Burlap is a surprisingly versatile–and eco-friendly!–craft medium.
I think that most of us underrate how great burlap is. Yes, it’s scratchy and brown and utilitarian, and definitely not the best choice for baby gear or clothing, but with a little out of the box thinking and a lot of creativity, it is a shockingly versatile material that works well in a number of projects.
Burlap is also an eco-friendly material. It’s made of jute, which is a plant fiber, so it’s natural (and you can therefore compost or lasagna garden the scraps), but it’s also used in a variety of commercial and industrial ventures, so you can also often find it used–and then you can re-use it to save it from entering the waste stream!
If you’re especially resourceful, you can even find used burlap that is extra fancy thanks to its first commercial life. One of my favorite souvenirs from a long-ago trip to Hawaii was a burlap sack that I bought used from a local coffee grower. Its beautiful logo looked equally beautiful as the outer panels of a handmade tote bag. Coffee sacks and other branded burlap is easily findable on the secondhand market, and makes your handmade products look even more special.
Here, then, are some of my favorite projects that utilize burlap. Whether you buy it new or source it used, it’s a useful, eco-friendly fabric that lends itself well to lots of different embellishment methods, and you’re going to LOVE working with it!
Bunting
This bunting project is no-sew, thanks to hot glue! It’s beautiful as-is, but you can upscale it with stitched hems and stenciled appliques or fabric appliques that are satin-stitched.
Coffee Bean Sack Pillow
I think this would look so pretty on a porch swing under a covered porch. The tutorial calls for hand-stitching the opening closed, but to sew this pillow cover conventionally, including adding a zipper, line all the burlap panels with plain quilting cotton on the wrong side.
Cross-Stitch
Did you know that you can cross-stitch directly onto burlap? The result is a little rustic and not the kind of perfection that you get from Aida, and honestly, I love it even more because of that. It makes WONDERFUL bookmarks and holiday ornaments!
Decorative Bowl
It’s too light to hold a ton, but it’s perfect for holding a decorative display of ornaments or colorful autumn leaves. The loose weave makes it especially lovely when placed silhouetted in a window.
Kid-Friendly Embroidery
This is such a smart idea for a beginner embroidery project! Burlap’s open weave means that kids can see where they’re stitching and should have no trouble pushing even a blunt needle through. They can also stitch with fun materials like yarn or even pipe cleaners, and add plenty of beaded embellishments.
Leaves
These leaves are traced from real autumn leaves, which makes them look authentic, and the paint and Sharpie embellishment add to their beauty. Stitch or glue them to the table runner or bunting projects, or make a decorative garland just by gluing the leaves themselves together.
Memo Board
Covering a corkboard in burlap is such a good idea, because the open weave means that the push pins won’t leave marks! Burlap is so thin that you could also likely get away with covering a magnet board in it, and everything but the very lightest magnets should still stick.
Stenciled Banner
Although the project in this tutorial is a Christmas tree banner, you can make a banner for any occasion using the same technique. My favorite part is that you can use any kind of paint, not just fabric paint, since you won’t be washing it.
Table Runner
I love that other than teaching the really cool tassel technique, this table runner is left intentionally simple. So much scope for appliqued or painted embellishments!
Utensil Holders
One of my kids spent Thanksgiving with a friend, and I’m sorry to report that on Thanksgiving morning, while helping her friend’s family prep for their feast, she texted me that she had just “learned how to use a napkin ring.” I guess now she can teach me, lol! These utensil holders are another easy way to fancy up a nice meal–although you’ll still have to teach my kid (and me!) which order to put the silverware in.
Do YOU have a favorite project that you’ve made from burlap? Tell us about it in the Comments!
P.S. Looking for even more things to create from burlap? Here you go!
