Prolific sewers always seem to have scraps of fabric laying around. They’re all over the sewing room, leftover from impressive projects that took days or weeks to assemble.
It’s hard to throw anything away because there’s always that nagging feeling that you’ll make something with them someday. They’ll come in handy, you’re sure of it!
There are actually a lot of things you can sew with just a couple of yards of fabric. All it takes is a bit of skill and ingenuity, and you can make something like an apron or a child’s dress that will last for years. Every time you look at it, you’ll remember that you made it with the fabric that was an afterthought.
Sure, saving money is nice, but the feeling of knowing you made something useful out of what was left is so fulfilling. We’ve put together this great list of 15 things you can sew with 2 yards of fabric to give you some ideas on where to start.
A Simple Dress
Depending on the person’s size, you can make a cute summer dress with just a couple of yards of fabric. All it takes is cutting out holes for your neck and arms and you’re good to go.
If you’ve got any lace or buttons you’d like to add on, go for it. The more things you have laying around, the more details you can add to the dress.
Homemade Stuffed Animals
If you’ve got kids or have friends with kids, then you can use the fabric to make a lovely stuffed animal. It doesn’t have to be big, and you’ll need some cotton stuffing to make the animal fluffy, but you can make it into a bear, a dog, or something else creative.
Clothes for Your Pet
Do you have a small dog that gets cold easily or do you want to make something cute for your puppy to wear? Two yards of fabric is plenty to make one or two things for a pet.
A Table Runner
With a couple of yards of fabric, you can make a table runner that will add a pop of color to your dining room or that buffet table in the hallway. Runners don’t have to be a solid color either.
Patterns will look gorgeous on a wooden table, and it will add more contrast to the decorations that go on it like candles, a lamp, or framed pictures.
Halloween Costumes
Two yards of extra fabric are the perfect opportunity to get crazy with your Halloween costume this year. You can think outside the box and make something truly unique.
It’s a great conversation starter talking about your homemade costume at work or any parties you go to during the holidays.
Tote Bags
Everybody needs another quality tote bag. That’s exactly what you’ll get with some leftover fabric you’ve got in the sewing room.
You can make something for the beach that you can toss towels and a water bottle into and go have some fun for the day.
A Scarf
A scarf is an excellent sewing project for all you beginners out there. With two yards of fabric, you’ll have more than enough to make some mistakes and start over. If you make a couple of decent scarves, you can always give them to friends.
T-Shirts
T-shirts made with extra fabric are great for working around the house, doing art projects, and outdoor fun. You didn’t pay a ton of money for them, so you don’t have to worry about getting them dirty.
Once you’ve made several shirts, you’ll get the hang of it and they’ll start looking better and better.
Small Table Cloth
If you have a smaller table, then two yards will serve you well in making a quality table cloth. It’s something you can throw on the table for the family and during the week to protect it from kids or anything else that could damage your table’s surface.
Hot Pads
Hot pads come in handy when you’re cooking in the kitchen and you don’t want to mark up your expensive countertops with a hot pot or baking sheet. These are easy to make and a great sewing project for beginners.
You’ll need some cotton stuffing to get it some thickness, but the sewing part is easy enough.
Fabric Bracelets
You can make plenty of fabric bracelets with two yards of material. Try braiding the bracelets and trying other fun sewing techniques to make them stand out a bit more.
Hair Bows
Big bows are in style, especially for younger girls. Making bows can be a challenge, but with two yards, you’ve got plenty of room to make a mistake or two.
Keep playing around with them until you can get the bows to stand just the way you want them to.
Pouches for Sewing Supplies
If you’ve got a sewing table or a dresser with all of your stuff on it or in it, then sewing pouches for storage is a great idea. The pouches can hang off the top of a table or attach underneath it where you can keep measuring tape, straight edges, pins, and other things you use to sew.
A Wallet
For a fun sewing project, try making a fabric wallet. Extra fabric can make a full-fledged wallet or something simple like a coin purse you can carry with you or stick in the car somewhere.
Ribbons
For families with small children, parents are always thinking up cool new things to keep kids learning and engaged. What better way to do that than with homemade ribbons for when your kids do something extraordinary?
Use the extra fabric to make ribbons that you can use to reward your children for doing the chores, getting a great grade on a test, or taking the dog out for a walk. They can hang them up on their walls and it reinforces what you’re trying to teach them.
Sewing is always a lot of fun. When you’re trying to decide what to do with leftover fabric, make the challenge of finding things to sew a game. Figure out ways you can use the fabric creatively and you never know what you’ll end up with!