10 Ways to Upcycle Upholstery Fabric Scraps
30th January 2020A waste not, want not principle in life is one of the keys to sustainability. If you are looking for ways to maximize what you have, either to save money or to help the environment, there are countless ways for you to do so. One of these is by using scraps from home improvement projects.
Some of the scraps that you may have leftover are from upholstery fabric. There are so many things that you can make out of these no matter how big or small the pieces are. So, if you need some ideas on how to make them useful at home, here are ten easy ones that you can execute during your free time.
1. Book covers
If you have books with worn-out covers, reinforce these with fabric. You can either glue the material to the original cover of the book or put your sewing skills into action by creating a removable cover using the fabric scrap.
With this little project, not only will old books have better structural integrity, but they will look nicer, too, so they can serve as decorative items for your shelves and tables.
2. Lampshades
Decorating lampshades is one of the easiest projects you can accomplish using upholstery fabric scraps as long as you have a piece of fabric that’s big enough to cover the original frame of a lampshade. Just wrap the fabric around the frame and fold these at the edges. Secure these in place with a basic running stitch or use fabric glue.
3. Coasters
For those really small scraps of fabric in your collection, the best way to upcycle them is by making them big enough for drinking glasses to rest on. Turn these into pretty coasters to prevent water rings from moist cups, mugs and drinking glasses on wood surfaces.
All you have to do is cut them to size and finish the edges by folding and sewing these tightly to prevent the unraveling of fibers.
4. Tote bags
A bag is another quick project that you can use upholstery fabric scraps for, especially if you have vastly different sizes of scraps. There are patterns that you can find online for a tote bag.
However, if you don’t want to bother with a pattern, you can create a basic frame for a tote bag just by folding a big piece of fabric in half and sewing the two opposite edges. Use the remaining scraps for a strap or bag handle.
5. Table or mantel runner
This is a fantastic project for those luxurious Crevin fabrics that you want to use in abundance at home. If you have a really long scrap, cut it into a rectangular shape, sew the edges, and use it as a table or mantel runner. You can just add embellishments to it, such as ruffles, laces, beads, or tassels, to make it more visually interesting.
6. Wall decor
If you have a diverse collection of upholstery fabric scraps, choose colors and patterns that go well together and frame them. You can buy cheap wood frames in similar sizes from hobby stores. Hang these framed fabrics on the wall as beautiful wall art.
Or, you can turn the fabric scrap into a wall hanging decor. After sewing the edges, create a loop on two ends and slip a dowel through the loops. Tie a string on the ends of one dowel and hang the whole thing on the wall.
7. Reusable hot and cold herbal compress pillow
Upholstery fabric scraps are perfect for making small hot and cold compress pillows. Make the pillow like you would a bag but sew all the sides tightly to prevent the contents (rice grains and aromatic dried herbs) from slipping out.
You can heat this herbal compress pillow in the microwave if you need a warm pack for body pain or pop it in the freezer and use it cold when you need to treat bruises and swelling.
8. Jewelry holder
You can likewise use upholstery fabric to create storage solutions, one of which is a jewelry holder. For this, the only other thing you need is a picture frame.
Get rid of the glass or thick plastic component of the frame. Afterward, wrap the frame with the fabric as you would a gift, securing the edges at the bag with a stapler or safety pins, and you’re done. You can hang all your hook earrings to this DIY jewelry holder.
9. Reusable bunting
Small scraps of different designs of upholstery fabric are perfect for making reusable bunting. Cut the scraps into whatever shape you fancy, sew the edges of the scraps to prevent fraying, and sew every one them onto a long ribbon.
Every time there’s a celebration at home, you can just bring out this bunting to make your space instantly festive. For creative bunting ideas, check out Pinterest.
10. Pet bed
If your family includes a four-legged member, why not provide it with its own luxurious bed? You can use your upholstery fabric scraps to create a soft bed for Rover. In fact, upholstery fabric is the best because it’s more finely woven and durable. The only other materials you will need are batting and a zipper.
Save those fabulous pieces
There you go, ten ideas that you can work with for all the upholstery fabric scraps you may have. If you have used high-quality upholstery fabric such as what NGC Nafees offers for furniture makeovers, you really should find great alternative uses for its scraps.
And, if you have other home makeovers that require durable and gorgeous residential fabrics, check out our vast collection on the website. We frequently come up with new and trendy designs that you will surely love.
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