Fab Fabrics: Raid Your Scrap Bin!
As I’ve confessed here before, I can’t stand to throw things away. Sometimes, that causes some storage problems. Other times, though, it means inadvertently collecting an awesome stash of fun fabric scraps! Let’s focus on those times.
Even if you’re careful to only choose organic, sustainable fabric options, there’s a carbon footprint that goes along with any new materials: from production to shipping to your trip to the fabric store, all of that adds up. If you’re not a scrap-saver now, give it a shot! You’ll be surprised at how fast those bits and pieces accumulate, especially if you sew on a regular basis. Not only does sewing with scraps keep that fabric out of the waste stream, it’s super duper fun! Here are a bunch of great projects you can make using those odds and ends.
- Lenore wrote a great tutorial on using smaller pieces to make an iPod cover.
- Use a piece of clothesline and transform those scraps into a fabric bowl. Bonus points if you use your bowl to…store more fabric scraps!
- Over at Burda Style, you can learn how to make a patchwork scrap fabric skirt.
- You can turn long, skinny scraps into fabric flowers.
- Scraps are also great for a funky new take on the good ol tomato pin cushion.
- Jackie shows you how to use your scraps to give a boring old greeting card some pizzazz.
- In a sneak peek of the new book Patchwork Style, the Storque shows you how to make a set of nifty pot holders.
Even teensy scraps don’t have to go to waste. Just quilt those bad boys together until you have a piece that’s the size you need! What sorts of fun things have you guys made out of fabric scraps?
About the Author
Becky Striepe My name is Becky Striepe (rhymes with “sleepy”), and I am a crafts and food writer from Atlanta, Georgia with a passion for making our planet a healthier, happier, and more compassionate place to live. My mission is to make vegan food and crafts accessible to everyone!. If you like my work, you can also find me on Twitter, Facebook, and Google+.
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I’m always looking for stuff to do with fabric scraps! I’m hoping to be able to start using some of them as embellishments to cross over to my other main crafting hobby (scrapbooking). Also in the process of piecing together bits of muslin from a previous test project for a much-needed jewelry organizer (if only I could find something clear to use for the pockets that isn’t that evil clear vinyl! And lately I’ve been using the bits that come off of my serger/pieces I cut out that are too small to use for other things to stuff pillows– my IKEA bed has a pretty large gap between the mattress and the wall, and I’m hoping to fill it in!
Fabric scraps would be great for scrapbooking! It’s all about the right glue. Would Mod Podge be OK for scrapbooking? I’m not sure how acidic it is, but if you paint it on in thin coats you can avoid bubbles and wrinkles.
Pillow stuffing is a great one, too!
I just finished making a quilted furoshiki (Japanese cloth to use as reusable wraps) – all hand stitched on both sides. (soon to be listed on my shop when it’s finished) I made it to use up my scraps but I still have little bits and pieces left. I was looking to make flowers and brooches out of them but I couldn’t find a tutorial I liked. I’m glad I read this. I can’t wait to try the tut. Thanks!
What a wonderful list! I’ll be passing it on to my Mom, she is the Queen of Fabric Scraps! 🙂
Doll clothes! I use to just wind them around my dolls and pin them into snazzy fashions. Now I show my daughters how to do the same.
Strip piecing and crumb piecing are two great methods for using up small bits of fabric. I recently took a class with Diane Rode Schneck and learned these fun methods. You can see photos of some of the sample blocks I made from my scraps in class here: http://tinyurl.com/dzu2mx
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Fabric scraps are like little treasures looking for new homes! I use fabric scraps in my mixed media artwork, journal covers, “new clothes”, embellishments, bags, little beds for the furry critters and more!
If you like paper and fabric, trying making fabric paper!
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Old terry cloth bathrobes can be made into to bibs, facecloths, hand towels and bathmats. If the bathrobe is large enough, you can make a bath size towel from the back.
I usually get the bathrobes from my local thrift shop. The shop gives away the bathrobes when the sash is lost. The bathrobes are easy to deconstruct and reconstruct.
I’m sorry if this is too weird but every time I clean out the lint in my dryer I think that there has to be some way to use this stuff!
Any ideas?
Try this site for crafting with lint from the dryer:
http://www.planetpals.com/dryer_lint_crafts.html
Just put “craft uses for dryer lint” in your search engine and you’ll find a lot of ideas.
Want more fabric scraps? Visit your local wallpaper store & ask of they have any of the books of fabric samples for upholstery and drapes. It’s quality fabric, and small pieces to use for your crafts.
While you’re there, you can also ask for old wallpaper books. Great for crafting.
When I get my fabric and wallpaper, I go through to pick out what I want, and then donate the rest to other crafters or to local kids’ craft groups.
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