Upcycled Dip-Dye Sweater Pillow

Step 2:

Cover your work surface and grab your rubber gloves. Shake, measure and mix ½ cup of Evening Blue dye with 3 quarts of very hot 140° water. Add ½ cup white vinegar and mix. If you're using a cotton sweater, replace the vinegar with 1 cup of salt.

Soak the sweater in warm water and squeeze out excess water.

Holding the sweater on one end so it hangs evenly, dip the sweater ⅔ of the way into the dyebath. You can dip in and out of the dyebath to get a gradient effect with the bottom darker than the top. When you achieve the amount of color desired, remove from the dyebath. Rinse in cool water until the water runs clear. During the rinse process, hold the sweater by the undyed section. This allows any excess dye to run into the darkest areas for a natural gradient.

Prepare the Black Dye using the same method. Holding the sweater in the same manner, dip the sweater only on the bottom ⅓ into the dye bath. The dipping process can be quite quick, about 3-5 minutes. Remove when you've achieved the desired color.

Rinse in cool water until the water runs clear. Wash in mild detergent and let dry.

Step 3:

Next up, some simple sewing! I used a sewing machine but this would be quite easy for a hand-sewing project as well. With the sweater inside out, pin and stitch to close one end of the tube using rather small stitches. Then stitch the other end of the tube the same way but leave about ⅓ unstitched.

Step 4:

Fill with some fluffy stuffing or a premade pillow insert. Then just hand-stitch the opening. It's that easy!