Shrunken Sweater Backpack

by bofthem

26K25223

Intro: Shrunken Sweater Backpack

Oh Noes! Your favorite knit sweater, shrunken by the forces of heat and water combined! Never you mind, as you can still wrap its loving arms around you with the cunning aid of RECYCLING!

Ok, so this tutorial describes how to turn a regular unshrunk wool sweater into a nifty backpack with some purposeful alterations, but the same principle can be used to reappropriate your tiny knits.

You're going to need:
  • An industrial zipper. You can pick these up in some fabric supply stores, you might also consider going to a car upholstery shop (as I did) and finding out where they get their zippers.
  • A 100% wool sweater. I found two for three bucks each at the local Salvation Army.
  • A washing machine. You're going to need to tumble this in the washing machine on hot, with a little dish detergent added to get it to felt. Some tutorials I've read recommended putting it inside of a pillow case to prevent fuzz from clogging up your washer.
  • A sewing machine with thread to match or accent your sweater.

STEP 1: Sew Up the Ends.

To begin, I sewed up the neck and bottom of the sweater while it was inside out, then I inverted it through one of the sleeves. This left me with a nice clean seam on the top and bottom.

STEP 2: Shrinkamaroo

Next I hucked the sweater into a washing machine set on hot. I added a little dish detergent to the mix to help the fiber felt.

Here are some links to instructables about felting:
https://www.instructables.com/id/felt--beads-TUtorial/?ALLSTEPS
https://www.instructables.com/id/Felted-Bag/?ALLSTEPS
https://www.instructables.com/id/Felted-Recycled-Beverage-Coozie/?ALLSTEPS

Be sure to turn off the washing machine before it gets to the spin cycle or your sweater will develop permanent creases. Now put it in the drier set on medium, and let it dry.

STEP 3: Shaping It Into a Backpack

Fold the arms down to the waist. It's starting to look like a backpack, now. For the sweater size I had, there was no need to extend the arms, but if your arm loops look especially tiny, you should extend them with a little bit of nylon webbing or cloth for a comfy fit. In my case, I just sewed the ends of the sleeves to the bottom of the sweater.

STEP 4: Plan Out the Opening

I spent a good amount of time deciding how I wanted this to look. It was important that the whole thing looked more like a backpack than a sweater. I decided I wanted the neck facing down, with a "U" shaped opening in the top. I made a mistake in planning this out, thinking that the material wouldn't stretch while I was sewing on my zipper. You'll see it a bit better in my next step.

STEP 5: Squirrel Nut Zippers

Plan the slit for your zipper to be about 20% shorter than the zipper itself. The felt will be kind of stretchy, and will slide along as you stitch the zipper to the opening. This means that if your opening and zipper are the same length to begin with, the hole will be a few inches longer at the end. I just patched the problem up with a little bit of cloth.

STEP 6: Bind the Zipper End and Admire

Pass a few loops of thick string around the end of your zipper to keep it from sliding out of its track. Now you're finished. Take your new backpack out to the fire truck and admire your handiwork. Good job!

23 Comments

DennisS33 8 years ago

If you use seam binding tape, also avail. at sewing goods shops, over the edge of the sweater it might keep the material from moving while you stitch it. If you first stitch it edge to edge with the zipper and then fold the material back so it just about touches the zipper and then stitch it down again it will make for a stronger connection to the zipper.

ali208 14 years ago

Cool I've seen tshirts turning to to bags but not a sweater... Oh and who doesn't love a guy that sews!

Anthony. 8 years ago

Hey, guys and me have had to learn to sew when we were in the armed forces. No big deal. Does everything have to be male or female?

gr8fldanielle 8 years ago

I gotta try this! I have an old heavy denim shirt I might try it on first. Great idea!

vickiv33 9 years ago

You can even make a cell phone pouch on the backpack. On one of the front straps around where the strap hits your ribs you can sew a line straight across. This will create where the phone will rest. Measure the height of your phone and add an inch or two. Take the height and starting from the where you just sewed a line add a mark across the strap that is the width of your phone. Cut on the mark. Since the wool is felted it won't need anymore sewing, just slip your phone in. For added security you could sew an inch above the opening and add a button and loop closure.

vickiv33 9 years ago

You can even make a cell phone pouch on the backpack. On one of the front straps around where the strap hits your ribs you can sew a line straight across. This will create where the phone will rest. Measure the height of your phone and add an inch or two. Take the height and starting from the where you just sewed a line add a mark across the strap that is the width of your phone. Cut on the mark. Since the wool is felted it won't need anymore sewing, just slip your phone in. For added security you could sew an inch above the opening and add a button and loop closure.

zaid.bro 9 years ago

cant get any better than that...nice work :)

MonkiMan 9 years ago

bonus points for super smexy firetruck photos ;D

ekiessling 9 years ago

Aahhh guys!!! This is the best instructable ever!!!! So epic!!!! I really like seeing guys sew as well. Altogether amazing and I am freaking making one of these asap!!!!

chunnygoat 9 years ago

I love this off to the thrift store

Gamertamer2000 10 years ago

Wow this is awesome
Have you tried it with a shirt I wonder how it will turn out

anibioman 13 years ago

this is awesome i gotta find a sweater

porcupinemamma 14 years ago

Love it!  "Mr.Fire Truck" isn't too shabby either ;0)

joye68 15 years ago

Nice job. I've never had to worry about my washer creating a permanent crease in my wool after a spin cycle. It may very well depend on the washer. (mine is NOT one of those newfangle HE ones). I usually boil my wools when I get a bunch of them of like colors together then pour them into the washer and add more Dawn. Then I let it run through. I do highly recommend that you stick them in a pillow case to catch the wool bits before you begin boiling them. I really like this one. It'll be good to work with my niece on this project who has moderate sewing experience.

zoxx 16 years ago

cute! and I'm not just talking about the backpack _

Rob K 16 years ago

Didn't know wool shrunk that much.
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