You can DIY quite a lot of storage solutions using stash or scrap fabric as a base. You can make drawstring bags and floppy baskets, sure, but also boxes, bins, cubbies, and all sorts of other handy ways to organize and neatly store your stuff.
hese nesting fabric baskets give you a lot of storage options. Sew a set in the same colorway from the same fabrics, and they’ll all match each other and your decor. Since they nest, they don’t take up a lot of storage space, but when you need them, you’ve got four whole baskets’ worth of storage!
These fabric baskets are purposefully a bit on the droopy side, because I don’t like to sew with artificial materials like interfacing. A little interfacing or even cereal box cardboard would firm them up, though, if you prefer that look.
Because it’s so versatile and can take on so many looks, a log cabin quilt block is a great choice for a ton of fun projects. Here are some of my favorites!
I roasted while I sewed all that denim and flannel in the smack middle of June, but I’ll be so comfy this winter!
I’ve had this log cabin quilt sewn from upcycled denim in my mind’s eye for a few years, but it’s the embarrassing state of my fabric stash that finally prodded me into action.
Want to resize a hoodie or reclaim an awesome graphic? Refashion your hoodie by swapping its graphic for something different!
Outerwear can feel like some of the more complicated garments to sew. So many structural elements! So much hardware! So much interfacing and lining and piping and casings!
This week, we’re focusing on entire ensembles that you can sew–all the dresses, all the jumpsuits, all the pajama sets, all the rompers. And ALL from the free patterns offered by indie pattern companies.
Wildlife rescues use fleece pouches to contain small and baby animals in a way that keeps them feeling safe and comfortable. It mimics the type of pouch that a marsupial animal will be familiar with, and recreates the feeling of a nest for other animals.
Felt is excellent for children and beginners because it doesn’t fray. It can be hand-sewn or machine sewn, and while it has zero drape, it has a ton of structure that allows you to skip the starch and interfacing.
So pick your favorite ornament, your favorite felt, and start crafting!
Be warned: pants zippers are tedious and painstaking to replace. What they are not, however, is difficult. If you’ve sewn with zippers before, and you’re comfortable using a zipper foot, you can make this repair.
If you sew, and especially if you enjoy refashioning clothing or upcycling pieces to give them new lives, you should be reclaiming the zipper from every single pair of pants that wanders through your workshop.
Reinforcing that entire thigh area, both the rip and the surrounding real estate, with a denim patch, as well as quilting the snot out of that patch, stops the rip.
Whether you’re prepping for the next in a line of 1970s parties or just getting a head start on Halloween–or just love 1970s clothing!–check out my list of my favorite DIYs of 1970s fashions.
Fortunately, it’s really not hard to add a zipper to the front of a hoodie, and what you get in return is a comfy, zip-up hoodie that will leave your glasses, headphones, and sensory sensitivities intact.
I cut up several old towels to piece together a cute applique mushroom, quilted it onto a couple other old towels, and now have a brand-new custom bath mat that the kids and I are delighted with.
Upcycled denim quilts don’t have to be boring! Use upcycled denim to sew some of your favorite quilt blocks. It will take your recycled blue jeans quilt to the next level!
It’s shiny!
It’s free!
It’s environmentally unfriendly!
What it is?
It’s a drawstring backpack!
Fortunately, sewing a button back on your pants is a super easy and low-fuss skill that requires only a basic amount of hand-eye coordination. Anyone can do it!
I’m obsessed with how easy strip quilts are to sew, and with how many fun design looks you can achieve from these identical cuts of fabric.
Denim quilts are about the warmest, snuggliest quilts you’ll ever nap under.
It’s fun to see how many ways there are to quilt using just the tools and supplies that you’ve already got on-hand.
A petticoat may not be the essential everyday wear that it once was, but it’s still essential to give the perfect silhouette to certain garments.
Are you a messenger bag person or a backpack person?
Here are some of my favorite, free star quilt patterns online.
Even without the foundation garments, even without the advanced techniques, even without antique tissue paper patterns with an unreasonable waist to bust ratio, you can sew yourself a dress that LOOKS vintage.
If you’re just getting started on creating your own cloth masks, or if you’re looking to switch up your go-to pattern–or add a handy accessory, OR make a matching cloth mask for a kid’s teddy bear!–then check out this list of my favorite DIY cloth mask patterns and tutorials.
Everybody knows that paper napkins are a wasteful use of resources, and we ought to ditch them for mealtimes. But the solution isn’t just to wipe your hands on your pants!
Because you don’t want your stuff to fall out!
If you think the hexagons, themselves are cute, wait until you see all the absolutely adorable things that you can make from them.
For preserving memories big and small, DIY memory quilts made from your favorite clothing are both beautiful and practical.
Need to cover your butt?
I’ve got you covered!
The key to this DIY slipcover project is lots and lots of upcycled denim.
A vest is one of the easiest and most accessible clothing items to sew.
It takes some fiddly work and some sewing prowess, but it’s completely possible to DIY your own weighted blanket, and to do so using natural and/or sustainably-sourced materials.
