If you work with fabric, then you have fabric scraps, so let’s look at some scrap fabric projects to use some of our stash of little bits!
Coiled Fabric Basket
Let’s start with a few scrap fabric projects you can make even if you don’t know how to sew. One of my favorite scrap fabric crafts is the coiled fabric basket.
For this one you’ll need strips of fabric, some thread or leftover yarn (double stash buster!) and rope, clothesline or plastic shopping bags to wrap your fabric around.
I love using shopping bags for this because it feels like I’m being eco friendly in multiple ways using scraps and old bags.
Fabric Twine
I used the exact same hoard of fabric scraps to make some fabric twine, which is really just so much fun I honestly don’t know how I stopped doing it.
This one had been on my crafty bucket list for a long time and I’m so glad I finally tried it because it’s super simple and you can use it in all sorts of ways.
Decorate bags, make a garland, wrap it around old wooden thread spools for craft room decor … there’s really no end to the ways you’ll want to use it once you start making it.
Scrap Fabric Craft Gift Tags
I did actually sew these fabric scrap gift tags using a sewing machine, but you could sew them by hand or just glue them together if you’d rather.
And while these are Christmas themed, of course you can take them any direction you want for different holidays and gift giving occasions.
This is one of those fabric scrap projects that can use all the little bits of fabric, which is always appreciated.
Fabric Bookmarks
One good thing about bookmarks is you can never have too many of them. They’re great to add to a gift of a book or a bookstore gift card, and of course you’ll always use them yourself if you’re a reader.
And the great thing about these fabric scrap bookmarks is that you can make them whatever size you want, using whatever scraps you have. A skinny bookmark holds your place just as well as a wider one, and it’s really satisfying to use what you have the way it is, with very little cutting involved.
Bonus: you can pare down your ribbon, rickrack and/or thread stash by making cute little loops, tassels, braids, etc., to sew into your bookmarks if you want.
Speaking of book related scrap fabric crafts, also consider corner bookmarks and book weights, which are perfect if you like the use of your hands while reading.
Microwavable Hand Warmers
Literally as I was writing this post I stopped to make a set of microwavable hand warmers for my daughter (who just had her wisdom teeth removed) to use as tiny heating pads.
They take just minutes to make, and the hardest part of me is trying to make two (or four) squares of fabric that are roughly the same size.
These are great for beginners because they’re useful even if they aren’t perfectly square. And you can use them for more than handwarmers, as I just learned.
Fabric Scrap Napkins
Another great diy fabric scrap project is to make cloth napkins. These napkins (which are the same fabric as the handwarmers above) were made from a pair of shorts I sewed that didn’t fit the person I made them for.
You can use offcuts of just about any size to make fabric napkins, because they are useful if they are large or small. I love the small ones for breakfasts and snacks that I don’t expect to make a lot of mess.
You could also make patchwork fabric and turn it into napkins if you’re still using your little pieces.
Mug Rug Sewing Pattern
Speaking of snack time, I didn’t know what I was missing before I made myself a mug rug (the ones in the pattern are made with fat quarters, but the one on my desk is a full on scrap fabric craft project).
Mug rugs are basically giant coasters but they’re ideal for when you have a drink and a snack but don’t want to use a plate. Just use part of the mug rug as a coaster and the rest as a napkin for your cookie or whatever you are munching on.
These would also make a fun addition to a tea or coffee themed gift — the ones in the post were for a school auction as part of a coffee gift basket.
Fabric Snack Bag Project
This is a fabric scraps project you’ll keep coming back to over the years, because snack bags are always useful for different things. This is another one you can make in different sizes depending on your snacking needs, from little ones for toddlers to ones that will fit a sandwich.
And speaking of wisdom teeth removal, the sandwich sized one is also perfect for holding a DIY ice pack.
Nine-Patch Pincushion
Any configuration of fabric scraps can be stitched into a pincushion, but I love this nine patch pincushion, which uses little squares of three fabrics for the front.
I used two different fabrics on the bottom side of my pincushion, but you can use a single piece of fabric, make another nine patch or anything in between.
I keep this pincushion on my desk to hold all my hand sewing needles and it makes me smile every time I see it.
Scrap Fabric Project Bag
If you have a little more sewing skill (enough to sew in a zipper) you can make this cute scrap fabric project bag. Mine was made from some very specific fabric scraps (pieces I cut but didn’t sew into fabric masks during covid), which dictated the shape, but you can make yours any size you like.
The zipper makes it a little more useful as a project bag, especially if you need to hide projects from small children or animals, but you could leave it off if you just want a simple bag. That way it could be used as a gift bag instead of a project bag, or you could make it a drawstring bag.
I hope these DIY fabric scrap projects inspire you to go through your fabric stash and make some great fabric scrap crafts!
