For those of us who sew, quilt or stitch paddings together for sale, we are often left with plenty of fabric scraps that can be used well in a myriad of ways. We may choose to sell or trade the fabric scraps, donate or dispose of them altogether.
Fabric scraps have an advantage over most craft supplies such as glue, paint, decoupage medium or markers in that fabric scraps do not have an expiry date and with proper storage practices, the fabric can last for years.
Also, it is a great idea to store your fabric scraps well because you never know when a great project idea will pop in your head. You will have more ideas on how to use and mix and match your fabric leftovers for your project from your accumulation of various colours and prints.
Fabric pieces of variant colours and prints can be patched up in a cool design for a quilt or a cloth. There are many options on how you can use your fabric and The Silk Route gives many options for craft like plugging bags and packets of perfume, repairing bursting animal toys for your kid or sewing a scrunchy for your hair just like in the ’80s and ’90s.
There are so many project possibilities for leftover fabrics.
Smaller pieces of fabric are good for children/anyone running through their skills in fabric embroidery. You can allow the children to stitch fabric scraps together while they learn how to make small quilts for their dolls’ clothing. Fabric scraps are a great practising material for anyone learning the sewing skills.
It is practically impossible to eliminate fabric leftovers but that does not mean they cannot be put into good use. We can show you a variety of projects to do using leftover fabric. Most of these project ideas can be used as gifts for yourself and your family and friends.
Here, you will find practical applications for your fabric scraps such as accessories and decorations so that no piece of fabric is wasted.
Hair Bands and Scrunchies
You can make a hairband or scrunchies for your family member or friends just to bring back this favourite, old school accessory from the 80s and 90s.
Scrunchies were a popular hair accessory for many people in middle school and can be brought back by covering an elastic hairband with a fabric.
Sleeping Mask
Sleeping mask is a great gift for your friends and family members who want to rest but are sensitive to light. There are quite a several designs for easy-to-sew masks made of cotton fabric or any other fabric that can adequately block light.
The sleep mask is a great and thoughtful gift accessory for anyone who wants to keep their eyes shut while asleep.
Drawstring Pouches
It is very possible and common to make little pouches from fabric scraps. Drawstring pouches can be used to pocket trinkets, treats and messages. Additionally, you can use fabric scraps of contrasting prints or matching colours when sewing the pouches.
The drawstrings of the pouches are tightened when keeping contents of the pouch secure.
Bags for Jewellery
Fabric scraps can be sewn together to make a quilted jewellery roll. A jewellery roll is a unique and suitable way to bring together your jewellery.
A thin and tightly woven cotton ribbon will hold jewellery accessories such as earrings, bracelets and necklaces in place while a matching pouch with drawstrings is more ideal for holding rings.
Flower Pin
You can use fabric from shirting which is ideal for sewing a flower pin. You begin by 1st tracing and then cutting petals of the fabric and then massing them into a flower shape. The circle of the felt can be used as the centre of the flower to hold the craft together and then sew a pin into the back of it.
Stuffed Animals Toys
It is common for more commonly used and stuffed animals to suffer from bursting or other injuries from time to time.
We can use leftover fabrics to sew on the patches. Additionally, we can make the fabric patches a bit decorative by shaping them like hearts or with names of our children or the name of the stuffed animal.