then decided to make my own pattern.  I love to make things from old sweaters and I pulled out a few from my stash (4 bins worth) and started sewing.  Their little bodies are pretty much a Letter "U" sewn and stuffed.  Then I added the beards made from some fake fur that I had.  I found that it works better if you sew the top of the beard before cutting them out to keep them from fraying.

I stitched the hem and the sides of a triangle to form the hats and then glued all the pieces together.  Then I added the nose and the pom pom.  Each one is a little bit different and somehow they seem to have their own personality.

These four look like they're singing in a old-fashioned quartet.  LOL

They look really sweet on my tree and go right along with this year's theme.  

 

What do you think of the gnome theme this year?  Maybe there's just a little bit of mystery behind their folklore that makes them appealing.  These little gnomes found their way into my home.  And into my heart.  

Wool Hearts From Sweater Scraps

Some of you know that I like to make mittens from used wool sweaters.  Once I cut them out, I'm left with a lot of sweater scraps. I've made stockings for the tree out of them in the past and this year I cut out hearts from the sweater remains using a couple of old Sizzix heart-shaped dies.

Then I sewed the hearts and placed them out as part of my home decor!  They are sitting in a wire leaf basket on my dining table.  Everyone who comes over wants them but so far there are none for sale.  :)

Here is a photo of the stockings that I made last year from the wool sweater remnants.

I hand-embroidered a star on the front of each one for embellishment and added felt for the heels and a matching button at the top.  They are cut out using the stocking Sizzix die.

One year I even made catnip mice out of them for the resident kitties.  Check them out here.