Category: Sweater Upcycle

Fun Ways to Dress Up Boots for Fall

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As soon as the temperatures start dipping, I know it is almost my favorite footwear season… boot season, friends!  There is nothing cozier than a warm pair of boots and this season, embellished boots and boot toppers are all the rage for making your boots feel fresh again. Whether you score your boots at Goodwill or if you find the perfect pair elsewhere, I have some fun and creative ideas for making a tired pair of boots feel like new again with these 7 tutorials for fun ways to dress up your boots.

Add Some Fringe

Fringe boots are quite popular this year, but buying fringe boots might be out of your boot budget. Instead of buying a bootie for a passing trend, check out these DIY Fringe Shoe Clips from Clones N Clowns made from a simple shoe clip and a little leather or faux leather (depending on your budget). These look like they are part of the bootie, but are removeable. I love these not only for how customized these look, but also for how much space you can save by not buying multiple pairs of boots for one trend.

Make No-Sew Sweater Boots

If last season’s boots are looking tired or if you find a pair of UGG boots at Goodwill (which I REALLY have, if you can believe it!) adding a beautiful sweater detail can be a great way to refresh them for another season.
Since this blogger does not sew, I really love this fun no-sew sweater cuff that you can create from la vie DIY that can hide any imperfections in your boots. The button detail could also be created with brooches, pins, or earrings that you find in the store! 

Add Embellished Boot socks

If there is one thing that you can find at Goodwill in these Fall & Winter months, it is definitely loads of cozy sweaters.  This fun tutorial from My Sister’s Suitcase showcases adorable embellished boot socks you can create from old sweater sleeves.

The picture highlighted here showcases a fun striped sweater sleeve embellished with a ruffled ribbon detail, perfect for a little trick-or-treat fun for Halloween!

Add a Knitted Detail

I can’t sew, but I can knit so this past Fall, I created these easy knitted boot cuffs out of chunky yarn and big needles. Thanks to the needle size and yarn, this is a fast and easy two hour knit project.

I highly recommend this project for someone who is just learning to knit in the round or as a first-time cabling project. I promise that cabling looks far more complex than it really is and this is such a fun project to master the art of cabling since it is so small and quick!

I gave these beauties away to my best friend and have promised a few pairs for myself this year when I get back to knitting again this winter!

Add Faux Fur

Not only is fringe in this season, but faux fur seems to be enjoying its time in the Fall spotlight too. I love a beautiful fur detail and these faux fur boot cuffs can transform a tired pair of boots into something new and on-trend. 
Clones N Clowns strikes again with this adorable faux fur addition to her boots. Be sure to scroll down all the way through the pictures to see how she adds this same adorable detail to a pair of Converse sneakers. Say what?! Awesome! 

Add A Legwarmer Layer

Many tutorials showcase how you can use the top of a sweater sleeve to create a boot cuff, but why stop there? With Indiana winters, I love an extra layer around my legs so consider using that whole sleeve off a Goodwill sweater as legwarmers to add warmth in these colder temperatures. 
I love to look for sweaters with lots of details like striping, as pictured here, polka dots, or ones with interesting cables. You can get the whole scoop on these DIY legwarmers made from a sweater on Petit Elefant. 

Add a Little Lace

My favorite trends are always the very feminine ones and you can’t get more feminine than a little lace. That is why I absolutely love these boot cuffs made from lace doilies for a fast and fun DIY boot cuff project. These “pretend frilly socks” from Blah Blah Magazine are fast to create and can be embellished with a beautiful button to finish. 

What are some fun ways you dress up your boots for Fall? Feel free to leave your ideas in the comments section below! 

8 Fun Sweater Craft Ideas from Goodwill

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Although those warmer temperatures seem like they are just around the corner, here in Indiana it is still sweater weather season for awhile. Whether you are looking to switch-up your winter wardrobe staple or looking for an easy craft to beat those last-days-of-cold-weather blues, Goodwill has you covered with these fun sweater crafts you can create for a fun pick-me-up! 
Sweater crafts are the types of crafts that anyone can do and the possibilities are endless. I had the best time demoing some of these fun crafts at the grand opening of our Warsaw location and now I am sharing eight more ideas with you, for fun crafts you can try with items from your own store! 

Make a Cute Cowl

I love to knit up cowls for the cooler months, but I know not everyone loves to knit. That is why I love this cowl made from a sweater that you can create with just some simple stitches on your sewing machine…no knitting required. Check out this fun and easy tutorial from Madigan Made. 
This would also be a fun one to create with light and Spring-y prints and lacier knits to create a beautiful scarf or cowl for Spring!

Make a Sweater Bag

One of my favorite gifts that I ever got was an adorable sweater bag that my best friend found for me at a boutique. You don’t need to pay boutique prices though to create a cute sweater bag. Look for sweater prints in fresh Spring colors and follow this adorable tutorial for by Lana Red Studio to create a cute sweater bag of your own! 

Cozy Up a Pot

Indoor plants and terrariums are a fun trend that I am seeing pop up in all of my favorite catalogs like Pottery Barn & West Elm. Even though I lack a green thumb, I have found myself picking up pretty indoor plants for my home as I await seeing our grass buried under the snow.
Consider visiting Goodwill to find a sweater that matches your home decor to dress up a pot. Not only would this be a cute addition to your own home, but it would also make an adorable housewarming present! Check out A Cultivated Nest for this easy tutorial. 

Make a Sweet Plushy

Does your child have a favorite sweater that the just can’t bear to part with? Consider transforming their most-loved clothing item into a sweet plushy that they can sleep with at night. I love this idea for creating a toy by Leigh Laurel Studios and she even includes a PDF that you can use to create your own toy. 
Consider saving this sweet item for your child’s Easter basket this year! Wouldn’t that be a fun surprise?

Embrace the Fox Trend

Foxes are a fun woodland animal trend that is happening both in clothing and in home decor. Not only do I have an adorable fox locket from one of my sweet blogging friends, but we also found a beautiful fox print for our home. 
Add a nod to this adorable trend by dressing up a Goodwill sweater with fox elbow patches. Check out this fun tutorial from Adventures in Crafting and add a cute fox embellishment to your favorite sweater today!

Make Some Cozy Sweater Boots

It does not matter if it is the dead of winter or the dead of summer, I always have cold feet. That is why I absolutely love this fun tutorial for creating cozy DIY Slipper Boots from a sweater. 
Head to Goodwill and find a sweater that offers lots of warmth, but is not itchy against your skin. Use this sweater as material to create your own slipper boots using this easy tutorial from Drawings Under the Table. 

Add a Feminine Detail to a Spring Sweater

When I was a child, my mom always stressed that things should be just as pretty from the front as from behind on our clothing. You would always find our Easter dresses with an unexpected buttons or a beautiful bow in satin or a contrasting fabric in the back.
As an adult, this philosophy towards clothing still applies and I love beautiful sweaters with feminine backs and details. Look for a lightweight and delicate Spring sweater and add a satin bow detail using this tutorial from love maegan. 

Sew a Sweater Skirt

Last, but not least, consider transforming your sweater into a skirt to dress up your wardrobe as we await the warmer months. Look for a sweater that you love in a great basic color with cabling and use this easy tutorial from My Poppet to transform that sweater into a new skirt for your wardrobe. Pairing these with leggings, a short sleeve basic-t-shirt, and a pair of ballet flats, would be absolutely adorable!