Leg warmers are your life-savers during this chilly season. As sewpers, we love to sew a few pairs for ourselves and our loved ones. So here’s one of the easiest ways to make these comfy cold-weather must-haves!
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Cool Leg Warmers DIY from Old Sweaters | Easy Sewing Project
Materials:
- Old sweater (socks, pants/leggings will do too)
- Fabric scissors
- Tape measure
- Straight pins
- Needle or sewing machine
- Garter string or elastic band
- 60 Unique built-in stitches: The Brother CS6000i includes 60 built-in sewing stitches, including decorative stitches and 7 styles of auto-size buttonholes
- Automatic needle threader and drop-in top bobbin: This sewing and quilting machine includes an automatic needle threader that perfectly pushes the thread through the needle and a convenient, jam resistant drop-in top bobbin
- Included accessories: The CS6000i includes a hard protective case, wide table, 10 sewing feet, needle set including twin needle, 3 bobbins and more
- LCD Screen: Easily select your stitches with the touch of a button and view your selections on the LCD display
- 25 Year limited warranty: The CS6000i is backed by a 25 year limited warranty with free technical support for the life of the product
Instructions:
- Choose a sweater you want to upcycle and cut the sleeves off.
- Wear the sleeves over your legs and use a tape measure to check the length you are comfortable with.
- Remove the sleeves and trim off the excess fabric.
- After cutting them up, flip the sleeves inside out and check if the rims are aligned.
- Fold at least half an inch of fabric on each end and use the straight pins to secure them.
- Sew the hems. You can also add an elastic band or garter string on each rim before sewing the hems to give your leg warmers a more snug fit.
- (Optional Step) Cut up at least two inches of fabric for the cuff, then make adjustments on the fit to keep them a little tighter than the actual leg warmers.
- Attach the finished cuffs to the bottom ends of the leg warmers.
Tips:
- If you are using old socks, use the knee-high variety. Cut off the heel flap and sole, then leave the cuff and leg parts. These will become your leg warmers.
- Skip cuffs for upcycled socks.
- If you are making fleece leg warmers from an old pair of sweatpants, you can reuse the existing cuffs.
- Ribbons are another alternative you can use instead of elastic bands. These can help you adjust the fit of your leg warmers when necessary.
- You can use buttons and lace to decorate your leg warmers.
- Make sure you are getting the right measurements. Your calves are supposed to be thicker than your ankles, so you can trim off the sides if you don't want the ‘slouchy' look.
For a complete tutorial on how to repurpose your old sweaters to a pair of leg warmers, check out this video by ProperFit Clothing Co:
Making leg warmers is super fun, especially if you’re making them for yourself and your loved ones! It can be very fulfilling and satisfying to make them out of your old sweaters and socks. Don’t hesitate to make some more if you have a lot of fabric to upcycle!
Do you have any tips and sewing patterns for making leg warmers? Share your tricks in the comments below!
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