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Turtleneck to Crew Neck Sweater Refashion

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You guys, I hate turtlenecks…especially turtleneck sweaters.

refashionista Turtleneck to Crew Neck Sweater Refashion before
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle…Neck

I have a short neck, which doesn’t help.

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Did you ever break the neck plug on one of your Barbie’s heads when you were little and then jammed the head back down on the broken neck as best you could? Well…that’s me. (lolz)

Between feeling like I’m being strangled constantly to having a double chin while wearing them, turtlenecks just aren’t for me.

Turtleneck to Crew Neck Sweater Refashion before 2
MRRRPHMRPHHHHRRRMMMM!!!!

So why, you may wonder, did I choose this very turtleneck-y sweater from the $1 clearance rack at the thrift store? Am I just a glutton for punishment?

Oh no, my friends. I had a plan!

We’re gonna turn this turtleneck sweater into a crew neck sweater!

It’s going to be extremely easy too! Seriously. This takes less than 15 minutes.

First, I trimmed off most of the turtleneck with my sewing shears.

cutting turtleneck off sweater
Begone foul neck of turtle! Go back into yonder shell!

Don’t worry about it fraying! It’s not going to fray!

Next, I folded the ribbed remainder of the turtleneck over the existing neckline and then under.

folding turtleneck over
See?

Look at the adorable tin my clips came in!

One of you guys recommended sewing clips for projects that are too finicky for pins in a recent post. You’ll be happy to know I took your advice to heart and ordered some!

tin of sewing clips
Wait…why is that cherubic five-year-old carrying a gun???

If you want some swell sewing clips of your own, here ya go!

I now own more sewing clips than I will probably ever need.

tin of sewing clips
Clips a plenty!

I clipped my new soon-be-crew neck down, stretching the ribbing a little as I went.

sewing clips holding down new neckline of sweater
THEY ARE A GAME CHANGER AND I LOVE THEM.

You might think there’s no way the neck hole is going to be big enough to be comfortable, but you’re wrong!

While we’re at it, let’s take a closer look at that label!

union label in sweater
Union made in the USA!

The ribbing is going to stretch a little as I sew it, making a perfect crew neck! You’ll see!

I set my machine to a zigzag stitch (to allow for maximum neck stretchiness) and stitched it down, removing the clips as I came to them.

sewing crew neck of sweater
Whirrrrr!

I pressed my new neckline and was all done!

finished neckline of sweater
Noice!

But what the heck…let’s make a little hat too!

Because the weather where am was just warm enough to open the windows, but just cold enough to make my head cold, I decided to have a little fun with that leftover neck scrap!

I folded the turtleneck tube in half and snipped off a corner.

neck part folded in half with corner cut out
Snip!

Then, I pinned the raw edge.

pinned raw edge of hat
Yes. It’s a tiny hat. But I have a tiny head, so it’s cool.

I stitched along that curved edge.

sewing top seam of hat
Don’t worry noggin! You’re about to be nice and warm!

Now I have a matchy-matchy crew neck sweater and (odd) tiny hat!

refashionista Turtleneck to Crew Neck Sweater Refashion after closeup
I look like “Wheres Waldo?” without the stripes, don’t I?

I styled my sweater with a pair of jeans, my art deco mother of pearl earrings, and my favorite Toms!

You guys might remember those double-waisted jeans I refashioned last week! They’re now one of my favorite pairs!

Turtleneck to Crew Neck Sweater Refashion full outfit
I love that bright red!

Yes, the teeny tiny hat is admittedly silly, but I think it works well enough for my head warming needs.

Turtleneck to Crew Neck Sweater Refashion up close
I’m not mad at it.

You can even see my Eddie Munster-esque widow’s peak coming back in!

Turtleneck to Crew Neck Sweater Refashion hands on head
My hair is returning (eyebrows and lashes too)!

If you, like me, loathe turtlenecks, I hope this tutorial inspires you to give them a second look when you see them at the thrift store!

Turtleneck to Crew Neck Sweater Refashion selfie
Really happy with my new (non-strangling) neckline!

Pin this refashion tutorial for how to turn a turtleneck sweater into a crew neck using this link.

Cheers!

refashionista Turtleneck to Crew Neck Sweater Refashion before and after
Yield: 1 Crew Neck Sweater

Turtleneck to Crew Neck Sweater Refashion

Turtleneck to Crew Neck Sweater Refashion before and after
We’re gonna turn a turtleneck sweater into a crew neck sweater! It’s going to be extremely easy too! Seriously. This takes less than 15 minutes.
Active Time 15 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Difficulty Easy
Estimated Cost $1

Materials

  • One Turtleneck Sweater

Tools

  • Fabric Shears
  • Sewing Machine
  • Sewing Clips

Instructions

    1. Trim off most of the turtleneck with your sewing shears, leaving about 1" of the original turtleneck behind.cutting turtleneck off sweater
    2. Fold the ribbed remainder of the turtleneck over the existing neckline and then under.folding turtleneck over
    3. Clip your new soon-be-crew neck down, stretching the ribbing a little as you go.sewing clips holding down new neckline of sweater
    4. Set your sewing machine to a zigzag stitch (to allow for maximum neck stretchiness) and stitch your neckline down, removing the clips as you come to them.sewing crew neck of sweater
    5. Press your new neckline and enjoy!finished neckline of sweater

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