Today's the day to idolize the humble scrap of fabric and find free small sewing projects to turn it into something worthwhile. If you are a hoarder you will be so glad you saved all those scraps of fabric. Scrap fabric pieces kept in a rummage basket or neatly organized and rolled up into tidy bundles, are just what you need to make some really nice little items. However you decide to keep them, they will come in handy for making up those irresistible small sewing projects.
Small Sewing Projects
This list of small sewing projects is inviting, and the opportunity to use up some of your scraps has to be encouraging. There is something for everyone, and these free patterns can be used to make great gifts for the festive season. Find something that appeals to you and match it to a perfect scrap of fabric. This article breaks down the small sewing projects into small scraps and larger scraps and then felt.
Small Sewing Projects - A true rags to riches story in the making.
Small Sewing Projects Using - Small Scraps
Hair Accessories
Hair accessories are great small sewing projects to use up your scrap fabric. They only take a really small amount of fabric and make great gifts and items to sell at craft fairs. Make bows or flowers or even a hair scrunchie!
The scrunchie is one of my most popular of all the small sewing projects and has a video included in the article. It will give you dimensions for 2 sizes to suit the thickness of your hair.
All of these can be completed in a small amount of time and are suitable for beginners.
- #1 -How to Make Fabric Hair Accessories (yo-yo flowers on clips)
- #2 How to Make Fabric Bows (small size)
- #3 Fabric Bow (larger for oversized hair accessories or clothing)
- #4 How to Make a Scrunchie
- #5 How to Make Fabric Flowers
- #6 Cloth Flower Making
- #7 DIY Hair Ties (vintage style)
Gifts
Save money by making small sewing projects that are gifts from your leftover fabrics or even make something for yourself or your fur baby.
My favorite is the dog bandana. I've made lots of these for my Moodle puppy. Her shaggy fur means that regular collars don't show up so I like the bandana for a pop of color. The pattern has 4 sizes of bandana as I know many of you will have larger dogs than my tiny fluff ball.
- #8 Cat Sleep Mask (cat shape)
- #9 How to Make a Sleep Mask (plain)
- #10 Mouse Mat (decorate your home office in style)
- #11 Phone Cover Pattern
- #12 Scented Hearts (put them in your drawers for a nice smell)
- #13 Dog Bandana Pattern (4 sizes to fit your dog)
- #14 Mason Jar pin cushion (recycle old jars into a pin cushion)
- #15 DIY Pincushion – round (segment style)
- #16 How to make a pincushion – Patchwork (square shape)
- #17 Pincushion Patterns (felt with a sewing machine motif)
Small Accessories
Coin purses and clutches can be good small sewing projects as you get to use what you have made. Don't just save all your fabric scraps but vinyl and leather scraps can be used as well. Leather scrap bundles can be bought in batches from leather shops and suppliers or even Amazon and eBay.
- #18 DIY Coin Purse (these mini purses can attach to your keychain)
- #19 Scottie Dog Purse Tutorial (vinyl/leather pattern)
- #20 Stary Sky Clutch Tutorial (vinyl/leather pattern)
- #21 Makeup Brush Roll Pattern (great for storing pens too)
- #22 Zipper Pouch Tutorial (fabric basic pouch with lined interior)
- #23 How to Sew a Zipper Pocket (to put inside your bags)
- #24 Triangle Pouch Pattern (vinyl/leather pattern)
- #25 Sunshine Clutch Pattern (vinyl/leather pattern)
- #26 Tissue Cover Pattern (fits standard small packet)
- #27 Phone Cover Pattern (recycle T-shirts into a cover)
- #28 Cardholder Pattern (will hold standard business cards)
- #28 DIY Mask - Face Mask Pattern
Doll Clothing and Bedding
Doll's clothing and bedding make great small sewing projects. They don't take long and most of these patterns are aimed at absolute beginners.
The doll Tshirt will fit most popular brands of 18-inch dolls and the bedding can be tailored to any size doll. My daughter loved the bedding I made for her.
Further Reading: How to Sew Doll Clothing
- #29 Doll Tshirt Pattern (stretch fabric pattern with a Velcro back)
- #30 Doll Cape Pattern (vintage style caplet great for using long scraps)
- #31 How to Make Doll Pillows (stuffed pillow you can cover)
- #32 How to Make a Doll Mattress (measurements to fit any sized doll bed)
- #33 How to Make a Doll Blanket (quilted blanket)
- #34 Doll Pillowcase (2 styles – plain and with a border)
Small Home Decor
Home Decor items make great small sewing projects as you get to admire your work around the house. A few handmade napkins and baskets can really add a pop of color to your house.
Homemade bunting is great for kid's bedrooms and you can use a different fabric for each flag making it great for smaller scraps.
- #35 Bunting Template Pattern
- #36 DIY Kids Napkins (reversible and smaller)
- #37 How to Make Fabric Baskets (3 sizes)
- #38 Napkins with Mitered Corners
Small Sewing Projects using - Felt Scraps
Felt is a popular material for small sewing projects as it never needs any type of finishing on the edges and it is easy to sew either with a machine or by hand. Always keep all your felt scraps even when they are small as they are really useful for applique.
Further Reading: How to Sew Felt
- #39 Felt Bow with Printable Template
- #40 DIY Felt Bow
- #41 Pincushion Patterns (felt with a sewing machine motif)
- #42 Felt Gift Bags (great for Christmas and birthdays for small items)
Small Sewing Projects - Using Larger Scraps
Most of these small sewing projects use larger scraps of ½ to 1 yard. You can also patchwork some of your scraps together to form these larger items. For example, use one fabric on the back of a pillow and another on the front.
You can also sew smaller scraps together to form larger pieces. Get creative with your scraps to form really unique patchwork pieces.
If you are an absolute beginner, start with the envelope style cushion cover. This cover is just a rectangle with an overlapped back. This means not tricky zippers or buttons. Like many of my free tutorials, it has an accompanying video for visual learners so you can't go wrong!
Cushions and Pillows
- #43 How to Make a Pillowcase with a French Seam
- #44 How to Make a Cushion Cover – Envelope Style
- #45 How to Make a Doll Pillowcase
- #46 Make a Cushion Cover with Piping
- #47 Star Pillow Pattern
- #48 Travel Pillow Pattern
- #49 DIY Pom Pom Pillows
- #50 Neck Pillow for Travel
- #51 Christmas Pillow
Small Sewing Projects - In Conclusion
Creating gifts and completing small sewing projects using your scraps is very rewarding and the bonus is that you will impress your friends young and old and their children too! Best of all it is not going to cost you a cent when the pattern is free too!
This is just the perfect opportunity to turn you Cinderella scrap into a Rockerfella gift made with love and a free scrap sewing pattern!
Treasurie
Hi Linda, there are links to subscribe to my newsletter at the top of the page and I generally send weekly emails. If you are looking for the free small sewing projects there are links at the bottom of this page and no joining is required to access them. Thanks for reading my blog.
Linda
How long does it take to get an email to join?
Linda
Such fun projects, thank you for sharing.