Constellation Pullover DIY

My sister gave me this pullover several Christmases ago. It’s one of my favorites, mostly because of the cowl neck instead of the usual crew neck or v-neck that most pullovers have. Still, I felt like it needed something…else.

A few months later, I saw a constellation hoodie in an Etsy shop called Zoe’s Lollipop. I really loved the way it looked, but I’m always hesitant to buy clothes online and I have a large collection of hoodies as it is. But a few beads was just the embellishment my cowl neck pullover needed. After some debate, I decided to use the Leo constellation since it’s my astrological sign, but there are dozens of other amazing constellations to choose from. If you’re having trouble deciding on a constellation, I found a rather informative page from the State University of New York at Potsdam that lists major constellations and has a basic illustration and write-up to go with them.

The two bead sizes I used for this were 6/0 and 10/0 metallic silver glass beads. Based on my image, I decided to use six 10/0 beads and four 6/0 beads to represent the stars in Leo.

I don’t have pictures of this, but first I put my pullover on and marked out where I wanted my stars with straight pins. I realized how important it was after I blindly stitched on the beads the first time and ended up with a few beads in the armpit. You could also mark the area with a fabric marker.

After I mapped out my constellation, I started stitching the beads with a regular needle and thread. I doubled the thread so I wouldn’t have to worry about beads coming off in the washing machine. Be careful not to pull too tightly on the thread or else it will make the fabric pucker, and might even affect the fit if you are stitching a larger constellation.

This little embellishment takes less than thirty minutes once you pick out a constellation, but it adds so much visual interest. I’ve gotten several compliments on it, and it makes a good conversation starter. Originally I was torn between Leo and Lepus, the rabbit constellation, but after the success of Leo I think I need to get one of my other pullovers and sew a Lepus one!

If my constellation pullover inspires you to create something similar, please share! I’d love to see your spin on the idea.