Upcycle Your Thrifted Finds or Decorate Your Handmade Projects 

Whether you want to jazz up an old sweater, make that thrifted-find extra-special, or enhance your handmade knitting or crochet projects -- there are a variety of ways you can up-level your yarnie items.

Each technique we explore offers a different sort of look; you might want to try a few and see which process you like best. Or maybe you'll love them all and set about changing up all kinds of things.  

Classic Embroidery 

Just like your standard embroidery on fabric, you use a pattern and a hoop to add your design with embroidery floss. This project uses a Sulky-type stabilizer that dissolves in water; make sure you use quality floss that won't bleed, like a mercerized one from DMC. LoveCrafts has a video showing the process. 

 

Freehand Embroidery Upcycling 

Elin from Charles & Elin shows you how to embroider a monochrome field of flowers to give a sweater in her closet a new lease on life. 

 

Surface Crochet with a Simple Chain Stitch 

Donna from Naztazia shows you how easy it is to add some flair to a crochet piece, by just chaining on top. 

 

Want to add a chain stitch using a needle instead on knitted or crocheted pieces? CreaCrafts shows you how in a quick & easy tutorial.

  

Duplicate Stitch on Stockinette Knitted Fabrics (aka Swiss Darning) 

This technique is a slightly more involved one, and works on the most common knit stitch only (stockinette). I'm sharing a couple of great tutorial videos showing you how it works. The first is from Deborah Raymond. 

 

And the second is from Stacey at VeryPink Knits; she provides a slow-motion look at how to do it, which is super helpful.

Add a Leather Tag to Knitted or Crocheted Items

While you often see such tags on pieces that you buy at the store, you can have your own tags made for work you create. The Etsy shop owner from CJ Design shows you her tags and how to secure them to a piece. While you might want tags with a logo or initials, it might be fun to get something extra unique printed on a tag -- a special word, perhaps, or a simple design like a heart or star. Imagine the possibilities! 

 

Add Dangly Sequins to Your Finished Knitting and Crochet

CreaCrafts shows you how to add some serious bling with dangly sequins using a needle and thread. This would be a fun thing to do on a newly finished handmade project, but one could have a ball upcycling all kinds of things...an old sweater, a dress, or maybe even a Christmas stocking. Fun. 

 

Feeling inspired yet?

Share your favorite embellishment techniques in the comments.