I hate throwing fabric away. There are lots of great uses for scraps. But I use so much fabric, my scrap pile can sometimes get out of control and threaten mutiny. Keep those little soldiers in line by making a conscious effort to use them up whenever possible. Or better yet, get rid of whole baskets full at a time. Clear out the old and make room for the new. Here are a few ways to use up your scraps in a big way. Remember, anything more than a half-yard isn’t a scrap. Cut off the small bits, fold it up and put it on your shelf. (Your yardage limit may vary. Especially if you’re a quilter or make small items.)
Make a true patchwork quilt.
None of this matchy-matchy, fancy patterned quilts. Just cut up your scraps and sew ’em together. If you’re not into finishing quilts, you can donate sewn quilt tops to a variety of charity quilt programs.
Use fabric scraps for stuffing.
Whenever I need to stuff a pillow, a toy, even a duct-tape dress form, I try to use up scraps of fabric that are really too small to do anything with. Snips and clips of leftovers can be stored in one bag, so you can just reach in and pull out the amount of stuffing you need.
Use fabric scraps instead of styrofoam when shipping packages.
This is a great one, especially around holiday time. When you have to ship something delicate, just pad around the object with your scrap fabric. Don’t use too much, though, or you’ll wind up paying a bundle for extra shipping.
Use natural fiber scraps as firestarter.
I live in northern New England, so I’m constantly starting fires in our wood stove five or six months out of the year. I take linen or cotton scraps and wind them into a tight roll. Dip them in melted wax (recycled from old candle stubs.) Let them dray and keep them by the wood pile. The wax helps the fabric burn a long time, so I need less kindling.
Donate your extras:
Here are a few places to drop off larger sized scraps. If these places say they don’t use fabric, offer to teach a class for them.
Theater costume departments
- Schools–either to art classes, sewing classes or a theater department
- Pre-schools or daycare centers
- Retirement homes
- Scouts or after-school programs
- Sunday school programs
If you sew regularly and find you often have an unruly scrap pile, make it a habit to get rid of all of it at least once a year. Don’t feel guilty or sad, just do it. The new empty space in your sewing room will give you peace of mind. Besides, it’ll be full of new scraps in a month or two anyway.
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