Have you tried upholstery before? It’s actually a lot easier than you might think. This sweater stool is a perfect project to start with. Upcycle an unwanted sweater into a cozy new bench or stool!

Little footstools like this one are so handy. We like to keep one by the front door to use for putting on shoes and boots. The stool we used had awesome mid century modern style, but the upholstery had seen better days. We knew it had a lot of upcycle potential. We were just waiting for the right material to come along… Cue the awesome striped vintage sweater!

The print of this sweater is reminiscent of the classic Hudson’s Bay Company stripes. The Canadians in the crowd will know what we’re talking about. We thrifted this sweater to wear it, but unfortunately the wool it’s made of was quite itchy.

Not the types to sit around and mope, we discovered the sweater’s true potential; it was the ultimate material to upcycle for a sweater stool!

It’s easy for you to make your own sweater stool. You will need:

• A foot stool or bench to reupholster
• An awesome sweater. Check to see if you have one that was accidentally shrunken, or score one at your local thrift shop.
• A staple gun and staples
• A flat head screwdriver and pliers
• Scissors

Once you’ve got everything assembled, flip your stool over.

Take your flat head screwdriver and pliers and use them to remove the existing staples. This is the most time consuming part of the upcycle. We left the inner part of the black liner attached so that we could reuse it.

Remove the previous fabric and use it as a pattern. Cut your sweater and place it accordingly.

Wrap the sweater around the stool as if you’re wrapping a present. Staple the fabric into place. Trim the excess. Replace the black liner on top of the sweater and staple this into place. This will give the nice, finished look to the bottom of your sweater stool.

Here’s a handy recap of the steps to make your own sweater stool, so easy!

The perfect upcycle for sweater weather!