Smittens Mittens

 

Here we are, just over 2 weeks away from Christmas, and with the prices of things these days, purchasing gifts can get quite costly. Have you seen the price of a decent pair of mittens lately?! Even the trusty Dollar Store is no longer an actual 'dollar' store. Everything got raised to $1.25. Now, I understand that a simple quarter isn't a big deal, if you're purchasing only a few items. However, if you go to purchase ten items, that's an additional $2.50, and then there's sales tax on top of that. So, this one is for all you DIY-ers out there, as well as anyone who wants an easy, affordable handmade gift to give their friends, family members and other special people in their lives. What is it? Smittens. Mittens that are made from sweaters. The idea is to use what you have, which in the case of old sweaters, just about everyone has. Hey, you can even use that old ugly Christmas sweater that you have stored somewhere in a box, because your great aunt's cousin's nephew's cat gave it to you as  practical joke gift 8 years ago last Saturday. There are many wonderful gifts you can make, very easily, and with minimal sewing, with old sweaters. You can also use old scarves, jackets, blankets...etc..

     For mittens, you really don't even need a template, because you already have it. Your hand....or, your partner's hand, or your child's hand. Simply use a pencil, or a piece of chalk, and trace around the hand in the form of a mitten on the sweater. Do this with each hand, and then cut out the pieces. Turn them 'inside out', so that the 'top sides' are facing together, sew around the edges, and leave the bottom open for the hand. Once sewn, turn them right side out...voila! You've just made a pair of Smitens!  The same thing can be done with any type of jacket material, scarf (even knitted and crocheted scarves), warm pants, sweaters made from all sorts of materials, and even old blankets.

 In fact, every single one of the mittens you see in this article, are made from old sweaters. If you plan on making more than 1 or 2 pairs of smittens, you may want to go ahead and use an old piece of cardboard to make actual templates from. The procedure is the same. Just trace the outside of someone's hand, and cut it out from the cardboard. I've made about a dozen pairs of Smittens in my life, mostly for my mother, myself and my children (when they were much younger). Not once did I use a sewing machine to make the Smittens. These can be fun to make too, especially if you use your imagination and embellish them with buttons, or maybe even little embroidered items. 

     The one thing I will caution on is to pay attention to the material that you're using. Even though most sweaters are able to be put into a washing machine, there are still quite a few out there that require hand washing, or dry cleaning. So be sure to read the label of the sweater, to be sure it can be put into a washing machine if necessary. 

     Additionally, if you're working with a very large sweater, you can make a matching infinity scarf, or headband, using the bottom cuffing of the sweater. Simply cut it off, and hem the cut seam line. Voila! For adults, an XL+ sweater is best fr headbands, and infinity scarves. For children under the age of 10, simply use a sweater that is either an adult medium (for a scarf) or a sweater that is about 2 sizes larger than the size sweater the child is currently able to wear comfortably. These too can be embellished with all sorts of fun little items, and they make terrific gifts, especially in the colder climates. 

     Whatever you decide, just remember that not only are Smittens a money saving gift, but they can also be a very heart warming gift. Well, at the very least, a hand warming gift!