Shrink a Wool Sweater, Make a Bag

 Hello Readers. This cold frigid weather might make you grab a wool sweater. It will keep you warm but if you wash it, it will shrink. Don't throw it away! You can still use that felted wool to make a cool bag. 

Before and after. 

This wool jacket style sweater was 100% wool. It was nice and warm. It was also itchy and unlined.

I put my sweater in my washer. On purpose! I wanted to make a bag from shrunken/felted wool so I washed mine in hot water to shrink it. Some people shop the thrift stores to find wool sweaters to make bags and such. Once the wool shrinks, you can cut the material and make projects from it and like felt, it won't fray.

I dried it in the dryer at the hottest setting. This will help shrink the wool and dry it so I can start my project. 

 

I started cutting my sweater into pieces. 

 

I cut 2 8"x8" squares for the front and back of my bag. I also cut 3 4"x8" rectangles for the sides and bottom. I made sure to have the hem at the top edge of my front, back, an side pieces. This will make the top of my new bag nicely finished. (You can make your bag any size you want. This was a big as I could make my bag with this sweater once it shrunk in the wash.

 

I started connecting the pieces of my bag. I used my serger but a zigzag stitch on a regular sewing machine would work great too. 

 

I sewed the front, back, and sides together. Next, I sewed the bottom onto my bag.

 

I wanted to attach these black handles (Similar here). I used a chalk pencil to mark the center of the handle ends. I need to know where the handle will sit on the bag.

 

I made 2 small cuts. One on each side of the chalk mark. It's OK to cut the material, it won't fray.

 

I slid the ends of the handles through the openings to hold the bag. 

 

My bag was done and I loved how it turned out. The stripes are so fun. Thanks for reading along, now go make something fun for yourself.