Every January, after all of the beautiful holiday decorations are safely tucked away for another year, it seems like our house is kind of . . . lonely. Well, if not exactly lonely, at least a bit boring, and I always wish I could figure out how to liven things up a bit between the Christmas holiday season and spring when there is everything to celebrate. With Valentine’s Day just a couple of weeks away, that is enough reason to brighten things up around here with a few pops of red, but I wanted to find some creative ways to use what I already have on hand to add a bit of pizzazz to our home on these dreary, gray winter days.

As I was scouting around for a few new ideas to try (in my spare time, of course!), I came across a ton of DIY projects and tutorials for using old sweaters – which I actually have about a gazillion old sweaters out in the sewing room because I have collected them for the refashioned patchwork sweaters I make and sell in my Etsy shop, Tatters to Treasures. But there is always a lot of scraps left over when I cut up a few sweaters to make one, new patchwork sweater, so it just seemed like a good idea to check out some of these winter DIY projects made using old, thrifted sweaters.

Actually it’s looking pretty promising for me to work out in the sewing room again this week – I’ve been sorting and organizing all of the stuff that accumulated out there while we were recovering from the flood – and all of the sweaters stashed neatly in tote bins, labeled by size and color, so I can find what I need when I’m making the next whatever I’m making next . . . so it should be pretty easy to locate a few sweaters that are just right for making a few pillows for our newly updated living room, and I might even make a new wreath for the front door.

There’s just no end of creative projects you can make with old sweaters, so if you are looking for a way to brighten up your home this winter, why not try one of these ideas? Be sure to visit the original blogger / creator of each design for the complete tutorial for making your very own cozy refashioned sweater DIY home decor!

DIY Button Heart Sweater Pillow

from Setting for Four

Isn’t this one adorable? The buttons on the side, and the hand-appliqued heart in the middle add just the right touch for this winter / Valentine’s Day DIY project. Of course, you could make it in any color combination – it would look cute with a red heart on a white pillow, or a white heart on a pink pillow, or whatever else your creative mind can come up with. Find the original blog post at Setting for Four.

Valentine Sweater Wreath

at Crafts n Coffee

I love this color combination! The black, gray, and white flowers with the red heart button centers are the perfect accent for this dark red repurposed sweater wreath. The flowers are cut from felt and print fabric, and the base is covered with dark red sweater fabric. Super simple, but just perfect for a late winter / Valentine’s Day pop of color on your front door. To find this wreath, along with several other DIY projects from repurposed sweaters, visit Crafts n’ Coffee.

White Valentine Sweater Wreath with Calico Flowers

from Haute Apple Pie

This wreath is actually made by wrapping yarn around the base and then embellishing it with red calico print flowers, but I think you could also make it using repurposed sweater material and it would turn out almost as cute as this one. Stop by and visit Haute Apple Pie for the complete tutorial for making this wreath, and she also shows you how to make those adorable fabric flowers.

Repurposed Sweater Pillows

by Tidbits Cami

Here is a great tutorial for making basic repurposed sweater pillows which can be made in any color you can imagine – well any color old sweater you have on hand or can find at your local thrift shop. I really like to neutral colors in this collection, and they just look so warm and cozy! A few of these on the couch and in your favorite chair will really make your home feel snuggly warm all winter long. Visit Tidbits Cami

Gray and White Sweater Wreath

from Stone Gable Blog

This beautiful gray and ivory repurposed sweater wreath is just the perfect combination of colors to create a design that is both elegant and casual all at the same time. The various shades of gray along with the ivory, and the gray and ivory twine tying it all together features snowy pine cones in the center. You will find two more winter wreath designs at Stone Gable Blog, along with the tutorials for making your very own gorgeous repurposed sweater wreath for your front door.

Well, it looks like I have my work cut out for me just as soon as I can get back out into the sewing room. It’s been a busy week, but I actually have accomplished lots of the projects on my To Do list, so I just might find a couple of hours to get out there and make something fun! I hope you will pop in and join us for this week’s Favorite Things Linky Party . . . tomorrow morning I’m going to try to get out and about to visit a few of you to see what you’ve been up to this week. Hope to see you at the party!

Join us for the Favorite Things Blog Hop and Linky Party –

and be sure to visit all of your hostesses and leave a comment so we know you stopped by!

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