Looking this good all winter long.

All winter long.

As it’s gotten chillier outside, I’ve realized that I collect sweatshirts, jumpers, and other pullovers as portable winter blankets. As comfy and cozy as they are, though, their bulkiness can end up dominating my outfits and preventing me from layering. Even still, I just can’t give them up, so I devised a way to repurpose them as jackets with this simple DIY. In four steps, you can have a stylish, minimal, and warm layering piece, too. I recommend wearing one while reenacting sad music videos (Aaliyah’s “The One I Gave My Heart To,” am I right?).

What you’ll need:

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  • A pullover sweatshirt or jumper (Head to the thrift store!)
  • Scissors or shears
  • Thread
  • A sewing machine or needle and thread
  • Straight pins
  • Chalk (optional)

How to do it:

Step One

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Fold the sweatshirt in half, so that the front faces out and the sleeves are aligned with each other. Then lay the folded shirt on a smooth, flat surface.

Step Two

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Check that the fold is exactly at the center of the sweatshirt. Through that fold, cut all the way through the length of the sweatshirt’s front layer/side, from waistband to collar. If you have chalk, you can draw a line through that center fold to use as a guide.

You’ll end up with this!

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Step Three

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Fold over the raw edges about a half-inch on both sides. Using straight pins, pin the folded edges down the length of each side.

Step Four

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With a sewing machine or needle and thread, sew through the length of each side as close to the edge as possible. If you’re using a sewing machine, remove the pins as you sew—you don’t want to break the machine’s needle!

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Take the pins out, and you’re ready to layer your way through winter! ♦