If you consider yourself a quilter or a sewist, it’s very likely you have more than a few scraps of fabric laying around somewhere! This blog post is meant to inspire you to use up some of those fabric scraps by sharing 7 different scrappy sewing projects to try!
When it comes down to deciding to save fabric scraps or throw them out, my personal opinion to answer the age-old debate of “how small is too small to keep” is whether or not you can and will use it in a scrappy sewing project! Luckily some of these scrap-friendly projects use pieces as small as 1″ wide (and some use larger pieces too). I personally consider pretty much any fabric piece that is less than a Fat Quarter small enough to be deemed a “scrap”. To see how I organize my fabric, you may want to check out this post.
If you want to see all 7 of these fabric scrap project ideas in a quick video, watch it here:
Scrappy Sampler Quilt
One scrappy sewing project you can do to use up scraps is to make a scrappy sampler quilt! I made this sampler quilt out of scraps and did 12 different quilt blocks. See all the details here.
The scrappy sampler quilt is a way to try out a bunch of new blocks that you maybe hadn’t made before. I used my 12″ Qube and AccuQuilt machine – if you’re curious about AccuQuilt and want to learn more, check out “Everything You Need to Know About AccuQuilt” which is basically just alllll the FAQs I could think of!
Scrappy Zipper Pouch
Out of all these scrappy sewing projects, this zipper pouch might be my favorite! I had been holding on tightly to these Rollakan scraps for over a year, and I finally got the courage to make them into a zipper pouch! I cut out all the pieces really quickly using my AccuQuilt machine and 2.5″ square die.
The zipper can be a little intimidating, but my friend Eliane created a tutorial for this zipper pouch and it was actually nothing to sweat over. Find the free tutorial here.
If you are looking for similar metal zippers, check out Zipper Island on Etsy or Wawak. I used a 9″ metal zipper, teeth size 5. This exact one, to be precise.
Scrappy Quilty Coasters
The improve scrappy coaster is probably my favorite option for using up those super small scraps you might have around. I found it very therapeutic to sew so haphazardly without having to concern myself with matching up points. If you’ve never tried improv quilting before, I highly recommend making some coasters as a way to dip your toe in it!
Find a scrappy coasters tutorial/video featuring wonky strips here.
Scrappy Connector Quilt
You might recognize this pattern as the debut pattern in my pattern shop! The pattern technically calls for 4 main colors, but I found that it works out really well if you combine 3 of the colors into one bunch and just use up scraps for all those cuts! Find out more about the scrappy version here, or go buy the pattern here.
This scrappy Connector Quilt was long-arm quilted by the amazing & talented @JaneJustSew. She’d love to long arm your quilts too and accepts mail-in projects! Find out more at www.justsewjane.com.
Chapstick Holder
One of my favorite things about attending QuiltCon each year has been the “make-and-take” projects at some of the booths! Cotton&Steel hosted a really fun make-and-take where we got to dig through their fabrics and make fun little projects! One of the scrap-friendly project options this year was a super cute & practical chapstick holder keychain. It uses only a couple small pieces of fabric, a small piece of fusible fleece, and a 1″ keyring.
Find the whole tutorial for free here by Ameroonie Designs.
Scrappy Wall Hanging/Pillow
One really fun scrappy sewing project is a mini quilt! I made this scrappy wall hanging/pillow duo as my first project to get acquainted with my AccuQuilt Fabric Cutting Machine. See the full tutorial for how to make the pillow/wall hanging duo here.
Orange Pin Cushion
Use up scraps while combining beauty with function by making a pin-cushion shaped like an orange! This fun quick project uses just a little bit of fabric and doesn’t take much time at all. I got the pattern from @OrlandoSews and it even comes with a video too! Find more about how you can get the pattern here.
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Want more project inspiration? Here are a few popular posts:
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- How to Make a Quilt from Start to Finish
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- AccuQuilt Basics
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- Improv Scrappy Coasters Tutorial
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