How to update, decorate, remake an old women's sweater, jumper, old jacket into a fashionable one: ideas, tips, photos. How to remake an old sweater, several old sweaters into a stylish jacket, cardigan, dress

October 13, 2018
Decor
Sofia Ermakova

Decorating a sweater is a good way to completely transform a boring item and do something with your own hands in your spare time. Fashionistas can be sure that no one else will have the same T-shirt or blouse. Most clothing embellishments do not require any special sewing skills or artistic flair. It is enough to follow the instructions and do the work carefully.

How to update, decorate, remake an old women's sweater into a fashionable one?

From the moment of lying on the sofa to the actively simmering work of transforming clothes into fashionable ones, everyone has their own path. Someone wants to help our planet and gives boring things a second chance, someone wants to save their budget, and someone is an inventor at heart and won’t be able to sleep if they don’t invent something during the day.

Regardless of your initial plans, we offer dozens of options for transforming clothes into fashionable ones, and we'll start with the classic sweater. And if you have a question about how to update, decorate, or remake an old women’s sweater into a fashionable one, read our article and get inspired!

Easy conversion of a sweater into a fashionable one

How to update, decorate, remake an old women's sweater into a fashionable one? So, we have a boring gray women's sweater that was in fashion a few years ago, but has become boring and unfashionable this season.

We take a bright thread, be sure to apply it to the sweater and check the color combination, if you like everything, we begin to wind the pompoms on a fork (details in the video instructions). All that remains is to sew evenly and trim the ends of the threads on the reverse side.

You can transform a simple sweater into a fashionable one with pink pompoms in one evening!

As you can see, everything is as simple as possible and in one evening you can transform a sweater into a fashion trend!

Gradient T-shirt

You can completely update a white T-shirt or tank by dyeing it using a gradient technique. Washed denim looks very nice, so you can experiment with a denim shirt. For this, as a rule, “Whiteness” is used. A smooth transition from light to dark can be achieved by dipping the product into the solution in parts (for different periods of time).

For dyeing, it is better to use natural fabric (at least 80%). Bleach works more effectively on wet fabric. To prepare the solution, you need to use metal containers (but not aluminum). For a stronger effect, the solution is prepared in a one to one ratio, but you can add just a glass of “Whiteness” to a bucket of water. Keep the solution on the fabric for no more than 20 minutes, and after bleaching, you need to rinse the item under cold running water and put it in a gentle wash.

Colored dyeing (ombre) can be done using spray paint. It is enough to apply the paint evenly onto the fabric and wait until it dries completely. You can soak the fabric in a colored solution (as is the case with jeans), but this method requires more care than using a spray.

Video: Remaking an old women's sweater into a fashionable one with pompoms

Another option for updating, decorating, and turning an old women’s sweater into a fashionable one is to sew on buttons, beads, sew on rhinestones, and even stick on rhinestones (which is even easier and faster). Consider a fashionable option - a sweater studded with pearls.

For work, we will need a boring women's sweater, and there may even be small holes in it! We will sew them up and sew a large bead on top, thereby closing the hole. What do you think of the idea?

Transforming a simple sweater into a fashionable one with a scattering of pearls

Also, go to your nearest fabric store and buy 3-4 sizes of pearls in a snow-white color (or you can experiment and choose a powdery or lilac shade, but then it should match the color of the sweater).

Interesting decor with buttons of different sizes and textures

Lay out the beads on the sweater, take a photo of the layout to make it easier to select the size of the beads later, and start sewing.

Important: sew pointwise, of course it will take longer, but the loose knitted fabric will not be pulled together by pulling the threads when worn.

Decorating a jacket with beads

Decorating a sweater with sequins or beads is a common option for transforming boring clothes. Sequins can be sewn on in the form of an inscription, a design, or in a chaotic manner. Beads are often used to decorate collars, sleeves or décolleté areas. On basic sweaters, ordinary round beads, small or large, look good, but knitted T-shirts can be decorated with unusual accessories. Craft stores today sell beads in the shapes of letters, ice cream, fruits and vegetables, cute animals, icons, and so on.

You just need to remember the main rules for decorating a jacket with beads. Firstly, there should not be too much decoration so that it looks organic and not tacky. Secondly, all elements must be sewn literally tightly, because beads tend to fall off at the most inopportune moment and get lost.

How to update, decorate, remake an old women's sweater into a fashionable one: from an old sweater to a new one

If a sweater is knitted from high-quality threads, it is not possible to tear it down. It will be worn and worn, except that it may become small. But even in this case, you can correct the situation - we will tell you how to update, decorate, and remake an old women's sweater into a fashionable one! We suggest turning an old but high-quality sweater into a tunic or dress.

To do this, cut the sweater into even vertical strips, not reaching the neckline. Insert wedges of lightweight chiffon or other textured fabric. Finish the edges with an overlocker, as knitwear tends to fray.

Recycling idea from an old jacket

There is very little left to do - try on a new outfit and add decor if desired.

Another option for transforming clothes into fashionable ones is from a stretched sweater into a cozy and fashionable bolero. To do this, cut the bottom so that a bolero is formed and finish the edge with an overlocker or decorate it with lace and you will get a romantic look.

Sweater bolero

And for those whose jumper has coughed, we offer an original idea. Most often, the bottom of the jumper and the elbow area cough. And we cut them off! Leaving the neck with a yoke and the bottom of the sleeve.

Upcycling an old jumper into a fashionable tunic

Sew on light chiffon or mesh and voila! A new fashionable look is ready.

Decor of clothes with lace

Decorating a sweater with lace is feminine, stylish and simple. There are many decoration options: a figured fabric can be attached around the neckline, laid in a strip at the back along the back, replaced with it for a section of a sleeve or part of the neckline, cut off the sleeves and insert lace instead, or sew along the bottom of the sweater. This decor looks good on a white knitted sweater, a regular knitted T-shirt, shirt and a light silk T-shirt.

A strip of lace everywhere will add elegance and make the outfit more interesting. You just need to pay attention to the combination of colors of the blouse and decorating material, texture. Contrasting models in tandem with white fabric and black lace (or vice versa) look especially stylish. For clothes made of lightweight materials, it is better to use transparent fabric rather than lace.

How to update, decorate, remake an old women's sweater into a fashionable one: remaking a sweater into a dress

Tight sweater? The question arose: how to update, decorate, remake an old women's sweater into a fashionable one? So, it’s time to take up the scissors and transform your clothes into fashionable ones. To do this, rip out the side seams and insert contrasting cotton wedges to create a flare. You need to cut a collar from the same fabric and sew it to the neckline as in the photo.

Transforming a short sleeve sweater into a dress

All that remains is to measure and cut an even piece of fabric for the skirt (3 circles of the resulting bodice), gather and sew to the bodice. The fashionable dress is ready, you can go for a walk in the park!

Textured knot decoration

How to decorate a jacket with your own hands? A tank top, a simple T-shirt or a cardigan can be decorated with French knots. To do this you will need floss threads (available in craft stores), scissors and a needle. You can purchase a set of bright multi-colored threads, use only one shade, or make a smooth transition (gradient) from one color to another.

Knots are most often used to decorate straps and the neckline or collar. There should not be too many such decorative elements. Look at the pictures: at first you can place French knots close to each other, and the closer to the neckline, the less frequent. Another option: make a knot pattern in the center or start decorating the jacket from the bottom. It all depends on your imagination and desire.

This element is done in a few seconds. You need to bring the needle and thread to the right side of the fabric, make two turns around the needle and tighten the knot. First, it is better to practice on an unnecessary piece of fabric, because for beginners, not all knots turn out the same and even. It would be a shame to ruin a jacket due to inexperience.

How to update, decorate, remake an old women's sweater into a fashionable one: from old sweaters to a new coat

Knitted coat from old sweaters
Do you have a lot of old sweaters and have you thought about throwing them away? Don’t know how to update, decorate, remake an old women’s sweater into a fashionable one? We offer a selection of ideas on how to make a women's coat from several sweaters.

To do this, make patterns of your size as shown in the photo.

Coat pattern from old sweaters

After this, be sure to overlock all the details around the perimeter, since knitwear tends to fray and unravel. Next, sew all the parts, wash and after drying, go through a steam iron to give the product the desired shape.

If you have a lot of old sweaters in different colors, you might like one of the ideas below.

Knitted coat Rainbow from old sweaters

Stylish knitted coat with fur trim

Elbow patches on a jacket

How to quickly and easily update a boring sweater? It’s enough just to make appliqué patches on the elbows. They have not only a decorative, but also a practical function. Clothes stop looking neat because they wear out the fastest at the elbows. Today, patches have also become a decorative element. Traditionally, such applications are made oval, but various shapes are in fashion (heart, rhombus, star, animal face, and so on).

For a knitted sweater, patches of the desired shape are best crocheted. Felt works well with some fabrics. This is a very convenient material for needlewomen. The felt is bright, does not crumble, so does not require processing of cuts, and you can easily make a wide variety of applications from it. If you are making patches from jersey, you need to carefully overcast the edges using bias tape, by hand, or overcast with a zigzag.

How to update, decorate, remake an old women's sweater into a fashionable one: from an old sweater into a vest

Need a stylish vest, but don't have the finances to buy it? We checked our wardrobe and found a couple of thin jumpers and the question arose: how to update, decorate, remake an old women's sweater into a fashionable one? In just 15-20 minutes you will transform an old jumper into a new vest.

How to cut sleeves for a vest from a sweater

To do this, you need to cut off the front front and neckline, and also make a round neckline as shown in the photo in which the sleeves will remain inside the cut circle. All that remains is to process the edges and the stylish fashionable vest is ready!

Finished work: vest from an old jumper

Wing stamps on the back

Stamps are a good idea for decorating a sweater that is already tired of its monotony. For example, you can make angel wings on your back. Stamps can be purchased ready-made (plastic or wooden, which are used for scrapbooking) or made yourself from ordinary potatoes. You will also need acrylic paints for printing on fabric and a soft canvas for the backing (for the design to print well, the base must be pressed well).

This decor is very easy to make. The required amount of paint must be squeezed into some container (preferably wide, but with low edges) and applied to the stamp using a sponge. The ideal amount of paint can only be determined experimentally: if you apply too little, the design will not print well; if you apply too much, there will be smudges along the edges. After applying the paint, press the stamp firmly into the fabric for a short time. To avoid extra effort, you can use a rubber hammer.

How to update, decorate, remake an old women's sweater into a fashionable one: bags and home accessories

The question still arises: how to update, decorate, remake an old women's sweater into a fashionable one? And in this section, the transformation of clothes into fashion accessories and, of course, the trend of recent years - a knitted bag.

Let's start with the bag. To do this, we need a sweater of a loose texture with arans, which you don’t mind cutting, fabric for the lining and a fastener.

Fashionable knitted bag from an old sweater

We cut off the bottom of the sweater as shown in the photo and immediately process the edges so that they do not fray. We sew the lining (since the knitwear stretches, you can use the same pattern, but if the fabric does not stretch 0.5 cm less around the perimeter). We sew the lining to the top, sew on the lock and go shopping with a new fashionable and roomy bag.

Textured decor from an old sweater

And finally, a photo of an idea on how to make a pillow cover and a heating pad cover from one unnecessary sweater.

Translation of the printed print

Another way to decorate a sweater with your own hands is to apply a printed design using thermal transfer paper. Any drawing must be printed on special paper on a printer. In order for the print to print well, it is better to choose clothes that contain at least 80% cotton. Otherwise, the heating will deteriorate the synthetic material and the pattern will be distorted.

Before printing, the drawing must be mirrored in a graphics editor. This is especially important if the print includes inscriptions. The paper also needs to be chosen correctly: there is thermal transfer paper for laser and inkjet printers, dark and light fabrics.

When all preparatory activities are completed, you can begin to transfer the drawing. To do this, heat the iron as much as possible (without steam), straighten out the T-shirt, attach the paper with the image to it and iron the sheet for one to two minutes. Then all that remains is to remove the top layer of thermal transfer paper. The design will remain on the fabric.

Ready-made accessories

You can make a new thing unique:

replacing buttons;
pinned a brooch;
sewing a ribbon of stones or sequins along the bottom or edge of the side;
complementing the look with a belt with an unusual buckle;
sewing on the finished collar.

Safety pin

The origins of this decor are considered to be hard rock style. Today, however, the decor has acquired a more feminine outline. You can use gold, silver, colored or decorative pins.

You can use pins to decorate the neckline, lay out an applique or an ornament. It can be anything - a heart, a star, butterfly wings or a bird. The pins can be placed parallel or randomly.

Attention! The main laws of this decor are restraint, conciseness and rigor. This will, as a rule, be one focus on the product with a clearly defined zone.

Original update methods

In the search for design, future trends are often born that creative designers notice.

Using scissors

One of the interesting decorative techniques is the swing of scissors. With this tool you can change an ordinary T-shirt beyond recognition.

The simplest option is transverse cuts from the back. If you give free rein to your imagination, you can create different patterns on this basis. Angel wings? Why not? Unusual and fashionable! Moreover, the simple model instantly acquires notes of grunge. Simple shorts, loose curls - all you need for a complete set. And already a simple sports bow looks different.

Designs using scissors can also be varied in other ways: simple cuts will look different if they are pulled together in the middle in the form of bows or tied in knots. The whole process will not take more than 10–15 minutes, but the view will be incredibly bright. And if you wear a contrasting T-shirt under such a T-shirt, you can create the effect of double material. Unusual and fashionable!

With added lace

Decor in the form of lace can add just as much creativity to your style. This technique is especially good for decorating an old and unsightly T-shirt with a faded effect. To do this, you can use ready-made braid, sewing it on top of the product itself.

If you want to make a more interesting design, then you can’t do without scissors: having chosen the planned silhouette, you need to attach it to the intended accent area, cut it according to the shape and sew lace on the back side. Moreover, in this case it is not at all necessary that the T-shirt be plain: stripes or a floral print are also appropriate.

Using accessories for needlework

Every fashionista always has interesting little things that are waiting in the wings. Time to get them out and decorate your t-shirt! Beads, rhinestones, sequins and other accessories - everything will come in handy. The main thing is to make sure that the components fit into a certain pattern, even if it’s a simple one.

As a rule, for greater reliability, rhinestones are sewn to a T-shirt. If you don’t want to sew, this is not a problem: they can be glued using special hot glue.

If you don’t want to bother with miniature elements, a variety of chains will help. A few bold touches on the sleeves - and even the most ordinary T-shirt will become elegant.

Using finishing material

Having a sewing machine opens up a lot of possibilities for decoration. Moreover, sometimes this design looks somewhat romantic. You can decorate the product with a large flower, placing it asymmetrically. It is advisable to use thin and matte material (chiffon) for decoration. This way the texture will combine better, and the decor will not sag.

To prevent the edges of the fabric from fraying, you can fold the textile in half and then gather the raw edge in the form of ruffles. Having wound the flower in a spiral from a large circle to the middle, the end must be hidden. This method will take longer, but the beauty is worth it.

Drawing

For those who have a talent for drawing, this design will be a chic topic for inspiration. It is better to choose a product in one tone and preferably light. A simple or elaborate style is up to the stylist to decide: geometric designs created with a confident hand look stylish if they have a certain meaning.

To prevent the pattern from being erased after washing, you need to use special paints or felt-tip pens for fabric . If there are concerns that the drawing may not turn out as planned, you can use a stencil. And here it’s even simpler: a sheet of paper, scissors and a little imagination. Having cut out the desired shape, it is applied to the accent area and the selected pigment is applied on top.

Application

This method allows you to create many interesting compositions. It is noteworthy that the decor can be not only flat and sewn. If you perform a three-dimensional applique, the appearance of the product will sparkle with new colors. The theme can be very diverse, from glamorous hearts, flowers to strict geometry and even abstraction. In this case, scraps of several different colors are often used as decorative elements, each one being stitched on top of the base of the product.

An interesting idea would also be an applique on a T-shirt using coffee beans and plastic cups.

Decorate a blouse with beads

Alternatively, the blouse can be decorated with beads. We will give just two examples. Ethnic style.

Collar with thick beads.

What details of a shirt can you decorate with your own hands?

The most common decorations are embroideries along the collar.
If you like to close it with the top button, then a pattern or beads will replace the need for you to wear an additional necklace. More options for an area that you can update yourself:

Cuffs on the sleeves. Here it is important not to overdo it; neat embroidery or a pattern near a button will do.
Chest pockets. This can be a bright accent.
The entire remaining area of the blouse. There is no place where nothing can be decorated. But you need to maintain the style.

Important! Always look at the balance of the white fabric and patterns. It is best to make only one accent.

The preparatory stage is required

Before you breathe new life into old clothes, you should decide what kind of transformation you prefer, and then collect the necessary items. In your arsenal you will need:

comfortable and well-sharpened scissors;
threads;
needles of different sizes;
measuring tape and small decorations (for example, rhinestones or ribbons).

Decorative elements are chosen depending on what you decide to create, do not type everything at once.

DIY sweater decor: original ideas and useful tips