Old Knit Sweaters Turned Thrifted Pillows Into a Matching Set
Old sweaters and dated throw pillows do not look like parts of the same project. Here, both were taken apart and combined, with the old pillows providing the filling and the sweaters becoming their new exterior.
Homedit contributor Brittney Smart started with two thrifted floral pillows and two cream knit sweaters. Rather than buying new inserts or fabric, she found a use for parts of all four pieces.
The sweaters also dictated how the new covers took shape. Their existing knit designs were positioned across the pillow fronts instead of being cut without regard for the original garments, leaving traces of what each piece used to be in the finished pair.
Dated Pillows Still Had Useful Filling
The thrifted pillows came with floral covers, ruffled edges, and different prints, but none of those features needed to survive. Cutting into the covers exposed the material that mattered for the project: the filling inside.
Instead of finding removable pillow forms, Smart found loose polyfill shaped by the original covers. That changed the first step of the project.
Cotton Fabric Turns Loose Filling Into Pillow Forms
Scrap cotton fabric wraps around the recovered polyfill to create plain inserts. Pins hold the edges together and establish the new rectangular shape before sewing.
A seam around the cotton keeps the loose filling contained. The old floral covers can now disappear without sacrificing what was inside them.
Sweater Becomes a Cover Before Anything Gets Cut
The first sweater is turned inside out and the new pillow insert slides inside it. This allows the dimensions to come from the insert rather than measurements transferred to the knit.
The cable pattern also stays visible during placement, making it easier to decide which section should occupy the finished pillow face.
Pins Establish New Edges Around the Insert
Once the insert establishes the size, pins mark new top and side seams. The insert comes back out before sewing so the sweater can lie flat.
This approach also avoids cutting the knit too soon. With a stretchy sweater, keeping the excess fabric in place until the seams are established gives the new cover more control.
Straight and Zigzag Stitches Secure the Knit
The pinned edges receive a straight stitch without stretching the sweater. A wide zigzag stitch is then added outside it to help keep the cut knit from unraveling.
Only after those seams are secure is the excess sweater removed.
Boxed Corners Change the Sweater’s Shape
The upper corners are folded until the new seams meet. A short perpendicular seam crosses each corner, removing the pointed shape a basic flat seam could leave behind.
It is a small construction change, but it helps the sweater conform to the depth of the filled insert rather than reading as a flat fabric pouch.
Original Knit Pattern Becomes the Pillow Face
Turning the cover right side out reveals the transformation. The sweater’s cable pattern now runs across a square pillow instead of a torso, with the ribbed texture becoming the main decorative feature.
The insert fills out the knit and gives the former garment enough structure to read as home decor.
Bottom Seam Can Hide Under the Pillow
The remaining opening is folded inward and sewn after the insert goes inside. A machine-sewn closure remains visible along the edge, but positioning that edge at the bottom keeps it out of view when the pillow stands upright.
That eliminates the need for a zipper or separate closure.
Second Sweater Has a Detail Worth Saving
The second sweater presents a different problem. Its V-neck, buttons, and centered knit pattern would be lost if the fabric were treated like a uniform piece of yardage.
Instead, those garment details become the focal point of the second pillow.
Sleeve Fabric Closes the V-Neck
Part of a sleeve is cut away while maintaining a straight line along the sweater body. That removed knit provides matching material for filling the open V-neck area.
Using fabric from the same garment keeps the color, yarn, and texture consistent rather than introducing a separate patch.
Pillow Form Determines the New Proportions
After the V-neck is filled, the insert goes inside the sweater. Unlike the first version, this insert needs to sit near the center so the original neckline and knit motif remain centered on the pillow face.
Three new seams define the top and sides around that placement.
Excess Knit Comes Off After Sewing
The sweater is pinned around the insert, then emptied before the new seams are sewn. Straight and zigzag stitches again secure the knit before any major trimming takes place.
Excess fabric is removed outside the stitched edges, leaving enough material beyond the zigzag seam to protect the new construction.
Different Sweaters Become One Coordinated Pair
The finished pillows do not match because their knit patterns are identical. One has an uninterrupted cable design, while the other keeps the V-neck, buttons, and contrasting knit sections from the original garment.
The shared cream color and sweater texture connect them without erasing the features that made each sweater different.
Four thrifted or unused pieces end up as two pillows with none of the original floral covers visible. The filling survives, the sweaters supply the new surfaces, and details once designed for clothing become part of the pillow design.
Would you try this with an old sweater, or is the sewing more work than the result is worth?