This is day 8 of 12 Days of (upcycled) Christmas tutorials! If you’ve been wondering how to sew an upcycled sweater hat pattern, I have good news for you. You don’t need a pattern for certain styles! I’m sharing a simple tutorial for a kid’s winter hat but if you do want a pattern, I also have a picture showing how to adjust and link to free patterns. I think lots of families would love to receive a handmade, cozy warm hat as a gift.
I love finding wool & cashmere in prints or bright colors, so this sweater was a home run for me. Originally Boden brand but the (velvet!) placket is shredded and stained beyond repair.
Looking for more creative inspiration? Check out these posts!
- 35+ stocking stuffers to sew
- 20+ best Christmas projects to sew
- Master list of upcycle sewing projects
Above you can see the adjustment you’d need to make if you find a full pattern that you like, but you want to reuse the hem from your original shirt. There are more pictures in this post about how to upcycle using patterns!
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Above, you can see the first hat I made! I used the Imagine Gnats pattern that I have linked here and it turned out so cute, perfect for a chilly Colorado fall when we visited. Now we will have multiple hats for maybe $2 of my time, can’t wait to show my kids!
You can pin this how to sew an upcycled sweater hat using this link or the collage image:
How to sew an upcycled sweater hat pattern
Supplies
- Sharp scissors
- Wool sweater with a little stretch to it
- Clips
Steps
Step 1- Cut up the side seams of the sweater so you have more room to work with. Be careful not to clip the layer underneath the sweater.
Step 2: Cut 2 matching squares/rectangles from the sweater body. For my average sized 3 year old, mine was roughly 9.5″ wide & tall. I’m not giving out specific measurements for each size because so much is affected by the weight and stretch of the wool, but adding another 1.5″ lets hats like this fit me, a large-headed adult. When you are cutting/deciding what size to try, remember that it’s hard to add length back on but easy to cut it again instead.
Step 3- Clip both sides of the rectangle and sew with 1/4″ seam allowance.
Step 4: Time to make fringe! Cut a piece of wool 7.5″ long and 2.25″ wide. Carefully slice through it about 3/4 deep, and then repeat for a seond piece. Roll it up into a cylinder.
Step 5- Gently wedge the rolled up tassel in on of the top corner. Clip it, making sure no fabric is caught where the hem will be sewed. Finish sewing that top opening so now all 3 sides are sewn, with the original binding at the base of it.