I have seen lots of articles about making your own DIY Boot Cuffs from the sleeves of sweaters. It has been on my to-do list for months. I finally got around to doing it and WOW….so easy! This is a perfect example of how anyone can accomplish DIY projects!!
Easy DIY Boot Cuffs
I have seen some DIY Boot Cuff tutorials that are more complex than others….this one will be super simple. This was basically accomplished in about 30 minutes.
I am sure a lot of you will have some old sweaters you don't wear that you can use. I did NOT fall into this category. Since I rarely wear sweaters, I had exactly ZERO sweaters!! 🙂 I guess I got rid of all the sweaters I never wore! Chalk one up to not hoarding, LOL.
So I made a trip to Goodwill one afternoon. They had a TON of sweaters to choose from. If you are familiar with Goodwill stores…they do a weekly sale based on the color of the clothing tag. The week I was there it was yellow. Yellow tags were 50% off….so I picked 2 sweaters with yellow tags!
How to Make Easy DIY Boot Cuffs
When selecting your sweater you need to remember that the bottom of the sleeve where your wrist is…that will be at the top part of your calf. So the sleeve needs to be able to stretch enough to go around your calf. Most sweaters won't be a problem, but I saw a few that wouldn't have gone around my 8-year-old's calf! 🙂
I also wanted to get sweaters that were a color that would actually go with items I already own. The fun thing about this project is that you can get a LOT more boot cuffs this way…you could probably afford to make one is every color!
I chose a gray sweater that had a ribbed area at the bottom of the sleeve. I liked how it looked and felt that it would look really nice as a boot cuff. This sweater had a very tight weave and was really lightweight. I don't think there is much chance of it unraveling at the cut end.
The other sweater I picked was a thicker black sweater with some silver thread highlights throughout. This is thicker and that may make a difference in what boots you wear or how long you want the cuff to be.
I just laid the sweaters out and cut the sleeves off. I cut them longer than I probably would want them…to allow for adjustments. You can always cut more off…but it won't be possible to make it longer! 🙂
The gray sweater boot cuffs are done….they don't need to be hemmed on the cut end or anything. Just slide them on and go! How is that for a DIY Boot Cuff that cost me less than $2 to make!
I decided to make the black sweater a little fancier. I happen to LOVE buttons….just ask my kids. They think I am the crazy button lady! 🙂 I had a jar of really big buttons….these are buttons that I wouldn't use in scrapbooking. I looked in there and found 2 matching flower buttons that I thought would look good.
I folded down about an inch and a half of the boot cuff. Then I used black thread
and a needle
and hand sewed the button on the side seam. I went ahead and tacked the other side also so it would be even. It took about 5 minutes to do each one. I think it added a little sass to the cuff!
Easy DIY That Also Upcycles
This is a DIY project that anyone can do! You don't need a sewing machine
or any fancy equipment…scissors
are the main tool needed. If you decide to use any buttons then add a needle and thread to that list!
I also love that this project can be an upcycle!
As a last resort…if you don't want to make your own DIY Boot Cuffs…you can always buy some! I got my daughter several pairs for Christmas and they are ADORABLE! I ordered them from Cents of Style and I got a great deal too!
It is nice to have options if we don't have the time or the desire to make something ourselves! 🙂 I loved the cuffs with the lace edge and hopefully I am going to get brave and make some with fancy trim at home. Until then I just bought some! 🙂
What is your favorite upcycles DIY project? Be sure to PIN this tutorial so you can do it soon!
- Navigating the Aftermath of an Accident for Your Family - July 4, 2026
- How To Make Holidays Feel Special When Kids Split Time Between Homes - July 4, 2026
- Our Favorite Brands For Getting Your Kids Beach Ready - July 3, 2026
Fun! Might have to give this DIY a try… looks so pretty 🙂
My friend has been wanting some boot cuffs. I think I will make her some. Thanks for the tutorial. They are so fun!
Great idea!! Let me know how it turns out!
Very cute! and easy…I like that.
How cute and so easy! I love the flower buttons, it adds a little something to it!
I have huge calf muscles, sadly i don’t have a need for these 🙁
Super cute!!!! Love the simplicity of it! =)
I will have to share this with my sister! She just bought some over Christmas and spent a lot! She will love this! Thanks for sharing.
This is a much cheaper way to do it!
Cute! I did something similar, but I sewed mine onto leggings: http://thepinkpaperdoll.com/upcycled-leggings/
So cute…I just checked them out!
I really am going to try this!
Thank you for sharing! This looks so do-able!
I have a closet full of old sweaters that will be having the sleeves cut off of them this week after seeing this! Thank you.
They look cute and fun. Thanks for sharing this tutorial!
Wow! Sweaters?! Such a great idea! I need to go thrifting now to find old sweaters to use. =)
What a GREAT idea!! I love this. Definitely going to try it out. Thanks for the idea! Pinned 🙂
I’m in Ohio and I wear boot cuffs all the time…great idea!!!
I love the cute element of the roses on the cuffs!
Thanks Kimberly!
I love the lace ones! I never thought of going to good will to find sweaters to make boot cuffs, such a great thrifty idea!
Very cute and great way to upcycle. I love how cute the black cuffs look with the flower. I pinned this to my Women’s Fashion board.
Thanks Kim!!
Great idea!
I have never heard of making those, what a great idea! I have lots of sweaters that I could use to for this. Very cute!
You will have to send me a picture of your sweater creations!!
These are so totally adorable and I would have never have thought of using sweaters!!!
Great idea! I love these and they cost a fortune in the store.
I totally need to make these! Love them both!
Hi Jamie, these are so cute ! Wish i had seen both your diy cuffs and the website where you bought your daughters boot cuffs before Christmas, i bought my granddaughters some and they weren’t near as cute or fun as yours. I also adore the black boots in your photo of ( i believe was your daughters) the white lace boot cuffs you bought your daughter. Can you tell me where you or she bought them ??? I have been looking for a pair exactly like those for two years, everything usually has buckles, or they’re slouched or the heel is too thick or they’re not high enough or they’re too pointy, well you get the point (. Anyway thank you for such great ideas and i can’t wait to go through my sweater drawer (.
Diena, thanks so much for stopping by and for your nice comments. I can’t remember where my daughter got those boots and she doesn’t have them anymore. So sorry. You will have to let me know how your cuffs turn out!!