How to Recycle Leftover Fabric

If you like to sew, the chances are that you have shelves or boxes bulging with left-over fabrics from sewing projects you have completed over the years. You probably intended to use them in a quilt, or craft project but just haven't found the time to do it, yet. I know exactly how it is. The fabric isn't really large enough to make a garment, even for a small child, but it isn't small enough to toss away without feeling wasteful.

Recently, I have found three quick and easy projects that put these pieces of fabric to use in ways that not only leave me with a more orderly sewing space, but that provide gift items that please the recipient while saving me money. Why not give one or more of them a try?

1. Use left-over fabric to make custom bags for small gifts. (See photo with article)

My favorite secret for using up left-over fabrics is to sew it into custom bags for small gifts. It costs me practically nothing and it can turn a rather ordinary gift into something extra-special.

I usually make the gift bags with a lining so it can be reused in several ways by the recipient. After the basic bag is finished, it can be customized with scrap fabrics. For example, my daughter recently had her birthday party at a ceramics store. We had to pick up the finished ceramics each that of the attendees had made the following week. Since each item was breakable, I made a small bag with fabric that matched the dolphin birthday theme to hold each item. For holidays or special occasions I choose fabrics that reflect that theme, and often line the bags with a plain color that compliments the printed outside fabric.

To make a bag, fold a piece of fabric in half with the printed sides facing each other. The piece of fabric should be several inches wider than your gift. The folded side will be the bottom of your bag. For the top of the bag, I usually add about 5 inches of extra fabric to leave room for a pretty ribbon tie around the top

Stitch up the sides of your bag. (Remember, the printed sides of the fabric face each other.) If you want a lining have a second type of fabric cut the same size, folded the same and just placed on top of the first type of fabric. Then stitch each side separately.

Trim the corners of the fabric before turning the bag right side out to be sure there won't be any unsightly lumps in your finished bag. Hem the top edges of your bag and you are ready to pop your gift inside.

To get your gift ready for giving, tie a length of satin ribbon in a color that complements the bag fabric and your project is done.

These bags can be used for almost any gift. I remember many years ago my mother making one as a joke for her parents when sugar prices were very high. Her bag was out of muslin, with a large felt dollar sign on the front representing the expensive cost of the sugar bag inside. As our economy worsens, many of us may be utilizing her idea for gift giving!

2. Use left-over fabric to make colorful pot-holders in a variety of sizes.

I love colorful pot-holders, and like to have plenty on hand in my kitchen. Take a little time to cut squares of different sizes from your left-over fabric, being sure to have at least two squares of each size. Terry cloth or flannel both make nice stuffing for pot holders so dig out those old pj's that you were going to use for window washing rags, or the frayed towels you keep thinking you will use one more time. Cut a square or two to match each size of potholder you have already made squares for. (Whether you use one or two squares will depend on how thick you like your pot holders to be. I like to have a few thick ones and quite a few thinner ones, myself.)

Assemble your pot holders with 1 new fabric piece on the bottom with the wrong side of the print down. Top this piece with your stuffing squares, followed by the other new fabric piece with the wrong side of the print up.

Sew around 3 sides of your stack and then turn it inside out. The right side of the new fabric should show on the top and bottom. After you have completed all of your pot holders to this point, iron them nice and flat, tucking the fabric in on the 4^th side so that you can sew it shut. (You may need to trim some of the inner stuffing at this point to make it fit smoothly.) Now sew your pot holder shut.

You aren't done yet. If these are going to be gifts, you might want to dress them up a little. Most of us have left over bias tape or rickrack of various colors. Try making two strips of bias tape across the potholder, about an inch from the edge with a little space in between the rows. Then do the same on one of the adjoining sides. Sew the tape carefully in place keeping the stitches close to the edge of the bias tape so that it won't be rolling up. Try designing a few more of your own. Then make a loop, also of matching bias tape to hang the pot holder.

Who wouldn't love to receive a set of 3 or 4 of these pretty and useful pot holders which cost you practically nothing but a few minutes of your time.

3. Use left-over fabric to make quilt pieces for a senior group in your area.

The little pieces of fabric I have accumulated over the years would probably make enough quilts to cover the beds of half the population in our town. The problem is that I know I will never get around to making even one, so why do I keep the fabric? I did get enough pieces cut out for a quilt one time, but never got around to sewing them together. Guess what? I put them in a box and sold them at a garage sale. That gave me this idea of how to use left-over fabric.

You can do as I did and have a garage sale. Not with the idea of earning a lot of money, but knowing your left-over fabric will find a new home where it will be doing something more useful than sitting in a box or on a shelf.

Or....you can cut out quilt pieces, which is kind of fun to do while you watch TV. Then, you can donate the pieces to a senior group in your area that enjoys quilting. If you don't want to do the cutting yourself, just donate the fabric. Most churches have sewing circles filled with ladies on limited incomes who love to sew, but can't afford to buy fabric. These groups donate their finished products to the local mission, low-income day care establishments, or similar organizations.

Those are just 3 ideas on how to quickly use up those left-over fabrics that seem to multiply like wildfire. You can probably come up with more of your own. The important thing is to turn them into something decorative or useful---or both.