Bring Your Own Bedding (BYOB) With These Clever Blanket Upcycles
- Words by Emma Mulholland
Doona days are great but not every day can be a doona day. A blanket, however, is different: thrift yourself a quality wool throw and it can take you places that no doona ever could (the office, for example, if you’re crafty about it). There are many clever folk making fabulous fits from beloved blankets – wool versions tend to last a very long time, so they’re perfect for upcycling.
If you don’t have any old blankets in your cupboards waiting for a makeover, there are often plenty of preloved ones for sale in thrift stores. For top quality, keep an eye out for heritage brands like Onkaparinga and Waverley Mills; if your op-shop has already been raided, there are plenty of vintage sellers on social media, Etsy and eBay (expect to pay between $20 and $100).
Being the good sorts we are, we’ve trawled the internet to find snuggly sewing inspiration for your vintage bounty, plus shoppable makes to keep you nice and toasty for the wintery days ahead.
above RUBY RAISIN
UNDER COVERS
If you like the look of these very smart cocoon coats by Sydney label @Ruby_Raisin_, you’d better get on the email list – fresh drops have a habit of selling out in minutes. Or follow the lead of @BritaSews and @Rhi___Made and get DIYing. (In case you didn’t spot it, Rhi’s velvet-lined make is based on the #PeppermintButtonUpJacket. Click here for the pattern – it’s free!).
HOT PROPERTY
If you can’t get away with wearing your bedding to work, you could always try smuggling one of these blanket-cover cuties under your jacket. We reckon these hot water bottle covers by stitchy stores @My_CreativeFinds and @Mop_And_Dolly are just adorable, but you could also go wild and stitch yourself (or someone small) this lovely whale by Twig + Tale (we can’t promise this one will go unnoticed in the office).
SNUG AS A BUG
Is there anything sweeter than a sleeping child? Nope. But you can wrap a very-much-awake child in a warm-and-fuzzy blanket coat and hope for an impromptu nap. We love these styles by professional stitchers Karyn Kong @Eva.Mei.Vintage.And.Modern, Jane @LilPopet and Carol Knudsen @deer.and.sparrow.
IN STITCHES
Where there are blankets, there ought to be blanket stitch. Bonus points if there are also multiple shades (à la sewist and stylist @InannaSolveig) or infinite layering possibilities (à la this vest by UK maker Elizabeth Cake @A.Circular.Story and this shift dress by Wagga Wagga maker Janine Middlemost @Middlemost).
POCKET PARTY
Polly Pockets, Pizza Pockets, pocket rockets… we’re yet to meet a pocket we don’t love. We’re particularly enamoured with the generous side pockets on the shacket UK sewist @LouisaMiriamSmith crafted from her nan’s wool blanket. She writes: “My grandmother always loved to know I had warm clothing to wear, so I think she would be pleased with this transformation.” In other pocket finds, we have the cosy laptop covers of Bel Dowde @RambleFolkCo and this sweet duffel bag @EllaWidmer_ made with help from sewing teacher @Shaye_Hardisty.
TIME FOR TWEE
A couple of these blanket cushions would do quite nicely in a rambling English manor. For maximum effect, be sure to style with leaf tea and high-brow literature. We heart these makes by (from left): Cindy Choua @WonderWhatYouWere, Gemma Cutts @PaperCuttsDesigns and Wendy Doughty @My_Random_Makes.
JOIN OUR MAILING LIST
Brighten up your inbox with our not-too-frequent emails featuring Peppermint-related news, events, competitions and more!
explore
More articles
Look, I don’t want to make anyone panic but IT’S DECEMBER!!! If you’re planning to give homemade gifts, you’re going to have to act fast. …
Hang out with us on Instagram
🌻 The Paddington 🌻
This is a much-loved staple, created for Issue 50 in 2021. We love seeing the #PeppermintPaddingtonTop continually popping up in our feeds!
How stunning is our model Elon MelaninGoddessEfon – she told us it was one of the first times she had been asked to come to a shoot with her natural hair. 🌻
We worked with South African patternmaker Sarah Steenkamp of @FrenchNavyNow_ to create this wardrobe essential – the perfect puff-sleeve blouse. Raglan sleeves make it the ultimate beginner sew, plus the gorgeous back buttons let you add your own personal twist.
Pattern via the link in bio! 🪡
Photos: @KelleySheenan
Fabric: @Spoonflower
Model: MelaninGoddessEfon
“In the 1940’s, Norwegians made and wore red pointed hats with a tassel as a form of visual protest against Nazi occupation of their country. Within two years, the Nazis made these protest hats illegal and punishable by law to wear, make, or distribute. As purveyors of traditional craft, we felt it appropriate to revisit this design.”
Crafters have often been at the heart of many protest movements, often serving as a powerful means of political expression. @NeedleAndSkein, a yarn store in Minnesota, are helping to mobilise the craftivists of the world with a ‘Melt The Ice’ knitting pattern created by @Yarn_Cult (with a crochet pattern too), as a way of peaceful protest.
The proceeds from the $5 pattern will go to local immigrant aid organisations – or you can donate without buying the pattern.
Raise those needles, folks – art and craft can change the world. 🧶
Link in bio for the pattern.
Images: @Gather_Fiber @NeedleAndSkein @a2ina2 @KyraGiggles Sandi.204 @WhatTracyMakes AllieKnitsAway Auntabwi2
#MeltTheIce #Craftivism #Knitting #CraftForChange
TWO WEEKS TO GO! 🤩
"The most important shift is moving from volume-led buying to value-led curation – choosing fewer, better products with strong ethics, considered production and meaningful stories. Retailers have real influence here: what you buy signals what you stand for. At Life Instyle, this means using the event to discover and invest in small-scale, planet-considerate brands that align with your values and your customer’s conscience. Consumers don’t need more things; they need better things, and retailers play a key role in selecting, contextualising, and championing why those products matter."
Only two more weeks until @Life_Instyle – Australia`s leading boutique retail trade show. If you own a store, don`t miss this event! Connect with designers, source exquisite – and mindful – products, and see firsthand why this is Australia’s go-to trade show for creatives and retailers alike. And it`s free! ✨️
Life Instyle – Sydney/Eora Country
14-17 February 2026
ICC, Darling Harbour
Photos: @Samsette
#LifeInstyle #SustainableShopping #SustainableShop #RetailTradeEvent
Calling all sewists! 📞
Have you made the Peppermint Waratah Wrap Dress yet? Call *1800 I NEED THIS NOW to get making!
This gorgeous green number was modelled (and made) by the fabulous Lisa of @Tricky.Pockets 🙌🏼
If you need a nudge, @ePrintOnline are offering Peppermint sewists a huge 🌟 30% off ALL A0 printing 🌟 when you purchase the Special Release Waratah Wrap Dress pattern – how generous is that?!
Head to the link in bio now 📞
*Not a real number in case that wasn`t clear 😂
#PeppermintWaratahWrapDress #PeppermintPatterns #SewingPattern #WrapDress #WrapDressPattern
8 Things to Know About January 26 - from @ClothingTheGaps:
Before you celebrate, take the time to learn the truth. January 26 is not a day of unity it’s a Day of Mourning and Survival for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
It marks the beginning of invasion, dispossession, and ongoing colonial violence. It’s time for truth-telling, not whitewashed history.
Stand in solidarity. Learn. Reflect. Act.
✊🏽 Blog written by Yorta Yorta woman Taneshia Atkinson.
🔗 Link in bio of @ClothingTheGaps to read the full blog
#ChangeTheDate #InvasionDay #SurvivalDay #AlwaysWasAlwaysWillBe #ClothingTheGaps
As the world careens towards AI seeping into our feeds, finds and even friend-zones, it`s becoming increasingly hard to ignore.
We just wanted to say that here at Peppermint, we are choosing to not print or publish AI-generated art, photos, words, videos or content.
Merriam-Webster’s human editors chose `slop` as the 2025 Word of the Year – they define it as “digital content of low quality that is produced usually in quantity by means of artificial intelligence.” The problem is, as AI increases in quality, it`s becoming more and more difficult to ascertain what`s real and what`s not.
Let`s be clear here, AI absolutely has its place in science, in climate modelling, in medical breakthroughs, in many places... but not in replacing the work of artists, writers and creatives.
Can we guarantee that everything we publish is AI-free? Honestly, not really. We know we are not using it to create content, but we are also relying on the artists, makers and contributors we work with, as well as our advertisers, to supply imagery, artwork or words created by humans. AI features are also creeping into programs and apps too, making it difficult to navigate. But we will do our best to avoid it and make a stand for the artists and creatives who have had their work stolen and used to train AI machines, and those who are now losing work as they are replaced by this energy-sapping, environment-destroying magic wand.
Could using it help our productivity and bottom line? Sure. And as a small business in a difficult landscape, that`s a hard one to turn down. We know other publishers who use AI to write stories, create recipes, produce photo shoots... but this one is important to us.
`Touch grass` was also a Merriam-Webster Word of the Year. We`ll happily stick with that as a theme, thanks very much. 🌿
