How to Make a Pillow From a Sweater: 6 Steps

There’s something deeply satisfying about turning an old, worn-out sweater into something new and beautiful for your home. Whether it’s a cozy cable-knit that’s seen better days, a beloved flannel that no longer fits, or a soft cashmere you simply can’t bring yourself to throw away, a sweater pillow is one of the most charming and practical upcycling projects you can tackle on a weekend afternoon. The finished product looks intentional, stylish, and warm — exactly the kind of thing you’d pay a lot of money for in a boutique home goods store.

This guide walks you through exactly how to make a pillow from a sweater in six clear steps, covering everything from choosing the right sweater to the final stitch. No advanced sewing skills required. If you can thread a needle and sew a straight line — by hand or machine — you can absolutely pull this off.

Why Make a Sweater Pillow?

Before we dive into the how, it’s worth appreciating the why. Upcycling projects like this one aren’t just trendy — they’re genuinely worthwhile for a few reasons.

First, it keeps clothing out of landfills. The fashion industry is one of the largest contributors to textile waste in the world, and a single sweater that ends up in a landfill can take decades to break down, especially if it contains synthetic fibers. Repurposing a sweater gives it a second life and keeps it out of the waste stream.

Second, sweater pillows are inexpensive. Pillow covers at retail stores can run anywhere from $25 to $80 or more, especially for high-quality knit or textured options. Making your own costs next to nothing if you’re using a sweater you already own, and just a few dollars if you pick one up from a thrift store.

Third — and maybe most importantly — they look incredible. Knit and woven sweater textures translate beautifully to throw pillows. The natural softness, the color depth, and the tactile quality of a handmade sweater pillow adds warmth and personality to any room that a mass-produced pillow simply can’t match.

What You’ll Need

Getting your materials together before you start will make the whole process smoother. Here’s what you’ll need:

An old sweater — the thicker and more textured, the better. Wool, cashmere, acrylic, and cotton all work well. Chunky knits are especially striking as pillow covers.

A pillow insert or stuffing — you can use an existing throw pillow insert, a bag of polyester fiberfill, or even the stuffing from an old pillow that’s past its prime. Standard sizes are 16×16, 18×18, or 20×20 inches, but you can work with whatever you have.

Sharp fabric scissors — dull scissors will drag and distort knit fabric, so sharpen yours or pick up a fresh pair.

Straight pins — for holding the fabric in place while you sew.

A sewing machine or needle and thread — a machine will make this faster and cleaner, but hand-sewing is completely viable, especially for thicker, loosely knit sweaters where stitches are less visible.

A ruler or measuring tape — for getting accurate dimensions.

Optional: a seam ripper, fabric chalk or a washable marker, and an iron with a pressing cloth.

That’s the full list. You probably have most of these already.

Step 1: Choose the Right Sweater

The sweater you choose will make or break the final look, so it’s worth spending a little time here rather than just grabbing the first thing in your donation pile.

Look for sweaters with interesting texture. Cable knits, ribbed patterns, Fair Isle designs, and chunky woven sweaters all translate beautifully to pillows. A plain, smooth knit can still work, but texture gives the finished pillow a lot more visual interest.

Check the size. You need the sweater to be large enough to cover your pillow insert with some seam allowance on all sides. For a standard 18×18 inch pillow insert, the front or back of the sweater should measure at least 19 to 20 inches across when laid flat. If you’re working with a smaller sweater, use a smaller insert.

Inspect the condition. Minor pilling, small stains on areas that won’t show, or slight stretching are all fine. Avoid sweaters with large holes in the areas you’ll be cutting, or significant structural damage to the knit.

Think about color. Your pillow is going to live on a couch or bed, so consider how it’ll coordinate with the space. Deep, rich tones like burgundy, forest green, camel, and navy are especially popular for sweater pillows and tend to look very cozy and intentional in a living room.

Thrift stores are an excellent source if you don’t have a sweater at home that works. You can often find high-quality wool sweaters for $3 to $6, and the size and texture options available on any given day are surprisingly varied.

Step 2: Wash and Prep the Sweater

Before you cut into anything, wash the sweater. This step is easy to skip, but it matters for a few reasons.

Washing the sweater will remove any dirt, odor, or residue. It will also pre-shrink the fabric, which is especially important with wool and wool-blend sweaters. If you skip this step and wash the finished pillow later, you might find that the cover shrinks and puckers around the insert.

For wool and delicate fibers, use cold water and a gentle cycle, or hand-wash. Lay flat to dry rather than putting it in the dryer, which can cause significant shrinkage and felting. For acrylic and cotton sweaters, you can usually follow the care label instructions more liberally.

Once the sweater is clean and fully dry, lay it on a flat surface and smooth it out with your hands. If there’s any stretching or distortion, a light press with a warm iron and a pressing cloth (a thin tea towel works well) can help restore its shape.

Step 3: Cut the Sweater to Size

This is where the project really begins, and it’s important to be deliberate and accurate here.

Lay your sweater flat on a clean, hard surface. Smooth out any wrinkles. Using your ruler or measuring tape, determine the size you need. For an 18×18 inch pillow insert, for example, you’ll want to cut two squares that are 19×19 inches — the extra inch on each dimension gives you a half-inch seam allowance on all sides.

Using fabric chalk or a washable marker, mark your cutting lines directly on the sweater fabric. A light hand is all you need.

Before cutting, here’s a decision to make: are you going to use both the front and back of the sweater as your two pillow panels, or just use one side and cut two pieces from it? For most standard sweaters, the easiest approach is to separate the front from the back by cutting along the side seams, then use the front as one panel and the back as the other. This way, you’re working with pieces that are already roughly the same size and have finished edges you can incorporate.

If the sweater has a design or pattern you want to feature — a snowflake, a logo, a Fair Isle motif — make sure that element is centered in your cutting guide before you cut.

Cut slowly and deliberately with sharp scissors. Knit fabric can shift while you’re cutting, so keep one hand flat on the surface to anchor the fabric as you work.

Step 4: Pin the Panels Together

Now you have two panels of sweater fabric. Place them together with the right sides facing each other — meaning the outside surfaces of the sweater are touching each other on the inside of your sandwich, and the inside surfaces face outward. This is standard sewing practice and ensures your seams will be hidden inside the finished pillow.

Align the edges as neatly as possible and pin them together every two to three inches around the perimeter. Take your time here, especially with knit fabric, which can stretch and shift. Pins placed perpendicular to the edge (rather than parallel) tend to hold better and are easier to remove as you sew.

Leave one side completely unpinned — typically the bottom edge. This is your opening for inserting the pillow form. If you want a cleaner closure, you can also leave only part of one side open rather than the whole edge.

Step 5: Sew the Panels Together

With your panels pinned, it’s time to sew. If you’re using a sewing machine, a straight stitch set to a slightly longer stitch length (around 3mm) works well for knit fabric. Sewing too tightly or too quickly can cause the fabric to pucker or stretch unevenly.

Sew along three sides of your pinned square, keeping your seam line as consistent and straight as possible — aim for about half an inch from the edge. Sew across the top, down one side, and along the bottom, leaving the remaining side (or a portion of it) open. As you sew, remove the pins just before the needle reaches them rather than sewing over them, which can bend or break the needle.

When you reach the corners, pause with the needle down, lift the presser foot, rotate the fabric 90 degrees, lower the presser foot, and continue. This creates clean, sharp corners.

When all three sides are sewn, backstitch at the beginning and end of each seam to lock the stitches in place. Trim any loose threads.

If you’re sewing by hand, use a basic running stitch or a backstitch. A backstitch creates a stronger seam and is recommended for the stress points at the corners. Knot your thread securely at the start and finish.

Once you’ve sewn your seams, clip the corners diagonally — cutting off just the small triangle of fabric at each corner without cutting through the stitches. This reduces bulk at the corners so they’ll look crisp and square when you turn the pillow right side out.

Step 6: Insert the Pillow Form and Close the Opening

Turn your sewn pillow cover right side out through the open edge. Work the corners out gently with your fingers — don’t use anything sharp that could poke through the knit. Take your time and ease the corners out fully so they look clean and defined.

Now insert your pillow form or stuffing through the open edge. If you’re using a pillow insert, fold it slightly to get it through the opening, then unfold and smooth it into all the corners. The cover should fit snugly — not so tight that it distorts the knit, but not so loose that the insert shifts around inside.

Once the insert is in place, you’ll need to close the opening. There are a few ways to do this.

The simplest method is to fold the raw edges of the opening inward by about half an inch, pin them together, and whipstitch the opening closed by hand using a needle and thread that matches the sweater color. A whipstitch or ladder stitch (also called a slip stitch) will make the closure nearly invisible.

If you want to be able to remove the insert for washing, you can instead sew a few snaps, a piece of hook-and-loop tape, or a simple overlap flap into the opening before inserting the pillow. This takes a little extra time but makes the cover much more practical in the long run.

Once the opening is closed, give your pillow a final fluff and smooth. Check the corners, adjust the insert inside the cover, and set it on your couch or bed to admire the result.

Tips for the Best Results

Use a stretch needle if you’re machine sewing. Knit fabrics can develop small holes or skipped stitches when sewn with a standard needle, but a ballpoint or stretch needle pushes the fabric fibers aside rather than piercing them, resulting in a cleaner seam.

Don’t skip the washing step. Pre-washing your sweater prevents future shrinkage and ensures the finished pillow holds its shape over time.

Use a pillow insert one size larger than your cover. For example, if your cover is made to fit an 18×18 insert, try using a 20×20 insert instead. This creates a beautifully plump, full pillow rather than a flat, deflated one.

Mix and match for a curated look. Making three or four sweater pillows in complementary colors and textures and grouping them together on a sofa creates a high-end, collected look that feels warm and intentional. A chunky cream knit next to a heathered gray ribbed pillow next to a patterned Fair Isle is a classic combination.

Consider the closure carefully. If the pillow will see daily use and regular washing, a removable cover with a snap or button closure will serve you better than a permanently stitched one.

Variations to Try

Once you’ve mastered the basic sweater pillow, there are plenty of ways to expand on the idea.

A sweater sleeve pillow is a clever way to use the tubular shape of a sleeve: simply cut the sleeve to length, sew one end closed, stuff it, and close the other end. These make great long lumbar pillows or bolster cushions.

A patchwork sweater pillow uses pieces from multiple sweaters sewn together into one panel, creating a cozy, quilted look. This is a great way to use sweaters that aren’t large enough on their own.

Adding buttons or a visible zig-zag closure along the back of the pillow can turn a functional element into a design feature — rows of wooden or horn buttons along the back of a sweater pillow look particularly handsome.

You can also embroider or appliqué onto the sweater fabric before assembling the pillow, personalizing it with initials, a simple motif, or a seasonal design.

Final Thoughts

Making a pillow from a sweater is one of those projects that rewards you disproportionately for the effort involved. The materials are inexpensive, the steps are manageable even for beginners, and the result is a genuinely beautiful home accessory that carries the added satisfaction of having made it yourself. Whether you’re working with a treasured sweater that deserves a second life or a thrift store find you picked up specifically for this purpose, the process is the same — and the outcome is always something worth being proud of.

Give it a try this weekend. Once you make your first sweater pillow, you’ll likely find yourself eyeing every old sweater in the house with new possibilities in mind.