Tutorial: Upcycle Your Pink Tights

Hey Everyone!  It’s Heather here, excited to share a really easy DIY craft that will add some flair to a plain sweater and gives new life to old ballet tights.  Since I don’t dance as much as I used to, I have lots and lots of dancewear sitting in my dresser, longing for some purpose. One of these items is oodles of pink tights.  Nowadays, when I take class, I wear anything but pink tights, yet I still own quite a few pairs that are in good condition.  So I decided to use an old pair to create a unique and pretty flourish for a simple sweater that needed a kick.

First, find a sweater, t-shirt, jacket, or whatever that you want to embellish.  This was my choice, a basic blue sweater I bought at Target.

Second, find a pair of tights that are made from a spandex cotton (the ones I used are PrimaSoft.)  Mesh tights won’t have the same look, but actually could create a slightly different effect that could be pretty too.

Now take each strip and tie it in a loose knot.  You want the knot to be somewhat flat and I like to pull the ends upward to create a little v-shaped bow.  If you stretch the strip out before you tie it it will create a longer bow.  Once you’ve tied it, fluff up the edges to enhance the bow effect.

Once you have all the strips tied you’re ready to sew them to your sweater!  I did mine in descending order, Biggest to smallest from the shoulder of the sweater along the neckline.  But remember, there are no rules and you can create whatever shape and arrangement that takes your fancy.  Once you’ve figured out how you want your pieces arranged, just a quick stitch should be enough to keep them in place.

And voila!  Now you have a uniquely embellished sweater and one less pair of pink tights to recycle.