How to Make Mittens Out of Old Sweaters

Got some old sweaters lying around? Turn them into warm Winter mittens.
Get the PDF pattern at lifehacker.com/...
Video by Toni Dachis

[@benbrown8258]

I appreciate this so much! I really thought this would be beyond me and I would have numb fingers another winter. I've just made the liners and these are warmer than my gloves. This is the best Christmas gift I could imagine. Once I finish this pair I hope to do at least another to share. I hope you still read the comments. Thank you!

[@LuckyBoy7-5]

I have made over 100 pair of mittens using this video and pattern. Love making them!

[@debbieweber9089]

Thank you for this wonderful video. Your instructions are very clear and concise. The best that I have seen. And, thank you for the pattern as well.

[@rz5140]

This is the best tutorial I have seen. Thank you so much for the clear detailed instructions ..

[@marimmm7696]

Very thorough tutorial! Nicely done. Your little pocket is adorbs! The only thing that I do differently with my mittens is that I stitch everything a second time by just going right over the top of the first stitches that I sew. That way the seams are really reinforced to prevent any kind of blowout from wear and tear. I also sew on my own handmade ceramic buttons on the cuff for extra pizazz. I made my own mitten pattern several years ago and I made it extra big because I like really roomy mittens. Thank you for sharing your nifty tutorial!

[@ninafermor9001]

Cant access the patterns. Anyone tell me the approximate sizes, thanks

[@csf57]

Best tutorial on this subject available. thank you.

[@jlsjokie]

GREAT tutorial!!! Thank you so much! I just made a pair of mittens for my daughter... I actually used a "mini tree skirt" from Target - vs. an old sweater because the pattern was adorable and matched my daughter's winter jacket perfectly, and then used an old very soft sweater for the lining. Yay! less than $5.00 total! ps, in the comments below are listed how to get the pattern: Look above "ALL COMMENTS"; below where it says,"Got some old sweaters lying around?...." there you will see "Show More". Click on the "show more" and it drops down to show you "get the PDF pattern" click on that and.....there it is!!

[@annblachly8068]

And once at the page for the PDFs, they are listed separately, Mitten Palm and Mitten Front. Print them at 100%.

[@ZamaSoldier]

Just went to a craft show & they wanted $30 for a pair of sweater mittens!!! This was a great tutorial!!! Thank you!!

[@bitababyszes]

This pattern really works! Make sure the length of the mitten is 10 5/8" as her pattern indicates.

[@ummiymmhabmify]

Thank you much from Milwaukee, everyone else was trying to sale this pattern. Well appreciated

[@heddie04]

Wonderful project for my older grandchildren thank you

[@cwr4561]

Adorable. Very well done video, I liked the way you showed exactly how you did each step, thanks so much. I totally disagree with Dorothy w commenter. But she may never have sewn either.

[@hockeymom622]

Outstanding how to video.. great job!! These are wonderful mittens and I cant wait to make them. I saw them in a store this weekend for $30.

[@alexandrajimenez5170]

This is a very well thought out video and very very good demo.

[@giselesmith5508]

I'm having issues after you join the inside top with inside bottom. After you turn it inside out, the long edge along the thumb side does not lay flat where the top and bottom join; it's just about impossible to get a good seam when sewing it to the front piece right at the outside of the thumb. (at 11:16 in the video). I don't know how you managed to pinch it flat in the video because it didn't work for me. The other issue I had is with the pattern. If you lay the paper pattern out, the inside top and bottom together equals the length of the front piece, however, that doesn't accommodate the seam allowance, so when it's sewn, the inside of the mitten is shorter than the front piece. I thought I would love it, but am a bit disappointed. I wish I knew what I was doing wrong. Yours are pretty, though.

[@creativedesignsbydel]

This is an awesome video. Very clear instructions. I think I'll try this.

[@lindaniemeyer9046]

In the video you say to use half-inch seam allowance but on the pattern it says" all seam allowances are ¼" and are included in this pattern". Which is the correct allowance to use?

[@jackbean5983]

Great thanks. Pdf is on lifehacker page

[@donnapulsifer4451]

I can watch the video but I cannot download the printable pattern. It says "Can't reach this page" is there any way of receiving this pattern in a way that it will open up and be printable

[@alexandrajimenez5170]

i really enjoyed your recommendation for making mittens.

[@garymullins4815]

Hi friends, would someone please share the pattern with me? The link to the pattern is no longer available. I appreciate your help. xo

[@racknana]

This is a Great video. How do you get the pdf file for the pattern? I tried using the above link and it does not go to the pattern.

[@ninafermor9001]

Cant do it either. Help

[@lexy1918]

Love your tutorial, but where do we get the pdf pattern?

[@bonitablackburn799]

Great video. Thanks!

[@beccafager1589]

Hi I can't get the website pdf to show, is it possible to have it sent?

[@alejandrav.elias-jimenez2883]

great tutorial and I love it.

[@suemciver3328]

Fantastic!!!! Thank-You for this Wonderful Video. I was very helpful.

[@judybrick600]

What kind of sewing machine do you use? Mine will not sew through two layers of felted sweaters, and I have a so-called adjustable presser foot. Do you have a heavy-duty machine?

[@ninatrainor2133]

Thanks for this. Looking for a pattern.

[@trish7440]

Super tutorial! Thanks!

[@loritonn4109]

You make it look so easy, when I sew mine, and turn them right side out they always look square, I trim it and clip the curves also. So what am I doing wrong?

[@diskman01]

The link does take you to the page where the pdf can be found. Scroll down a little bit and there is a the direct link to the pdf patterns on the page the above link takes you to.

[@alexandrajimenez5170]

I keep making two left hand mittens. I can not get it right. Can you give me some advise how not end up with two left mittens. "please".

[@0524jeri]

I tried to find the pattern but couldn't

[@gloriaraschka7062]

How do you prevent the lining from pulling out when you're removing the mittens?

[@ninafermor9001]

Anyone be able to give me pattern. Not accessible now?

[@drybranchhollow90]

When you trim after sewing, trim in the shape (for the thumb it is rounded).

[@drybranchhollow90]

THANK YOU! You made this easy.

[@oldworldapothecary4736]

Absolutely love the tutorial and pattern thank you :)

[@kathycozens4309]

thank you so miuch. couldnt figure out how to do the cuff.

[@gericook8318]

Hi!! Love the tutorial! I tried sewing this project with the download and the largest/green size are big enough for a 8 or 9 year old child. Where are the adult sizes or what did I do wrong? I am in the process of trying to enlarge pattern. Help?

[@kimbercrafts]

I had the same issue. I realized that you have to go to printer options and make sure 'fit to page' is not selected. The first ones I printed show "10 x 5/8" printed on left of page but that line only measures about an 8 1/8" Hope this helps.

[@kimbercrafts]

Forgot to mention that you should use legal size paper though as it will not give you the correct length of the mitten palm bottom on a standard size sheet of paper.

[@mahibby]

The link above doesn't take me to the .pdf file for the pattern. Has it moved?

[@MissSewsItAll]

What happened to the PDF links to the patterns? They were here a few days ago and now they are gone? Where do I download the patterns?

[@ritaplayer2667]

How do I get this pattern?

[@maryannlee5968]

How do you lay out the pattern do you turn it upside down to get the right mittem?

[@janecarlisle7965]

Cannot print the pattern can you email to me

[@helenkapaunhayes8789]

Where did you get your pattern I have looked everywhere

[@vaughnmason2414]

Can’t print the pattern!

[@TheDunroaminfarm]

I guess you'll have to have an operation and have another left hand attached. lol jk I'm still trying to find out where to get the patterns.

[@Eli78W]

I only found the PALMS pdf, where is the front?

[@lorigo33]

google "the mitten pattern (palms) lifehacker' and the first result has the links towards the bottom of the article

[@glendasiemonsma8396]

Love these. How do I get the pattern?

[@Trayne1837]

Pattern is cool, the concept is great... accept, if you have to buy sweaters, do it in the summer time.. don't buy them in the winter.. because people do need the sweater to keep warm in winter time..... Also, would it kill people to do matching mittens, I mean a mitten with three or four different colors looks tacky to me.. just think if it is worth doing..make them pretty.. not junky

[@mrshammerhankus]

very nice!!

[@mcpoulet13]

this is great. how do you spell her name? I can't find her online... and this is not random, if you think so then you're missing the whole point; you also need better grammar and sentence structure.

[@deniseview4253]

recycle old sweat shirts for lining the mittens.

[@kathleenbatten1443]

Denisetr View

[@evelynjamponsah]

Great tutorial love the colors. Can I use velour sweater fabric?

[@marimmm7696]

@Evelyn, in my experience, you can use something like velour fabric or sweaters that are not 100% wool, but they won't look as nice and they won't be as warm and protective, especially when they get wet from snow. Being from the north where we have sub-zero weather, I highly recommend 100% wool! JMHO. :-)

[@WoollyChats]

they should re do the video at a much slower pace

[@abigailpena8236]

Tis is just confusing me further... Although I learned more about sewing machines! :)

[@716woohoo]

Click on the words "The mittens pattern (palms)" and "The mittens pattern (front)" and it'll take you to the pdf

[@WoollyChats]

This video was way too fast! it did not show how to put the pieces together slow enough to follow along.

[@annblachly8068]

The video is just the right amount of time. Go the the PDF pattern page to understand what needs done to construct these mittens. Print pattern and gather sweaters, machine, scissors, threads. Then begin watching the video and do the steps as instructed and shown. Pause the video until you've completed a step. Then move on to the next.

[@kathyjason1450]

To find the PDF pattern, click on About (which is to the right of the like or dislike hand symbols), then click on Show More, should be listed...

[@janetsyring4551]

Mitten pattern

[@judinielsen6657]

How do I get the pattern? Great tutorial.

[@jlsjokie]

ps, in the comments below are listed how to get the pattern: Look above "ALL COMMENTS"; below where it says,"Got some old sweaters lying around?...." there you will see "Show More". Click on the "show more" and it drops down to show you "get the PDF pattern" click on that and.....there it is!!

[@nancyfriedline4722]

Judi Nielsen I

[@RizzleQ]

You guys clearly don't understand what Lifehacker is all about - "anything that solves an everyday problem in a clever or non-obvious way might be called a life hack" hence the name. Cutting up sweaters is not an obvious way to make mittens, and it is kind of clever.

[@dreasmom2789]

RizzleQ. Wow you could have just given definition of a life hack and not scold them because they don't know correct title. Peace out.

[@LeighBlackall-plus]

I tried to leave a video response thanking Toni and Lifehacker for this video, but maybe Lifehacker didn't get it? Here it is: .../watch?v=dnORLfHlwuo

[@zeebpc]

wat