If you sew, you’ll end up with extra pieces of fabric and scraps that might be large or small.
These are some ideas for your leftover fabric, and some fabric scrap projects that the members of the Artisan Shopping Directory suggested when I asked them what they did with their fabric scraps.
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1. Scrappy kids’ clothes.
Martina, owner of Hoppidi Handmade
, uses her fabric scraps to make more of the clothing for kids that she sells on her website.
Using leftover fabric to make scrapwork will can give you a one-of-a-kind garment that even you might not be able to replicate!
2. Junk Journal Tags.
Cindy, owner of The Scrapologist, shows how to use fabric scraps to make tags for junk journals in this video.
3. Make small projects.
Cathy, owner of Serendipity Sewn, says “I make several things with scraps. Pocket tissue holders, lip balm holders, snap pouches, keychains. I don’t throw anything away. What I don’t use I donate to a friend who makes quilts for ill children.”
4. Make scarves.
Jane, owner of Shop Poe Poe, says “I make various styles and sizes of scarves for women in my shop. One fabric will start as a long skinny scarf and then eventually smaller items in that fabric will be made, i.e., short skinny scarf, ribbon hair tie, small scrunchie scarves. Also, I have a children’s shop which hair bows are made out of extra small scraps. Eventually the fabric is gone.”
5. Donate the scraps or make little flowers.
Cindy, owner of Burrito Wrap Dog Co, says “I used to donate a lot of my scrap fleece to a local thrift shop. When the kids were little the teachers would welcome left over scraps of fabric.
“When I make some of my dog coats I cut out matching flowers that have a snap in the middle. They are easily removed when the coat needs washing. I always add extra in the order so that they will last the life of the coat. With my cotton fabric, I make the usual bows for dog collars and use the fabric for button covers.”
A lot of members donated fabric scraps or sold them online to let other people use them for projects.
Mary, owner of Lil Fox Designs, says that a local hotel gives their old pillowcases to anyone who sews who wants to pick them up to fill with their fabric scraps. They then donate the stuffed cases to local animal shelters to use as dog and cat beds.
6. Use unusable small scraps to mop up greasy spills.
Sally, owner of Tumbletree Lane, says “Unusable fabric scraps go into a container in the kitchen and get used as ‘fat soakers/moppers’ (like paper towels), then get tossed out.”
This is a good way to use scraps that are too small to sew into other projects, and it fits in with a zero-waste kitchen.
7. Make a scrap crazy quilt.
I made this crazy quilt with fabric pieces that were left over from other projects.
You can read about it and see a photo tutorial here: Improv Crazy Quilt Photo Tutorial
Shauna, owner of Lola and Ellie, also makes scrap quilts. You can check her Etsy shop for quilting kits and supplies.
8. Make patches to embroider.
Catherine, owner of Memory Thread Co, says that she started making these embroidered patches to use up her extra fabric.
You can sew these into special garments or onto quilts that you make yourself.
9. Make quilted placements.
Karen, owner of Tahoe Quilts, Makes scrap placemats with her extra fabric.
10. Make coasters.
Pam, owner of Lyon Handwovens, says that she’s been making clothesline coasters to use up the long, skinny pieces of fabric that she ends up with.
There are a lot of things that you can do with fabric scraps, and you don’t need to throw anything away. Use them up until they’re too small to sew, then use the teeny tiny pieces to stuff things!