Upcycle sweater – How to upcycle a sweater?

Upcycle sweater as a sustainable fashion concept—ideas and protagonists. For starters, before we learn how to upcycle old cardigan, let’s get familiar with the concept of upcycling. 

Upcycling is a current trend, one of the sustainable fashion practices. To describe it well, we need to ‘unclothe’ the DIY term first. Then we will handle the upcycle sweater process. 

DIY is an abbreviation of ‘do it yourself’. It refers to things (e.g. pieces of clothing) made by a private person, rather than a manufacturer or a company. An end effect is usually a personalized product created with care and attention. These features wouldn’t be achievable if a large number of copies were involved. 

If you upcycle sweater or rediscover an upcycled knitwear, you’re called a DIYer. Let’s go through more specific sustainable fashion description, upcycled sweater ideas, and let’s learn how to upcycle old sweaters! 

Image source: The Leftist 

Old sweater upcycled as part of sustainable fashion movement 

We live in the era of the plenitude of transitions. We are eco-friendly not because we want to (at least, not all of us) but because we have to keep our planet safe. 

We can achieve it only by being reasonable and sustainable. Yet, some fashion figures opt for keeping the world of lush designers exactly the way it is now. Others push for changes. 

Sustainable fashion means that you design, produce, and sell a piece of clothing with regard to the environment. In other words, by doing no harm to nature or humans in the process. 

The effects of climate change aren’t going to be as fancy as some of the unsustainable fashion designs that we see on the catwalk. We need to take a step back and increase awareness. Until there is still some time left. 

Image source: Teen Vogue

There are several ways to practice sustainable fashion:

1. 1. thrifting (shopping at second-hand stores)
   2. upcycling (DIY)
   3. clothing swaps (check e.g. swapsociety.com and rehashclothes.com) 

Super Label Store’s Mission is: Supplying sustainable, affordable, and customized solutions for our customers

No doubt it’s a reason to follow up with this company. Especially if you’re getting in the upcycle sweater world. Custom labels that Super Label Store produces are perfect for your upcycled sweater projects.

Image source: Craftsy

DIY upcycling old sweaters—a good example

Having at least one old sweater upcycled in your closed or fashion designer’s career is a must. 

A good example? 

Giuditta Tanzi (B.A. in fashion design from Nuova Accademia di Belle Arti) claims to ‘buy her clothes and her vegetables from the same place’. In March 2019 she started her small DIY fashion brand called Garbage Core. 

It’s a collection of personalized fashion and objects. Each piece is unique and tailored by her. 

Image source: Vogue 

‘I believe that upcycling makes the creation of the garments very expressive […] I like working this way—it’s very artisanal and sensitive.‘—she says to Vogue.

You take clothes (or what is made of fabric and can become a garment in the future), and transform them into fantasy-driven pieces of clothing. Giuditta Tanzi said yes to upcycle sweater idea, why shouldn’t you do the same?

Go ahead, take scissors and a sewing machine, and fly to the land of ultra-modern creative adventure. 

Upcycle sweater—a few sewing facts and upcycled sweater crafts

Some believe that DIY upcycling old sweaters lessons should be a part of education at elementary school. The idea to upcycle sweater is so ecological and useful, yet, not everyone knows where to start. 

To transform the content of your old wardrobe and become a master of upcycled jumpers, you’ll need to get familiar with sewing. 

Hard as it seems, there are only a few steps needed to learn this activity and become a refined DIY tailor! 

At the initial stages, it’s worth getting to know the essentials: how to sew fabric and what are the best sewing machines for beginners.  

For your motivation to rise in an instant, let’s bullet-point some health benefits of sewing (yes, you read it right—upcycled jumpers can not only make you prettier but also healthier):

• • it improves the ability to focus and boost attention span; 
  • it enhances hand-eye coordination (the eye’s movement with a corresponding hand motion—especially hand sewing)
  • it relaxes your mind, helps to relieve stress; 
  • it helps you maintain flexibility in your fingers keeping them nimble (because it involves constant motion of the fingers and hands—it’s an activity advised to people that have suffered from arthritis)
  • it can help you naturally lighten your mood 
  • it’s therapeutic for high blood pressure patients
  • it boosts your immune system (as mental state influences soma)
  • in kids: it develops motor skills (ability to handle fabric, straight and precise cuts) and a sense of responsibility
  • if done in groups: it helps to build the quality of working with others, enhances communication skills, patience, and tolerance (health benefits refer here to the environment and how everyone around you is affected)
  • it helps to deal with anxiety, it’s an outlet for people to vent their frustration, channel their energy;
  • it helps to prevent dementia (keeps the mind active as it involves calculation and focus);

There are a few other points of how sewing not only enables you to upcycle wool sweater but also improves your health. Read more about it at health benefits of sewing. When you’re done with the basics of sewing—try these sewing hacks to climb at the top of the sewing ladder! 

Image source: Vogue

Upcycled sweater crafts become fancier with Super Label Store’s products

The Super Label Store responds to the urgent market demand for:

• • Creative, easy to use, 100% custom-made woven labels, care labels and hang tags designed online by a user
  • High-quality products at an affordable price
  • Low quantities of custom-made products for individuals and small companies 

Upcycle old cardigan with the label from Super Label Store

Configurators/builders on the superlabelstore will help you to design your label or tag’s idea for free. 

You can either upload your company’s logo and place it on the product or design your label/hang tag from the very beginning:

• • give it a title, subtitle, description
  • add a symbol
  • choose a background color
  • set its size
  • choose an application method: sew-on, iron-on (only for labels)

Once you’ve ‘put your idea on paper’, you make an order. Can you imagine a smoother online customer experience?

Image source: Diyncrafts

Super Label Store is a startup aimed at providing easy-to-design clothing labels and tags in premium quality. 

The brand’s target audience is wide enough to accommodate various sectors of the clothing business: 

1) DIY/clothing crafters at home (everyone who wants to customize their textile, sheets, clothing, towels, or accessories)

2) textile/sewing fanatics

The company produces custom labels and tags also in small quantities! 

3) small/starting clothing brands 

4) fashion designers

5) hotels, bars, and hospitality businesses 

Image source: Diyncrafts

The Super Label Store has four main products

The offer includes professional fashion-related products: 

1. 1. Custom woven labels
   2. Custom care labels
   3. Custom hang tags 
   4. Pre-made labels

Product	What for?	Types
Custom woven labels	To use on the garment	Custom—personalized design, logo;
Custom care labels	To use on the garment	Custom—washing or other care instructions, symbols
Custom hang tags	To hang on the garment, products, packaging before selling;	Custom—information about the article, logo;
Pre-made labels	To use on the garment	Pre-made—size, other universal information

Various fabrics of woven labels to upcycle old sweaters

Custom woven labels brought to you by SuperLabelStore (whether you upcycle old sweaters, jumpers, or trousers), come in three fabrics’ options. Let’s see what are the different types of woven labels. 

Fabric	Description
Taffeta woven labels	– thick and stiff – made of polyester threads – dries fast – small texts are clearly-displayed – comes with many background colors – comparably cheap
Damask woven labels	– soft but durable – the most popular fabric for woven labels – made of 100% polyester – details are perfectly-displayed— it makes damask the best for custom projects – the most expensive one
Satin woven labels	– made of polyester threads – soft and shiny – comfortable – durable – keeps its shape even in harsh conditions – popular for baby clothes – good for sensitive skin – doesn’t come in many colors – appears luxurious – expensive