Sweater Boot Cuffs from Sleeves DIY in 15 minutes or less

I have a "thing" for upcycling clothes. I've mentioned it before, so I apologize if I sound like a broken record, but I LOVE it. I find it incredibly gratifying to change up an unused article of clothing into something better. I also find it fun to save the unused and discarded pieces for future projects. It's kind of like a game for me...or more like a challenge - "How many different things can I make from this ugly sweater?" The answer? Lots of things! Last week, I shared about how I converted an ugly sweater into an awesome, non-dorky vest...well, at least I think so. Anyway, I saved the sleeves from the sweater and decided to use them for something else - Boot Cuffs.

I know what you are thinking - "Wait a minute...didn't you make boot cuffs a couple of years ago?" Nope. It was leg warmers and mock boot socks. Here's the thing - the legwarmers and boot cuffs are awesome (and yes, I still wear them and still get compliments), BUT some of my boots fit so snugly, I'm not able to wear the leg warmers and zip up boots. Oh, the tragedy! (First world problems right here.)

Enter the boot cuffs - the perfect solution for snug fitting boots. Isn't the whole point of wearing leg warmers to show off the cute "socks" by allowing them to peek over the top of your boot anyway? (Well, aside from the fact that they provide extra warmth). Duh! Why didn't I think of this sooner? I'm going to blame it on the Mom Brain. Yeah. By the way, I forgot to mention this earlier, but this project was so easy, it only took 15 minutes to make. Sssssssssssscore!

So, it all started with the sweater. Sweet, wonderful, loud, hand-crafted sweater from Norway. It spoke to me that day in the second-hand store and said, "You know I'm wonderful. I just need a little work. Please buy me so I can reach my full potential." So, of course, I had to oblige.

Here's how I made the boot cuffs:

I started out with two leftover sweater sleeves.

Starting at the cuff (the portion of the sleeve that sits on your wrist), measure approximately 8 inches down and serge a line completely around the sleeve. Trim off the excess fabric below the serge.

Turn the serged sleeve cuff inside out, fold the fabric, and pin. Serge (or use a straight stitch on) the pinned portion of the fabric.

Almost done (believe it or not)! Turn the sewn cuff right-side out and slip it onto your leg, just below your knee. If the cuff fits snugly, breathe a sigh of relief and relish in the fact that you have completed this simple project with very little effort. However, if the cuff came with really baggy sleeves, like mine did, you have one more adjustment to make. Since the baggy sleeves fit loose around my calves, I had to taper the sleeve portion to create a snug fit. While wearing the cuff, get an approximate idea of how much fabric needs to be removed to achieve the desired fit around your calf. Turn the cuff inside-out again and mark the fabric. If you like to be precise, you can use a measuring tape and mark off the excess fabric. I'm impatient, so I estimated and marked about a "pinch" of fabric. Sew a line down the marked path and trim off excess fabric.

Turn right-side-out and wear! That's it, friends! Super quick and easy!

Hey, guess what? Did you like this little mini-upcycled project I did with the leftover scraps from last week's project? I made something else, too. Come back next week and see what it is. :)