Scraps can often be one of the biggest struggles for sewists. We spend so much time selecting and caring for our fabric, that it can feel sad and wasteful to just throw the scraps away. I’m very passionate about sustainability and creating less waste so today, I’m sharing 101 ways to use your scrap fabric. There’s a whole slew of ideas, organized into categories, so that you can skip to the section that sounds most fun to you.
These projects run the gamut from quick and fun to more involved and labor intensive. Where applicable, I’ve linked to existing tutorials on my blog. Otherwise, you should be able to find a tutorial via a quick internet search. Or, let your creativity run wild and create your own pattern.
UPDATE 2021: My e-course Improvisational Quilting for Garment Sewists is now live and available for purchase in the shop. This is a self paced and comprehensive course that teaches you everything you need to know to learn how to turn your fabric scraps into useful and unique improvisational quilts. You can learn more about it here.
101 Ideas for using scrap fabric
WEARABLES
1. Scrunchie
2. Headband Check out my turban headband tutorial here.
3. Hair Wrap/bonnet
4. Handkerchief
5. Patches
6. Slippers Click here to check out my pdf sewing pattern.
7. Panties
8. Bra or Lounge Bra
9. Earrings
10. Braided Bracelet Check out my tutorial here.
11. Socks
12. Wrist Warmers
13. Leg Warmers
14. Boot Covers Check out my tutorial here.
15. Sun Hat
16. Beanie
17. Baby Bib
18. Child’s Bonnet
19. Ties
20. Eye Mask
DECORATIVE THINGS
21. Bows Check out my tutorial here.
22. Fabric Flowers
23. Holiday Ornaments
24. Keychain
25. Fabric yo-yos (these can be used in garlands, as applique or sewn together for a decorative placemat)
SEWING THINGS
26. Bias Tape
27. Facings (Neck, Arm Or Hem)
28. Pocket Bags
29. Needle Case
30. Pattern Weights
31. Sewing Machine Cover
32. Knitting/crochet Needle Case
33. Pincushion
BAGS
34. Coin Purse
35. Phone Case
36. Zipper Pouch Check out my tutorials here and here.
37. Tote Bag
38. Produce Bags
39. Pencil Pouch
40. Makeup Bag
41. Wallet
42. Tablet/laptop Case
43. Lunch Bag
44. Project Bags
45. Glasses Case Check out my tutorial here.
46. Drawstring Backpack
ORGANIZERS
47. Cord Keeper
48. Book Cover
49. Business Card Holder
50. Lip Balm Holder
KITCHEN
51. Oven Mitt
52. Quilted Trivet
53. Apron Click here to check out my tutorial.
54. Coasters
55. Cleaning Rags
56. Scrub Pads
57. Napkins Click here to check out my tutorial.
58. Utensil Wrap
59. Reusable Snack Bags
60. Bowl Covers
61. Soup Bowl Cozy
62. Mug Cozy
63. Teapot/French Press Cozy
64. Reusable Coffee Filter
HOME
65. Plant Pot Cover
66. Flag Garland
67. Braided Fabric Bowls/baskets
68. Braided Fabric Rug
69. Laundry Bag
70. Draft Snake
71. Wrist Rest
72. Pillow Cover
73. Quilt See a couple of mine here and here.
74. Table Runner
75. Placemats
76. (Quilted) Seat Cushion See my tutorial here.
77. Drawer Sachet
78. Fabric Magnets
79. Light Switch Cover
80. Shower Curtain
81. Fabric decoupage jewelry dish See my tutorial here
PERSONAL CARE
81. Reusable Makeup Remover Pads See my tutorial here.
82. Reusable Feminine Pads
83. Rice Therapy Bags See my tutorial here.
84. Kleenex Pouch
85. Eye Pillow
86. Portable First Aid Kit
87. Pocket Warmers See my rice therapy bag tutorial here.
FUN STUFF
88. Bean Bags
89. Softies Click here to see my whale softie tutorial.
90. Doll Clothes
91. Bookmark
92. Camera Strap Check out my tutorials here and here.
93. Keychain
94. Artwork
95. Mousepad
PETS
96. Cat/dog Toys Click here to see my catnip mouse tutorial.
97. Dog Coat
98. Cat/dog Bed
99. Pet Leash
100. Kennel quilt/Cage comforter
One of my favorite things to do with scraps is make a small quilt to be donated to shelter animals. You can contact your local shelter or for more info, this is the group that I have donated to before. When shelters are in need, for example after a natural disaster, they will contact the group and put out a call for quilts. If you’re on the email list, you’ll get an email letting you know the need and where to send your quilts. These are very small quilts and pretty quick to sew. I love that they will be going to help animals in need. Btw, there are lots of other charity organizations out there that can benefit from your sewing. This is just one that I’ve personally supported in the past.
I hope that you find this list useful and inspiring for tackling your scrap fabric. Later this week, I’ll be sharing a video of what scraps I’ve saved and how I’ve stored them. So stay tuned for that! In the meantime, if you are interested in learning more about quilting and using your scrap fabric in the process, then you need to sign up below for my extra special sewing + sustainability newsletter.
UPDATE 2021: My e-course Improvisational Quilting for Garment Sewists is now live and available for purchase in the shop. This online class will teach you (garment sewists specifically) how to use your fabric scraps to create fun, useful and beautiful improvisational quilts, like the ones featured in this post. You can learn more about it here.
