Eco Friendly Hobo Bags: How to Recycle Your Sweater into a Hobo Bag

You can use your sweater to create a fun and eco friendly hobo bag. Your hobo bag pattern will depend on your sweater, but don't worry, almost any nice sized sweater will do.

To turn your sweater into an eco friendly hobo bag you will need:

1 sweater

Scissors

Interfacing

Thread

Sewing Machine

Liner Fabric

Snaps (optional)

To get started you need to lay your sweater out on a flat surface. Iron the material flat if needed. Lay it front side up and spread the arms out.

Your now ready to determine how large your hobo bag can be. You will need to use a long sleeve sweater to make the free hobo bag, since these are used to make the straps.

Go ahead and cut both sleeves off. Follow the 45 degree angle on the shoulders of the sleeves. Set these aside for later.

Now, determine how to cut the main body of the sweater into a large square. In most case you will be able to cut a straight line across from arm pit to arm pit. You want to make sure you leave enough room at the top to make the top portion of the hobo bag.

Cut up the sides and turn the into two squares.

Now, cut out the arms into the handles. You want to take one arm and cit it open along the seam. Measure how wide it is. If you have at least three inches of width then simply cut a piece that is 20 inches long. This can be as little as 3 inches wide for the sweater hobo purse or up to 4 inches.

Now, use your square pieces as patterns and cut out 2 pieces of interfacing and 2 pieces of liner fabric. Iron the interfacing to the back of the sweater.

Lay each sweater piece pattern side up on your able. Fold them in half vertically and mark the center. Fold two pleats in the center of the sweater. One to the left and one to the right to form the pleat in the middle. Repeat on the other sweater piece a well as the two interior pieces of your free sweater hobo bag.

Now, measure how wide the top of your squares are. Cut strips of sweater to this length and 4 inches tall. You can use the other arm for this if needed. You will need two pieces of interior fabric cut to this same size.

Now, to assemble the free sweater hobo purse pattern you need to lay the two sweater rectangle face up on your table. Take one strip of sweater, the finally pieces you cut and lay it face down on the top edge of the square Pin them together and sew with a ½ inch seam allowance. Repeat on the other side. Repeat on the inside pieces next.

Now, lay out one piece of sweater face up on the table. Top off with the matching piece face down. Sew along the sides and bottom with a ½ inch seam allowance.

Repeat on the lining. Make you handle by folding the strip of long sleeve fabric in half longwise. Iron flat. Fold the ends in to meet the middle and iron flat as well.

Sew the handle along both long sides with a ¼ inch seam allowance.

To assemble your free sweater hobo bag you want to turn the sweater rectangles body inside out. Slip the liner fabric inside. Fold both rough ends in and pin together. Slip the handle in place on the left and right side of the bag. Pin in place.

Sew this top seam allowance with a ¼ inch seam allowance an you free sweater hobo bag is finished!