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Budget Decorating DIY Decor

10 Secrets for Finding Incredibly Cheap Fabric

10 smart ideas for finding yards of beautiful cheap fabric. Find the fabric you want for all your projects without spending a fortune.

I love gorgeous fabric, but it can be incredibly expensive! Yes I knew this before – but I am still shocked all over again every time I go searching for the perfect fabric for a project. And when I need a lot – like for making curtains or slipcovers or reupholstering furniture – it is especially problematic. 

$25 a yard may seem manageable in order to get that amazing fabric you REALLY love…until you realize you need 6 yards. Which means $150 plus tax…and shipping. 

And suddenly your sweet DIY project is going to cost way more than just buying something ready-made. Ouch.

Luckily I have spent the past few years meticulously sharpening my skills for being cheap while still having awesome stuff. So I have picked up a few tricks for getting large amounts of great fabric at a fraction of the usual cost and today I am sharing all of my secrets!

This post contains affiliate links which means if you make a purchase after clicking a link I will earn a small commission but it won’t cost you a penny more.  Click here to see my  full disclosure policy .

cheap textiles projects

Warning: You have to be prepared to think outside the box to find the awesome deals.  If it was obvious, everyone would be doing it!

Start at a fabric store – but don’t buy anything there.

Visiting a fabric store might seem obvious – except we aren’t going to the fabric store to buy fabric. We are just looking. 

Before you can get creative with where you buy fabric, you need to get some basic knowledge. The main thing you want to pay attention to are the different weights of fabric. 

In general, heavier fabrics are more durable. Pay attention to the weight of fabric in the home décor section versus the fabrics for making quilts or clothes. The home décor and upholstery fabric is much thicker and heavier. Feeling the difference will give you an idea of what you are looking for to meet your own particular fabric needs.

Actually buy your fabric at places other than fabric stores.

Yes, fabric stores are the obvious place to find fabric and the easy place. But certainly not the cheapest. 

Think about the places you find cheap things for other parts of your home. Yard sales, thrift stores, Homegoods, TJMaxx, Marshalls, Target, Ikea. 

Now you are probably thinking I have overlooked an important fact – it is nearly impossible to find large amounts of nice fabric at yard sales and thrift stores and most of those other places don’t even sell fabric. That brings me to the next point.

Think outside the fabric bolt.

You can buy fabric – even large amounts – without buying it by the yard. There are dozens of other forms fabric takes.

Skirts and Dresses

If you do not need a lot of yardage, skirts and dresses are a great way to get fabulous designer fabric for pillow covers or other small projects. You can find great clothing at thrift stores or on clearance racks or just use your own castoffs.

Since all you want is the fabric, it totally doesn’t matter if the fit is odd or the cut is strange. All you care about is the beautiful fabric.

DIY pillow cover made from a cute patterned thrift store dress.

Gorgeous pillow made from a thrift store dress

If you do not need a super heavy-duty fabric, look for pretty sheets. Vintage sheets in particular come in lots of really beautiful patterns and sheet sets offer several yards of fabric. Plus sheets are perfect if you need fabric that is wider than a typical bolt of fabric from the store.

Again, lots and lots of yardage. And if you find these at a retail store rather than second-hand, you can even buy multiple panels to get extra large amounts. Plus curtains come in lots of beautiful colors and fabrics – everything from printed cotton to luxurious silk.

reupholstered glider

Armchair reupholstered using clearance curtain panels

Shower Curtains

Shower curtains are similar to window curtains but with an added bonus. A lot of shower curtains are made of a fabric very similar to outdoor fabric. It makes sense – both shower curtains and outdoor fabric are made to withstand wet conditions.  

Plus, shower curtains come in so many fabulous prints and patterns. My favorite place to find great ones at a good price is TJMaxx, Marshalls, of HomeGoods.

Wooden dining chair painted blue and reupholstered using fabric from a shower curtain.

Dining chairs reupholstered using a shower curtain

Tablecloths

Tons of yardage and lots of beautiful patterns. Plus many tablecloths are made of pretty durable stuff.

DIY hanging light made from an old lampshade and a tablecloth.

  DIY drum shade pendant using a tablecloth

Drop cloths

Drop cloths are another fabulous way to get a huge piece of fabric for cheap. Drop cloth is perfect for home decor and upholstery because it is so durable. It is also incredibly cheap. Most drop cloth has the gorgeous look of natural linen but you can also bleach it or dye it for a different look. 

Vintage sofa with a tufted back reupholstered using drop cloth.

Vintage Couch reupholstered with drop cloth

Make it your own.

But what if you search high and low and think outside the box and still can’t find what you are looking for? Even though I’m cheap, I still want what I want, not some sad compromise.

Even if you can’t find fabric you love at a price you like, you can still make it happen. You can turn any inexpensive fabric into something amazing with a little DIY magic.

Fabric dye is a fabulous way to quickly and easily change the color of just about any fabric. You can dye the whole thing a completely new color or use fabric dye to create a unique look. Just keep in mind that natural fabrics like cotton and silk are much easier to dye than synthetics like polyester.

Plain white IKEA curtains dip-dyed with blue fabric dye to make blue ombre curtains.

DIY ombre curtains using fabric dye

I used to think painting fabric was a major no-no. But after painting pillow covers, curtains, and even a duvet cover, I know better now.  

You really can paint fabric with great, non-crunchy results. You can use special fabric paint, but my favorite way is to mix fabric medium with regular craft paint. You can paint rugs, curtains, even upholstered furniture. 

If you want more info, check out this post on the best methods and paints for painting fabric .

DIY duvet cover painted with a world map design.

Painted world map duvet cover

DIY upholstered headboard with text reading Love is patient, love is kind written with paint pen.

DIY upholstered headboard personalized with paint pen

Take your fabric painting a step further and use a stencil. There are tons of beautiful stencils out there or you can make your own using freezer paper.

throw pillow stenciled with the words oh happy day

Freezer paper stenciled pillow

And those, my friend, are the tricks I use to get yards and yards of great fabric for cheap. 

What about you? What evil genius ways have you discovered to get cheap fabric?

More posts I think you’ll like:

  • Where to Get Cheap or Free Wood for DIY Projects
  • How to Paint Fabric for Beautiful DIY Projects
  • How to Paint Furniture for the Perfect Finish Every Time

I’d love for you to pin this post on Pinterest!

cheap textiles projects

Molly Beth McCain says

September 6, 2016 at 10:23 am

I don’t know how closes you live to High Point NC, but I live here, ( it’s the furniture capital of the world) and I am spoiled with a great fabric outlet we have. This place does not advertise, and is off the beaten path…. Leisure Fabrics is the name. ALL fabric is $3 .00 to $5.00 a yard!!!!!!!!!!! It’s all top quality and in style upholstery fabric. What you see is what you get! No special orders. Their store hours are 9:00-noon and 2-5:00, mon- thurs. Friday 9-noon only. Open 1 Saturday a mon. 9-noon. trust me, this place is a gold mine!!!!! Check it out if you are ever in the area!

Carrie says

September 12, 2016 at 10:31 am

Molly Beth, Thanks for the tip! I am about two hours away from High Point, in VA but that definitely sounds like it is worth a little road trip! I will have to try to get down there one day while they are open and check it out. Thanks!

February 9, 2019 at 2:01 pm

So awesome! I live in high point too. I can’t wait to visit. Also check out the salvage if you haven’t. It’s behind furniture land on Main Street. Awesome deals!!!

February 15, 2019 at 2:07 pm

kim domingue says

September 6, 2016 at 2:56 pm

A great list. I think I’ve used all of them over the years with the exception of ombre . I’m not a huge fan of ombre or tie dyed fabric, otherwise I’m sure I’d have done that as well, lol!

I know a lot of people use the terms curtains and drapes interchangeably, but I think of curtains as being made from a more lightweight and drapes are made of a much heavier weight fabric. A lot of drapes are made of fabric that is close in weight to some upholstery fabrics and are, generally, a tighter weave and are sturdier than some curtain fabrics.They’re an excellent choice for using to recover or slipcover a piece of furniture.

September 12, 2016 at 2:23 pm

Thanks Kim! Good point about the difference between curtains and drapes. I do use the two terms interchangeably but you are right, they can be vastly different. Thanks for the insight!

Erin Taylor says

September 17, 2016 at 10:53 am

This post is really useful. Thank you very much for sharing, Carrie. This will be a great reference for me. I will try to make some cushions by myself.

September 17, 2016 at 9:54 pm

Thank you. Good luck!

Kimclark says

September 17, 2016 at 11:17 am

That’s a great list. I think I’ve used all of them over the years, thanks for sharing useful information and I’m looking forward to reading new posts.

Thanks so much Kim!

Alan C. Brown says

September 19, 2016 at 7:37 am

Thanks so much for great tips! I just bookmarked for my partner, they are definitely helpful. She is designing new curtain, drapes for our kids.

September 19, 2016 at 12:04 pm

Thanks Alan!

October 1, 2016 at 11:57 am

Such informative tips! Thanks for sharing with us, Carrie. I really appreciate it. I’m looking for some kinds of fabric to make my own cushions.

October 3, 2016 at 10:17 pm

Glad it helped Ana!

Thomas says

October 8, 2016 at 6:43 am

To save money- repurpose fabric from other sources, I often find sheets, duvet covers, table cloths, curtains and placemats on clearance … Best of all, some of them already have a hem or buttons allow me to work off of. :) Btw, thanks for sharing Carrie.

October 20, 2016 at 9:31 pm

Great point – it’s awesome when the hems or buttons work into your design!

October 9, 2016 at 7:28 am

Oh man, you give a lot of great ideas to recycle. I often use old clothes to make short/simple curtains for kitchen, shower or chair carpet. Painting fabric sounds good, cant wait to try it and see my outcome. Thanks so much for inspiration Carrie!

Thanks Laura!

Linda Moffatt says

February 5, 2017 at 7:57 pm

Thanks for the good ideas. I always scour alternative sources for fabric. I do check the remnant piles in fabric stores and sometimes find something good, but mostly fabric stores are way too expensive for my projects. However, so are new sheets! Especially large ones! But I do check thrift stores, yard sales, etc. for sheets, other bed clothes, tablecloths, etc. and sometimes find really good stuff. But I had to laugh–it’s good to know I’m not the only one. Now I’ll be looking through all the clothes too.

February 6, 2017 at 9:22 pm

Thanks Linda! I like to look for remnants too but I almost never find anything that is big enough or that I really like. And you are right – sometimes sheets are really expensive too, but I have found some great deals before. I don’t know if you have Ross near you, but they have some good sales. And I agree – anything secondhand is the cheapest way to get something good!

Mary - The Boondocks Blog says

April 4, 2017 at 7:41 am

Carrie these are such great ideas! I am also a fan of taking clothes apart and using the pretty pattern. I had taken a recliner cover apart and repurposed it into curtains. Great post with lots of fun and practical ideas. And all of your projects are awesome!

April 5, 2017 at 10:21 pm

Thanks Mary! I love your idea of taking apart a recliner cover – so creative!

April 8, 2018 at 10:20 am

I loved your post! I made several pillows from a gorgeous blue patchwork quilt. I still haven’t had the nerve to cover the couch yet! I have had great luck finding bargain curtains at at Home Goods .

April 10, 2018 at 11:37 am

I love the idea of using an old quilt Donna – especially since so many of the older ones are full of holes and hard to use on a bed anymore. And I can never resist looking at the curtains and shower curtains at Home Goods because I’m always hoping for a gem!

Caden Dahl says

December 27, 2018 at 8:49 pm

My wife does a lot of crafting and I have been starting to like it more myself. Anyways, she’s always wanting to increase the amount of fabric that she has. I do like that you mentioned that even if you weren’t able to find something that you like, you can always modify it to your liking!

Eileen says

January 22, 2019 at 10:11 am

These are great tips! I ended up here after googling how to dye a gray dress a prettier color (led me to your instructions for turning fabric gray, but I read anyway) and I just happen to be in the market for fabric—for cafe curtains and for a small chair. The upholstery material I’ve seen is SO expensive! I’ve never been to Home Goods but we have one nearby so I’ll look there for curtains. Thanks to the people who suggested that. For the chair, which I’m going to have professionally recovered, I never thought of buying drapes but it’s a brilliant idea. You have a new fan and community member!

January 22, 2019 at 8:19 pm

Eileen, I’m so glad you found me and my tips could help! Good luck finding great curtains to use!

Linda at Mixed Kreations says

February 19, 2019 at 5:02 am

Great tips Carrie! Fabric is so expensive. I’ve never thought of using any of these for projects when needing fabric. I will have to remember this. Don’t think I’m ready to tackle a big upholstery job yet. Lol

February 19, 2019 at 10:33 pm

Thanks Linda!

Penelope says

February 6, 2020 at 10:49 am

Thanks, loved this and it gave me some great ideas. Just one question and I’m embarrassed to ask but what is fabric medium?

February 6, 2020 at 8:40 pm

Do not be embarrassed! I’m betting other people have the same question and I am going to update the post. It’s just something you can buy to add to paint so that it works well on fabric. You can typically find small bottles of it right next to the little bottles of craft paint for just a couple of bucks. Or you can buy it online of course. There will be instructions on the bottle for how much to mix with your paint. I hope that helps!

Rdahika says

September 21, 2020 at 10:31 am

Very creative ideas!

October 4, 2020 at 1:51 pm

Haleigh says

September 25, 2020 at 2:52 pm

Fun fact! Ikea DOES sell fabrics by the meter!

If you love an Ikea print, you can usually find the fabric for it

October 4, 2020 at 6:34 pm

Awesome tip! Thanks!

Grace Karrie Barr says

February 1, 2021 at 7:16 am

Thanks for the awesome ideas. I implemented one. It was brilliant. I went to a local thrift store and found a size 4xl white dress that was absolutely hideous. ( the lady at the check out raised her eyebrow at me. I just shrugged and told her “Carrie told me this is just the dress for me.” I got it home and my seam ripper got to work. Needless to say when i was finished i was left with almost 3 yard of the prettiest French lace and over two yard of satin. I paid $4.50 for that dress! Thanks a million.

February 2, 2021 at 10:34 pm

That’s amazing! I’m so glad it worked out for you – I’m sure that lace and satin would have been very expensive if you bought it the traditional way!

February 18, 2021 at 9:18 pm

I utilize many of your suggestions but I have never used a drop cloth for any sewing project. Thank you for your creative ideas. I just found your blog and I’m a fan!

March 4, 2021 at 4:42 pm

Melissa says

March 2, 2021 at 8:38 am

This is something i never thought of before. Found this post about a week ago and ran out to the local thrift stores to start searching…. Ive made a new skirt from a satin curtain set and im going to start my next project and make some throw pillows for the sofa from a fanastic table cloth (all from goodwill). Thank you so much for this brilliant idea to think outside the box. It would have never occured to me.

March 4, 2021 at 9:14 pm

Yay, I’m so happy to spread the knowledge! Your projects sounds like a lot of fun.

layeans says

October 4, 2021 at 10:58 pm

That’s amazing!I love the idea of using an old quilt Donna – especially since so many of the older ones are full of holes and hard to use on a bed anymore.

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150 Easy Sewing Projects That Takes Less Than 30 Minutes

cheap textiles projects

Are you looking for something awesome to sew in less than 30 minutes?

We decided to compile a list of 150 of these super easy sewing projects that you can sew within 30 minutes. If you are an experience sewer then a lot of these projects will take 10 minutes or less.

One thing to notes is that we are talking sewing time here which does not include prep time. Nonetheless, these projects are still super quick to make and I am sure you will enjoy them a lot.

Get your sewing machine ready and dive right in.

150-easy-sewing-projects-2

1.) Spit Bib ( via Sew Much Ado )

What better gift for a new mama than a hand made spit bib?

Spit Bib

2.) Hand Warmers ( via Sugar Bee Crafts )

Something nice to keep your hands warm in the office, in the car or when you are watching a movie.

Hand Warmers

3.) Vintage Button Curtains ( via West Coast Crafty )

These vintage dishcloth curtains are the perfect low cost solution to making your boring, bare kitchen windows so much cuter.

Vintage Button Curtains

4.) DIY Ribbon and Vinyl Pouches ( via Haberdashery Fun )

These pouches are perfect for your makeup, receipts, camera etc.

DIY Ribbon and Vinyl Pouches

5.) Fabric Bunting Flags ( via Hello Little House )

These flags would look great in a little boy’s room.

Fabric Bunting Flags

6.) Dolly Towel ( via Mommy by Day Crafter by Night )

Make this doll towel for that special little girl in your life.

Dolly Towel

7.) Long Stemmed Fabric Flowers ( via Snow Bliss )

No water or maintenance needed for these beautiful fabric flowers.

Long Stemmed Fabric Flowers

8.) 5 Minute Gift Card Holder ( via So Sew Easy )

Lovely gift card holder that is super quick and easy to make.

5 Minute Gift Card Holder

9.) DIY Cord Keeper ( via Leafy Treetop )

We just love this idea for keeping all those ugly cords together.

DIY Cord Keeper

10.) Scrappy Pin Cushion ( via Ellison Lane )

Scrappy Pin Cushion

11.) DIY Stuffed Balloon Animals ( via Little Inspiration )

DIY Stuffed Balloon Animals

12.) Secret Pillow Pocket ( via See Kate Sew )

Secret Pillow Pocket

13.) Mini Messenger Bag ( via Crazy Little Projects )

Perfect little bag to hold a few things such as your keys, sunglasses and phone.

Mini Messenger Bag

14.) Strawberry Pot Holders ( via Sew Some Stuff )

These pot holders make for a great gift because it will always make the person think of you when they are busy in the kitchen.

Strawberry Pot Holders

15.) Fabric Letters ( via Twin Talk )

Fabric Letters

16.) Tassel Cushion ( via Hobbycraft )

Tassel Cushion

17.) Felt Crayon Holder ( via Skip To My Lou )

Felt Crayon Holder

18.) Quick & Easy Pillow Covers ( via Crazy Little Projects )

Quick & Easy Pillow Covers

19.) Feather Dishtowel ( via Flamingo Toes )

Feather Dishtowel

20.) Beach Roll ( via The Golden Adventures )

Beach Roll

21.) Double Layer Square Circle Skirt ( via Make It Love It )

Double Layer Square Circle Skirt

22.) Swaddling Blankets & Baby Headbands ( via The Sweeter Side of Mommyhood )

Swaddling Blankets & Baby Headbands

23.) DIY Drawstring Sunglasses Case ( via Sew DIY )

DIY Drawstring Sunglasses Case

24.) Reversible Fabric Storage Bins ( via Haberdashery Fun )

Reversible Fabric Storage Bins

25.) Giant Floor Pillows ( via Mystic Mandy )

Giant Floor Pillows

26.) Easy Sleep / Eye Mask ( via The Wonder Forest )

Easy Sleep / Eye Mask

27.) Splash-proof Gadget Cover ( via Hobbycraft )

Splash-proof Gadget Cover

28.) Recycled T-shirt Tote Bag ( via One Good Thing By Jillee )

Recycled T-shirt Tote Bag

29.) Zipper Back Top ( via The Homesteady )

Zipper Back Top

30.) Preppy Dog Collar ( via Devon Alana )

Preppy Dog Collar

31.) From Scarf to a Kimono ( via Keeping Up With Us Jones )

From Scarf to a Kimono

32.) Luggage Tags ( via Delicious Reads )

Luggage Tags

33.) DIY Boot Socks ( via Infarrantly Creative )

DIY Boot Socks

34.) Book Paper Apple ( via No Biggie )

Book Paper Apple

35.) New Baby Kit ( via Blue Print Crafts )

New Baby Kit

36.) Diaper Case ( via Crazy Little Projects )

Diaper Case

37.) Vintage Scarf Curtain ( via Apartment Therapy )

Vintage Scarf Curtain

38.) iPad Case ( via Crazy Little Projects )

iPad Case

39.) Hammock Chair ( via A Beautiful Mess )

Hammock Chair

40.) Upcycled Lace Skirt ( via Radiant Home Studio )

Upcycled Lace Skirt

41.) Water Resistant Phone Pouch ( via Brassy Apple )

Water Resistant Phone Pouch

42.) 30 Minute Baby Blanket ( via Patchwork Posse )

30 Minute Baby Blanket

43.) Door Stop ( via Hobbycraft )

Door Stop

44.) 5 Minute Bookmark ( via Crazy Little Projects )

5 Minute Bookmark

45.) Ribbon Belts ( via Small Notebook )

Ribbon Belts

46.) Ironing Board Cover ( via A Beautiful Mess )

Ironing Board Cover

47.) Drawstring Laundry Bag ( via eHow )

Drawstring Laundry Bag

48.) Pretty Potholders ( via Pretty Prudent )

Pretty Potholders

49.) Library Tote Bag ( via Crazy Little Projects )

Library Tote Bag

50.) Adjustable Unisex Apron ( via Purl Soho )

Adjustable Unisex Apron

51.) Rag Quilt ( via Fleece Fun )

Rag Quilt

52.) Mini Tote Bag ( via Craftsy )

Mini Tote Bag

53.) Baby Quilt ( via Cloud 9 Fabrics )

Baby Quilt

54.) Stuffed Animal Sleeping Bag ( via It’s Always Autumn )

Stuffed Animal Sleeping Bag

55.) Double Sided Infinity Scarf ( via Merrick’s Art )

Double Sided Infinity Scarf

56.) 10 Minute Skirt ( via Make It Love It )

10 Minute Skirt

57.) DIY Drink Holders ( via Positively Splendid )

DIY Drink Holders

58.) DIY High Waist Bikini ( via Hello There Handmade )

DIY High Waist Bikini

59.) Fabric Scrap Keychains ( via Living With Punks )

Fabric Scrap Keychains

60.) Summer Sundress ( via Polkadot Chair )

Summer Sundress

61.) DIY drawstring snackbag ( via Alice And Lois )

DIY drawstring snackbag

62.) Ruffle Tote Bag ( via Crazy Little Projects )

Ruffle Tote Bag

63.) Simple Phone Wallet ( via Crazy Little Projects )

Simple Phone Wallet

64.) Girls’ Skirt ( via It’s Always Autumn )

Girls' Skirt

65.) Fabric Keychains ( via My So Called Crafty Life )

Fabric Keychains

66.) Cute and Easy Pencil Bag ( via Crazy Little Projects )

Cute and Easy Pencil Bag

67.) Scrap Basket Birds ( via The Sewing Loft )

Scrap Basket Birds

68.) Simple Tote Bag ( via Crazy Little Projects )

Simple Tote Bag

69.) Reversible Flannel Receiving Blankets ( via Stay-At-Home Artist )

Reversible Flannel Receiving Blankets

70.) Envelope Clutch ( via See Kate Sew )

Envelope Clutch

71.) Pattern Weights ( via Zaaberry )

Pattern Weights

72.) 30 Minute Bean Bag Chair ( via Project Nursery )

30 Minute Bean Bag Chair

73.) Fabric Knotted Headband ( via Sugar Bee Crafts )

Fabric Knotted Headband

74.) Polka Dot Leather Pouch ( via Polkadot Chair )

Polka Dot Leather Pouch

75.) Easy Sew Ruffle Apron ( via Joann )

Easy Sew Ruffle Apron

76.) Bowl Cover ( via A Kitschy Kitchen )

Bowl Cover

77.) Beach Bag ( via Hobbycraft )

Beach Bag

78.) Embroidery Hoop Transfers ( via Hobbycraft )

Embroidery Hoop Transfers

79.) Bias Binding Bracelets ( via Live It Love It Make It )

Bias Binding Bracelets

80.) Credit Card Wallet ( via So Sew Easy )

Credit Card Wallet

81.) Sequin Sandals ( via Hobbycraft )

Sequin Sandals

82.) DIY Lace Cuff ( via Down Home Inspiration )

DIY Lace Cuff

83.) Upcycled Nightgown ( via It’s Always Autumn )

Upcycled Nightgown

84.) Purse Organizer ( via Five Sixteenths )

Purse Organizer

85.) Bowtie ( via Lemon Squeezy Home )

Bowtie

86.) Carseat cover ( via Life With My Littles )

Carseat cover

87.) Tee Pattern ( via It’s Always Autumn )

Tee Pattern

88.) Skillet Handle Covers ( via So Sew Easy )

Skillet Handle Covers

89.) Zipper Pouch ( via Crazy Little Projects )

Zipper Pouch

90.) Reversible Table Runner ( via Teal And Lme )

Reversible Table Runner

91.) DIY Honeymoon Bag ( via Something Turquoise )

DIY Honeymoon Bag

92.) Sew a Scissors Pouch Pattern ( via So Sew Easy )

Sew a Scissors Pouch Pattern

93.) Knitting Needle Case ( via By Number 19 )

Knitting Needle Case

94.) 5 Minute Kleenex Holder ( via Hello Creative Family )

5 Minute Kleenex Holder

95.) Peek-a-boo toy sack ( via Make It Perfect )

Peek-a-boo toy sack

96.) Felt Monsters ( via It’s Always Autumn )

Felt Monsters

97.) Earbud Pouch ( via Dog Under My Desk )

Earbud Pouch

98.) Straight Fabric Bins ( via Straight Grain )

Straight Fabric Bins

99.) Book Clutch ( via See Kate Sew )

Book Clutch

100.) DIY Back Tab Curtains ( via Lia Griffith )

DIY Back Tab Curtains

101.) Super Simple Dishtowels ( via Purl Soho )

Super Simple Dishtowels

102.) Sleepover Pillowcase ( via Lemon Squeezy Home )

Sleepover Pillowcase

103.) Goodie Bags ( via Craftsy )

Goodie Bags

104.) Simple Throw Pillow ( via This Big Oak Tree )

Simple Throw Pillow

105.) DIY iPhone Wallet ( via My 3 Monsters )

DIY iPhone Wallet

106.) DIY Bento Tote ( via Pretty Prudent )

DIY Bento Tote

107.) Fabric Dragonfly ( via Hobbycraft )

Fabric Dragonfly

108.) Infant Peasant Dress ( via Sew Much Ado )

Infant Peasant Dress

109.) Maxi Dress ( via It’s Always Autumn )

Maxi Dress

110.) Baby Dress from Womens Shirt ( via It’s Always Autumn )

Baby Dress from Womens Shirt

111.) Chapstick Cozy ( via Little Bit Funky )

Chapstick Cozy

112.) Pom Trim Pillow ( via Living With Punks )

Pom Trim Pillow

113.) Superhero Mask ( via Crazy Little Projects )

Superhero Mask

114.) Kids Pirate Hat ( via Simple Simon And Company )

Kids Pirate Hat

115.) Kids Art Journal ( via LBG Studio )

Kids Art Journal

116.) Easy Oven Mitt ( via Crazy Little Projects )

Easy Oven Mitt

117.) Bunting ( via Hobbycraft )

Bunting

118.) Grocery Bag Holder ( via Phat Quarters )

Grocery Bag Holder

119.) Tie-Dyed Gift Bags ( via A Home For Design )

Tie-Dyed Gift Bags

120.) 5 Minute Bread Bag ( via Saltwater Kids )

5 Minute Bread Bag

121.) DIY Mini Boxy Makeup Bag ( via Say Yes )

DIY Mini Boxy Makeup Bag

122.) Quick Change Corsage Necklace ( via Polkadot Chair )

Quick Change Corsage Necklace

123.) Stretchy Baby Hats ( via Make It & Love It )

Stretchy Baby Hats

124.) 5 Minute iPhone Charger Case ( via Positively Splendid )

5 Minute iPhone Charger Case

125.) Cable Knit Lampshade ( via Farm Fresh Therapy )

Cable Knit Lampshade

126.) Invisible Zip Cushions ( via Torie Jayne )

Invisible Zip Cushions

127.) Camera Lens Case ( via Polkadot Chair )

Camera Lens Case

128.) DIY Mini Wallet ( via See Kate Sew )

DIY Mini Wallet

129.) Easy Womens Boxer Shorts ( via eHow )

Easy Womens Boxer Shorts

130.) Teddy Bear Top & Bloomers ( via It’s Always Autumn )

Teddy Bear Top & Bloomers

131.) Envelope Pillow Cover ( via Hey There Home )

Envelope Pillow Cover

132.) DIY Kimono ( via Brit+ Co )

DIY Kimono

133.) Vintage Peg Bag ( via Stitch Craft Create )

Vintage Peg Bag

134.) Anthropology Inspired Tassel Cushion ( via Shrimp Salad Circus )

Anthropology Inspired Tassel Cushion

135.) Yoga Bag ( via Brit + Co )

Yoga Bag

136.) Zipper Bag ( via Lia Griffith )

Zipper Bag

137.) DIY Dog Bed ( via Fab You Bliss )

DIY Dog Bed

138.) Sleeve Top Pattern ( via It’s Always Autumn )

Sleeve Top Pattern

139.) Circle Skirt ( via Made Everyday )

Circle Skirt

140.) 5 Minute Toddler Leggins ( via How Does She )

5 Minute Toddler Leggins

141.) Oven Mittens ( via I Heart Naptime )

Oven Mittens

142.) DIY Cloth Napkins and Placemats ( via Smile And Wave )

DIY Cloth Napkins and Placemats

143.) Gathered Skirt ( via Envato Tuts )

Gathered Skirt

144.) Fabric Heart Coasters ( via Thirty Handmade Days )

Fabric Heart Coasters

145.) 30 Minute Drawstring Fabric Backpack ( via Hello Wonderful )

30 Minute Drawstring Fabric Backpack

146.) Easy Knit Pencil Skirt ( via Simple Simon And Company )

Easy Knit Pencil Skirt

147.) Geomtric Pouch ( via Sew Delicious )

Geomtric Pouch

148.) Gathered Fabric Camera Strap ( via Farm Fresh Therapy )

Gathered Fabric Camera Strap

149.) Easy to Make Pin Cushion ( via Blah To Tada! )

Easy to Make Pin Cushion

150.) DIY Cloth Napkins and Napkin Rings ( via My 3 Monsters )

DIY Cloth Napkins and Napkin Rings

Is the heat making your clothes shrink? Click here to learn about effective prevention and tips on how to unshrink your clothes.

sewing to the bank

Brill ideas. Well done.

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Very nice selection of items to make …thank you

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nice ideas thank you ,

Best Rgegards

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You really did a good job here,👌👊

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Some super ideas. Would love more simple women’s clothing suggestions for the beginning sewer!

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Loved these ideas

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Love these ideas. Great for a cold & snowy day!

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I believe these are very good crafts but I noticed that just a few of them were excessive and could be bought at a store, therefore making them something unneccesary to have to make yourself. I also noticed that these are supposed to be easy but some are not easy. But I got a few good ideas so I will thank you for those.

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The list had very good ideas for sewing. Six of them will keep me busy. Thank You.

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Gathering Thread

10 Places Where You Can Find Cheap (or Discounted) Fabric for Sewing

fabric for sewing projects

Where To Buy Cheap Fabric

People sew for a lot of reasons. Forty to fifty years ago, it was lucrative for an American parent to sew clothing for themselves or their children because supplies were cheaper than the finished product.

That’s not true today, when a $10 pattern plus a $10 yard of fabric can create a blouse or shirt that can be bought for $15 or less on a sales rack.

So what’s a person to do when they want to sew custom clothing or home accessories, but also need to stick to a budget? It’s simple: you’ve got to shop around to find cheap or discounted fabrics.

1. Habitat for Humanity Re-Store

 Habitat for Humanity Re-Store

I’ve seen some great pieces of decorator/upholstery fabric at my local Re-Store. Look for home fabrics here among donated yardage of leather, suede, and outdoor fabrics. You can pick up leather pieces for $2 a pound, or $1 per foot from rolled stock. This is a great way to pick up fabrics for re-upholstery or home accent sewing.

Walmart

I’ve seen a shift in Walmart from bolt yardage to fat quarters. That’s not a problem for simple sewing projects, like cloth face masks, headbands, or quilts, but can be challenging for apparel. In my local Walmart, some bolt fabric that is available may be misleading for a new sewing enthusiast.

While it looks like a cotton fabric in a traditional print like gingham or a floral print appropriate for quilting, it is really a nonwoven fabric that may not be as sturdy as a traditional cotton check or print.

3. Joann Fabrics

Joann Fabrics

Watch for sales and coupons. The good thing about Joann Fabrics is that you can shop online or in person. I personally find their website fabric shopping a little on the frustrating side. Every time I find an affordable print that I like, I find that it is not available for store pickup, or worse – that it is sold out online. Despite that, Joann has nice fabrics worth checking into, especially if you can catch a good sale.

4. Thrift Stores

Thrift Stores

Depending on the finished product you plan to sew, you might be able to find suitable fabric at a local thrift store. Definitely think outside the box on this, however. If your thrift store does not have a fabric section, take a look at the table cloths and drapery selections.

Both offer a good deal of fabric that you can use for a variety of sewing project, especially home décor sewing. Also, check out vintage clothing for lace or buttons that you can repurpose into your sewing projects.

5. Yard Sales

Yard Sales

Yard sales, garage sales, tag sales…whatever you call them, these sales are another good place to search for fabric. Again, thinking outside the box and considering table cloths and curtains can offer good options. Even vinyl felt-backed table cloths can be used to stitch outdoor chair cushions, placemats for your outdoor dining, or pillows for bench seating.

6. Superbuzzy.com

Super Buzzy is one of my favorite online fabric stores. The prints are so unique! I’ve used them for a kitchen valence and too many headbands to count. I always start on the sale page , where you can choose between a number of percent-off sales. (Hint: start with Clearance!)

ebay

Yes, you can buy fabric on eBay! It’s a great place to find vintage fabrics. One of my favorites to search is 1930s reproduction prints. The key to successful fabric buying on eBay is to read the seller reviews and read the full description of the item to make sure you know what you’re getting.

The only time I’ve been disappointed with an eBay fabric purchase was when I did not read the details of the description. I thought I was buying several pieces of yardage, but only got one. Despite my mistake, I still got a good deal. 

7. Bedding Departments

Bedding Departments

Look for large sheet sets to use for your sewing projects . Sheets go on sale each January for annual white sales. One of my favorite home sewing projects was making coordinating pillow shams from a Ralph Lauren twin size sheet that I snagged on sale at Dillard’s one January.

My daughter loved her sheet set so much that she asked for a matching nightgown for her stuffed animal. I was able to incorporate the Ralph Lauren logo from the sheets to create a designer look.

8. Hobby Lobby

Hobby Lobby

Hobby Lobby is one of my favorite places to find farmhouse style fabrics, simply because there is a store just 30 miles from me. Their red calico ticking and red toweling striped muslin are reasonably priced and generally in stock. A cheap fabric is no good if it isn’t in stock! Keep a watch for their weekly ads, which often include a coupon for fabric discounts.

9. Local Quilting Stores

Local Quilting Stores

If you are lucky enough to have a quilting store nearby, you should always check there for markdowns or remnants. If you are a quilter, ask if they host a quilting group. It’s a great way to get involved in a stash swap, a fabric exchange. As a plus, you’ll get to know other quilters or crafters in your area.

10. Social Media

Social Media

Join a Facebook “swap-n-shop” group and offer some of your fabric pieces for exchange. You may just find that other crafters are looking for cheap fabric options, too. 

Tips For Buying Cheap or Discounted Fabrics

If you’re like me, you don’t want to sacrifice quality…you just want to save money on your fabrics. When possible, especially when shopping discounted fabric in stores, thrift stores, and yard sales, take a minute to inspect your fabrics. Hold the fabric up to a natural light. Is the fabric weave consistent or is it worn in places? Give it a light tug lengthwise then widthwise. Do the threads pull out of shape or break ? In either case, the fabric – no matter how cheap it is – isn’t worth buying. Problems with weave consistency or broken threads are both a sign that your fabric is no longer of good quality.

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Turn Scrap Fabric into NEW Clothes: 14 Sewing Project Ideas

Not sure what to do with your fabric scraps? I’m here to help! This is part 1 of my ‘scrap fabric sewing project ideas’ series.

Here are creative ways to use fabric scraps in your next clothing project. I looked to fashion brands for inspiration.

I’m starting today’s list with ideas for smaller bits of fabric. These are always hard to think of! I then suggest what to do with bigger scraps of fabric. At the end, there are inspiring examples of designer patchwork clothes and tips for mixing fabrics.

14 scrap fabric to clothing sewing project ideas

Use small fabric scraps to make bows

You could place bows on:

  • An adult or child’s dress.
  • On a waistband (front or back).
  • A small bow at the bottom of short sleeves.
  • Sew lots of small bows onto a dress or skirt to create a 3d ‘print’.

4 pink and blue dresses with bows

How to make fabric bows:

Use fabric scraps as contrasting straps.

This is a great idea for minimalist clothing. Your straps will really pop.

3 dresses with black or white straps

If your fabric scrap is cut on the bias, I would be careful here. Bias-cut fabric is weaker and likely to stretch out of shape. Straps need to be strong enough to support the weight of the garment.

If your heart is set on a bias-cut fabric, I recommend backing it with strong fabric and interfacing to support it.

Use scrap fabric to make ruffles

The ruffles could be placed:

  • On a sleeve hem.
  • Along a neckline.
  • In a shoulder seam.
  • At the bottom of a skirt or dress.

dresses with ruffles

Use fabric scraps in waistbands

Contrasting fabric in the waistline is a great idea if you want to emphasize your waist. It really draws the eye.

colorful dresses with contrasting waistbands

Use fabric scraps in collars and necklines

printed dresses and tops with collars

Use fabric scraps to add a patch pocket

Fabric scraps can be turned into patch pockets on tops, pants, and jackets.

blue and white tops and bottoms with patch pockets

I recommend adding lightweight patch pockets onto lightweight clothing, and heavyweight patch pockets onto heavyweight clothing.

If your pocket is decorative, you can even get away with using a woven fabric on a stretchy t-shirt. That’s how the grey Liberty t-shirt in the photo was made. They added a woven cotton pocket on a stretchy t-shirt.

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Turn small fabric scraps into hair accessories

Here’s how to make scrunchies using woven fabric scraps. If you don’t have enough fabric for the long rectangle, you can join scraps together and then cut out the rectangle.

black floral scrunchie and blue check scrunchie with bows

Here’s how to turn stretchy knit fabric into wide headbands or twisted headbands .

3 wide headbands in grey, purple, and check print

For really small bits of woven fabric, here’s how to make small hair bows .

a hand holding hair bows in navy and floral prints.

Use large fabric scraps to make contrasting sleeves

If you don’t have much fabric, short sleeves and ruffle sleeves are an option.

dresses with contrasting floral sleeves

Upcycle jersey scraps into pants & bras

Megan Nielsen has a good blog post on how to make pants . She shows you 3 ways to finish the pants depending on what you have: regular elastic, picot elastic, or fold-over elastic. She included a free sewing pattern, but you can also just trace pants you already own.

Bralettes are a trendy way to reuse knit fabrics. However, this is probably a better idea for smaller busts that don’t need support.

This is a different style with more coverage, but it’s not very supportive:

Here’s a bralette tutorial with more structure. You’ll need to get foam for this.

Turn scrap fabric into patchwork clothes

Chop your sewing pattern up into patches and cut your fabric out (don’t forget to add seam allowances). Or pick a different fabric for each pattern piece.

For a quiet patchwork look, use fabrics in similar colors, plain designs, and small prints. Here are some examples I loved:

4 tops and dresses with patchwork

For a dramatic look, try patches of bold color and large prints.

tops and bottoms with colorful patchwork

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Tips for mixing different fabrics together

  • I recommend mixing fabrics that are a similar weight and thickness.

If you do mix fabrics with different weights, I recommend placing the heavier ones at the top. You don’t want lightweight fabrics at the top being dragged down and stressed by heavier ones.

  • When you’re mixing prints, think about where you want the eye to look first. Try placing your boldest, largest, and most contrasting fabric in that spot. That’s where the eye will be drawn.
  • If you want balance in a patchwork design, make the left and right sides symmetrical.
  • Mix large-scale prints with small-scale prints to create contrast. If you only mix large-scale prints together, the impact of each print will be reduced and they won’t stand out anymore.
  • Try having a shared color in all the fabrics to unite them.
  • Sketch out and color your design ideas first. You’ll be able to plan your fabric placements more confidently.

Use fabric scraps to make skirts

Here are some interesting ways that brands have created patchwork and paneled skirts.

6 patchwork skirts in colorful prints and colors

More posts like this:

  • How to Reuse Old Jeans to Make New Clothes: 46 STYLISH Ideas
  • Reuse Old Jeans: 37 Creative DIY Ideas for Bags & Home Decor

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Little House Living

Where to Buy Cheap Fabric

This post may contain affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy here .

cheap textiles projects

Want to be a seamstress but are shocked by the high price of fabric? Here’s where to buy fabric so that you can make the most of your crafting budget.

Want to sew some clothing or make some fun crafty projects? Here's where to buy cheap fabric that won't break your budget plans! #fabric #cheapfrabric #savemoney #sewing

Table of Contents

Cheap Places to Buy Fabric

I’m not a big-time sewer but I do like to buy fabric occasionally for certain crafting projects and for miscellaneous mending needs . The trouble is that most of the time the fabric you can get at regular fabric stores is way too expensive to make it worth buying and making anything out of! Now I’m sure that many of you that are bigger sewers than I am and you have more tips than this so make sure to share them with the rest of us in the comments section as well.

As far as price goes, I’ve found that your non-traditional fabric buying options are best, however, as far as selection goes you may need to stick with a regular fabric store and just rely on the coupons they provide. Here is a list of cheap places to buy fabric to check out.

–If you are new to sewing, first check out my list of 7 Tools Every Beginning Seamstress Must Have !

fabric1

While this is not an exhaustive list of where to buy cheap fabric, these are some of my favorite places to look. Be sure and read through the comments from other readers for even more ideas and leave your own comments as well!

Cheap Fabric at Garage Sales

This doesn’t happen all the time but occasionally I will be able to find fabric (mostly scrap) at garage sales. I’ve noticed that if a sale is going to have a good amount of fabric it is generally advertised in their newspaper ad.

If you don’t see any ads that speak directly about fabric, look for garage sale ads advertising a “nick-nack” or miscellaneous sale or sometimes even craft items. Garage sales that are advertising children’s clothing and similar items are generally not the place to look for fabric. If you find a large amount of fabric that you want to buy, don’t forget to ask for a bulk price!

–How to Make the Most of Rummage Sales

Cheap Fabric at Senior Center Sales

This one is similar to garage sales above but one put on in a senior center. We have one of these sales yearly in my area at a large senior center and it usually has a huge table full of all kinds of fabric!

If you like to repurpose old fabric for projects this is also a great place to look for that. Many older clothing garments were made of a more quality fabric than you can find on clothing now and it works well for repurposing projects. Many of these senior center sales can be offered on a donations basis which means you might be able to find a great deal!

— Free Simple Sewing Patterns

fabric2

Cheap Fabric at Thrift Stores

This is usually a fairly reliable source of inexpensive fabric. All of the local thrift stores I can think of have a nice “crafting” section that usually has at least a dozen of bundles of fabric.

These bundles are a little more expensive than the previous 2 options, but as I said, if you have a good local thrift store, you have a pretty good chance at getting fabric whereas rummage sales and senior center sales can be hit and miss. I’ve even found some fairly large amounts of fabric at thrift stores not just scrap pieces.

Thrift stores (and garage sales) are also a great place to find old sheets which, if you think about it, is an awesome source of fabric for crafts! You get a large piece of fabric that is usually priced pretty low. I love making Rag Rugs out of old sheets.

— Free Printable Sewing Patterns

Cheap Fabric at The Fabric Store

Wait…didn’t I just say that fabric stores were expensive? Well, they can be, but like in all stores, there are always ways to find a deal! Look for clearance racks of discontinued patterns.

Some fabric stores also hold sales were you can find half price deals on the “regular” fabrics, however the best luck I’ve had at finding deals is shopping the clearance. Check online at the store you are going to first for coupons.

 Cheap Fabric at Big Box Stores

Yes, even stores like Walmart and Hobby Lobby have good deals on fabric! Search around until you find the remnant bin and you can get deals on scrap fabrics. I’ve even found some remnants that are several yards long, enough to make a large project with!

Also as I mentioned above, if you need a very specific type of fabric this is going to be your best option since they will have the largest selection. Hobby Lobby always has a weekly coupon (that can be used on up to 10 yards of a single fabric) that you can print and take with you to the store.

I’m not much for buying fabric at Walmart for several reasons but I do like to get my notions like elastic and ribbon there since it’s a pretty good regular price.

— Sewing Projects that Take Under 1 Hour

fabric3

These are just a few of the places to buy fabric that I’ve regularly been able to find a deal at for my little projects! Since we don’t live very near any of these places I’ve also started ordering fabric online from stores like Fabric.com. They often have sales going and it’s a cheaper option than driving all the way to the store for what I need.

Some of my favorite projects that I’ve been making lately with my cheap fabric are:

  • 10 Minute Baby Receiving Blanket Pattern
  • Easy Fleece Hat Pattern
  • 15 Minute DIY Pillow Covers
  • DIY Maxi Skirt

What are some of the places that you buy cheap fabric from? What projects are you working on right now?

merissabio

This article on where to buy cheap fabric was originally published on Little House Living in October 2012. It has been updated as of January 2019.

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150 Comments

I like to look at the plus sized dresses at thrift stores too. Jumpers especially are a great source of fabric for smaller projects. Just be sure the dress doesn’t have too many seams, which make the overall pieces of fabric smaller.

OR you could leave the clothing for plus sized individuals to actually wear… crazy idea huh

I other words, if i buy a sheet to make night gowns for my kids, i shouldn’t because someone might need it to sleep on that night. HUH????????

Please do not buy up the plus sized clothes at the thrift store just to cut up. There is a documented and very real issue of shortages of plus size clothing at thrift stores; poor women tend to be plus size, who tend to not have a lot of spare garments to surrender to thrift stores, and who rely on thrift stores for basic clothes security, which are short on fitting clothes for the aforementioned reason, and it’s a recurring cycle.

Upcycling is really cool and noble and you totally should do it, but please leave the plus size clothes for the plus size women if you don’t need them.

So we should put aside what we want to buy just in case someone else wants to buy it? Shove off on that nonsense.

Someone else may need to wear it not cut it up.

As a plus sized person and a poor person. I say I’m a grown up who understands the concept of first come, first served. Not intending to be rude but just saying.

Please don’t do this with plus size clothes. It’s already hard for larger women to find clothing. When you’re poor it’s even more difficult.

There are lots of places to find cheap fabric; there are not many places for women to find affordable plus size clothing.

What you are saying here about there being a shortage of plus-size clothing makes sense. But what about plus sized dresses from the eighties or nineties that are very dated but have a lot of useable fabric? I don’t see anyone wearing them as is and it makes sense to up-cycle those ones rather than let them go to waste. Does anyone know of people wearing those dresses as is?

I volunteer at a free clothing center. We give away lot of clothing to poor ppl. There are many very nice pieces of clothing ( fabric) that no one takes. I have taken velvet jackets and made stuffed animals from. We have passed on a ton of wool blazers and dressy dresses…all sizes, to a thrift that sells clothing. Poor ppl do not want a certain style of clothes.

I agree Sandy. But it’s not so much that poor people don’t want a certain style of clothes as it is that certain styles don’t make sense for their lifestyle. Where would a poor woman wear a fancy dress, for instance? Or even a nicer dress? Those would require a certain type of shoe, maybe nylons, when there is no money for extras. Why would they purchase something that requires special care when there are no funds to pay for that? I once had a boyfriend gift me with a fur coat. It made no sense! Made much more sense to sell it. Where in the world would I wear it? So yes, it makes sense to recycle items that can’t be used otherwise.

Not true, we do like nice things also. They are hard to find.

Well you said plus size woman are usually poor. Maybe they should consider spending less on groceries then they wouldn’t need to buy thrift store clothes because they would have more money. If something is for sale it’s up for anyone so your comment is completely ignorant just like my response

That’s a CRUEL and unnecessary comment. You are implying that plus-size women are eating way too much when the fact is, the cheaper groceries are higher in calories and more fattening. Fresh vegetables are expensive while items like pasta, rice and beans are cheaper.

And yes, your response is most definitely completely ignorant and hateful.

How did this turn into a fat-shaming episode?!?!? There are also medical conditions that cause weight gain, such as someone that is on dialysis. That person DEFINITELY did not choose to have their kidney/s fail!! The is totally disrespectful to those who have health issues. How would you like it if you were being so despised by greedy/self-centered people who just feel entitled????

I was poor the entire time I was raising my kids. I often chose to fill up on starches or skip meals entirely so that my kids had a more balanced diet. For months, I took popcorn to work for my lunch so that I could feed my kids dinner. And yes, I’m disabled and have chronic pain/illness so those things affected my options as well. I’ve been out of poverty for 2+ years now. I can afford healthy foods. I’m actually eating more; no skipped meals, etc. And eating more, I’ve still lost more than 40 pounds! People need to take their assumptions, then take the first three letters of that word, and shove them there.

Are you an idiot? What she said was most poor women are plus size, not that plus size women are usually are usually poor. There is a distinction that you apparently don’t grasp. Many poor women have families to feed and are on food stamps. There’s a lot of carbs on their grocery lists because they are more filling. Look into what poverty really means and its causes. I am stunned.

Hooray for your comment, jkweigle! Too many people need reality checks.

Sentence structure people. Using the correct grammar is vital when communicating. Feelings wouldn’t necessarily get hurt if you were to write grammatically correct sentences. Just a thought

OMG! I’m dyin right now😂😂😂

OMG!!! Truly the most ignorant comment ever!!!

Charmaine, I agree!

You’re a horrible person 😦 I’m so shocked to even find such a cruel and ignorant comment on a frickin craft blog comment section 😭 goes to show that cruelty and idiocy are everywhere I guess

Katie, you’re assuming that plus-size equates to a large appetite. Not necessarily! Starches are cheaper than healthier options, so a small budget means fewer healthy foods. And if a woman is working (yes, poor people do work), getting back and forth on public transportation, etc she likely has less time and energy to cook from scratch so relies on processed foods – also a much less healthy option. Eating poorly is still a better option than going hungry! Check your assumptions!!

Ohhhh yesss—-your comment IS totally ignorant, and even your saying yourself that it’s an ignorant comment does not take away the meanness, judgment and body-shaming aspects of your comment.

This just got heated.

What is going on?! This is crazy lol

That’s why I can never find clothes! 🙁

you can buy men clothes also since they are also larger in size

So, you are saying that big women need to wear need to wear men’s clothes? That’s like saying small skinny women need to wear children’s clothes. An expecting woman should also wear men’s clothes?

I am a skinny women that thrifts in the women’s and children’s clothes. They are not saying that you “need” to, they are saying that it’s an option if you usually can’t find clothes that fits in the intended place. It’s a very useful tip for people that have trouble finding clothes.

I was making a corduroy quilt so I bought alot of dress pants cheap at the thrift stores!

I can add to your list! I sew for a living and am a bargain hunter, so I’ve been learning the ins and outs of this.

Estate sales can be a great place to find fabric and notions, especially vintage stuff. Not many people are in the market for that kind of stuff and they usually price the stuff very cheaply to get rid of it.

I’ve had some luck at church rummage sales as well. I get the sense that a lot of it is leftovers from estate sales, hence – vintage fabric and notions, and even some great books and pamphlets for projects.

Also, if you don’t need a lot of fabric, check out the remnant bins at fabric stores. These are the ends of bolts that have less than a yard left on them, and they are usually marked down by at least 50%. They’re especially great for pieces of polar fleece and quilting cottons, and even piece of interfacing.

More great tips, thanks for sharing!

I come from a large family with many blue-collar workers. We use the old stained jeans to make quilts and things like that. You get a chance to pass on grandpa’s jeans to more than one grandchild. I also use my scraps to make dog quilts. They are smaller quilts and I take them to the humane society. I am not throwing the material away and the baby (dog or cat) are getting a comfortable place to lay. Just remember no stuffing in the dog blankets. They like to pull it out and make their handlers job harder. Happy sewing.

The dog and cat shelters never have enough supplies. Also homeless shelters. Thank you for reminding us all.

I never thought about senior citizen rummage sales so thank you for that and or estate sales or the way I do enjoy a vintage and antique Linens and that type of thing

I just wasted 30 mins of my life reading the ridiculous comments…. although some of them were funny. I did have a take away…. if you find some fabric that you can use to make something… then get that fabric. The where and the how are irrelevant.

I’m a homeschooling momma blogger working her way through life on one blog and Little House on the Prairie school curriculum on another. Was fun to be guided to your blog today!

I rarely buy fabric at a fabric store. It was originally because I couldn’t afford to, now I realize I rarely have to, unless I need a very specific piece for a project.

Last weekend I was digging through a huge pile of fabric and the woman was so desperate to get rid of stuff, she gave me the WHOLE pile for $3. The pieces were 3-6 yards each, cotton, flannel, lace, it was amazing. I am teaching my last child, a ten year old girl, to sew, so it’s wonderful having a lot of material to enjoy without worrying about making a mistake and “wasting it.”

I use thrift stores for buttons, as well. When they clearance clothes out for really cheap, I look for clothes that have buttons I like. Cheaper to spend $.99 for a shirt full than $4 for a card with 4.

This was a fun blog to find this morning!

What a great find! And a big warm welcome!

Out of season sheets are always on sale. Flannel and cotton and provide lots of fabric..also curtains and even shower curtains.

I’m picturing Maria Von Trapp… 🙂 These are great ideas, though!

Try substituting sheets, either bought on clearence or at a thrift store. You get a ton of fabric (Especially if you are looking for Jersey Knit) for a much lower price!

Oh I’ve done this before and forgot to include it in the list, great thinking!

This is great! I have been using sheets for a long time and irks very well. Curtains and shower curtains and so much more. Also I have used table clothes for a lot of things.

Does anyone remember sending away for a “scrap assortment” from Coats & Clarks?, I think? I can still remember that they would send you zippers, lace, buttons..anything that they make..it was quite an assortment & it was FREE!..you just had to send a stamp..it was enough to fit inside a large envelope. I was only 10, but I can still remember opening it & examining everything..it was WONDERFUL to a little girl just wanting to learn to sew! 🙂

I remember that too They used to ask for 3 rapings and they would send ribbons and lace That was Wright Co.

I know this was a few years back, but just in case you see this or someone else does who figured it out, what was autocorrected to “rapings”? I’ve tried to figure it out but can’t, and I’m interested to know what they asked for. Thanks!

wrappings from the products that you had already bought…I guess they could figure out what you had purchased?

I remember doing that, too! I would get so excited when their package came. I would get all kinds of things from them— Rick-rack, bias tape, buttons, zippers, etc. I sure wish they still did it!

I too did that just to get something addressed to ME

I remember getting those…wonder if anyone still does this. It was great fun, like getting little Christmas surprises.

I ordered the scrap assortment one time when I was young, thinking I could use it when making Barbie clothes! And guess what? I’ve still got it packed away with my Barbies!!

I live near Los Angeles. Downtown, there is a ‘fabric district’. I’ve gotten really great bargains there. I go early so I can find parking, and only take as much cash as I plan to spend, plus a couple $ for a hot dog from the street vendor 🙂 otherwise, I’ll go a little crazy! (I’m a fabric junkie!) If you live near, or are visiting a large city, ask around to find out where the fabric district is.

Dallas TX also has a fabric district. They have different kinds of fabric in the different stores.

I sew all my kids’ clothes and am always on the look out for great fabric. One place I have found that you can find some really cute fabric is online at Connecting Threads – their clearance section often has fabric for as little as $1.95/yd. It is geared towards quilters, but I have found some very lovely fabric that was neither cheap looking nor cheaply made. Be cautious of some of the big bulk stores because they have a tendency to sell cheaply made fabric – which if you have to replace often or redo, can be more costly. I also shop around at Fabric.com where they will occasionally have nice clearance and then I stock up to take advantage of their free shipping. Ebay is another good place to hunt for speciality fabric that can be costly elsewhere, just watch out for high shipping prices! Sometimes when you live so far from town, it’s more economical to do your shopping online, like us; that being said, nothing beats spending some quiet time strolling through a large fabric store!

Thank you for letting us know about Connecting Threads. Just checked it out and there is FREE shipping on orders of $50 or more. And their clearance section is full of stuff. Bookmarked this page because I’m sure I’ll be going there often.

I love to sew. I love to get wool men’s suits at the thrift store. I have taken those apart and made beautiful pillows, quilts, and even other clothes from the suits. I brought a set of new curtains in a thrift store….It has about 20 yards of fabric.(these are commercial drapes from an office building) I will use the backing of the curtains for a quilt backing. For the sum of $8.00 I got almost 40 yards of fabric.

WOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOW! Way to go, lady!!

I always check the clearance section at Joanns fabric. They also offer coupons if you download their app. Unfortunately they are the only fabric store besides Walmart in my area. I also look for fabric at yard sales and thrift stores. I recycle clothing for some of my projects. Estate sales are great for this. Some of our local thrift stores are becoming “pricey ” on their fabric and craft supplies so I watch for their sales as well. Dollar tree sells buttons in little jars. I grab 2 or more of the same jar to get better chance to match buttons. Auctions are another opportunity to find fabric being sold in lots. Good luck and happy sewing

I always shop for buttons at thrift stores, usually never spend more than $1 per shirt or sweater (end of season, back to school, etc) some shirts have beautiful ceramic or metal buttons, for sewing or crafts; some sweaters have very large buttons, and many, 8-12, all matching! (Needed 8 large buttons for a duvet, found a sweater with 12, perfect size and color!)

Oh, and don’t forget some online places. Sometimes folks get rid of fabric lots on Ebay, you’ll have to take what comes with it. I like Gehmans Country Fabrics, online store, very good prices and the Tropical Breeze fabric is literally a breeze to sew!

Find the wholesale distributers in your town, they usually have “open to the Public” times and you get to buy at the wholesale price.

Bag Sales at Church Rummage Sales…. in my town consistently the best place for extremely inexpensive fabric. For $1 or $2 for the paper Grocery sack, I can neatly roll up 12-15 warm bathrobes. Lots of fabric in a bathrobe! For $1 bag, a laundry washing, and used elastic for waistlines, I made NINE pairs of warm fluffy pajamas for my grandkids one Christmas…. plus, with old pillow stuffing, matching little teddy bears to go with 🙂 Awesome frugality 🙂

Absolutely, rolling is the KEY when buying by the bag! You can fit a lot by using a tight roll, rather than stuffing or folding (also the key to fitting more trash in your bin, rolling paper and plastic)

love these tips… more more please !!!

Awesome tips, thank you! I’m just learning how to sew, and hate to waste money on expensive fabric.

I frequent the remnant bins at Joann’s Fabrics…they are always 50%, but that is not a huge deal since Joann’s often has 40% or even 50% coupons. However, it’s 50% off the current price so if the fabric is on sale that week, you get 50% off the sale price and that’s where I find the deals.

For example, this week it’s 60% off snuggle flannel prints. They are normally $6.99, onsale for $2.80. So a yard of flannel remnant would be $1.40! Obviously, the downside is that remnants are hit and miss, or you find something but only 10″ of the fabric…but I always make sure to look thru them for the occasional great deal ;0)

And a couple of weekends a year, they have 75% off remnants!

I like to hit up the remnant bins at JoAnn, but I try to know what fabrics are on sale – the sale carries over to remnants! I just got about 3/4 of a yard of minky dot fabric that was about $11 regular price, $5.40 on sale, then 50% off because it was a remnant! I also love stocking up when they have 50% off red tag fabric.

Sheets can make very nice fabric. My kids and I like to attend Civil War re-enactments; they love the clothes. Percale sheets make wonderful dresses and pantalets for the girls. Thrift stores usually have lots of used sheets, in patterns and solids. Lots of fun for little money. 🙂

Hey in my neck of the country the yard & garage sales are not “little old lady” stuff. Nor “nick nack ” crap. ! Thrift stores are great for fabric from comforters, clothing, craft stuff also to make quilts, blankets and wool for beautiful rugs.

So lucky! 🙂

Great tips!! Thank you 🙂

I’ll put in a plug for auctions here, too! Fabric is often included in “other items too numerous to mention”, rather than actually listed, but a listing for a sewing machine means there is likely fabric to go with. Auctions are also the BEST source for vintage linens, which can often be repurposed beautifully. At one auction, I spent $6 (yes, six dollars) and brought home a perfectly working sewing machine, in good shape, including cabinet and chair, a bunch of thread, both sewing machine thread and serger cones, some trims and elastic, and about 3 banana boxes worth of fabric, most of it quite nice stuff. Definitely, all of my daughter’s summer dresses came out of that bunch of fabric that year. Another time, I got two huge boxes of cotton knits for $20…but that was a very odd auction.

Also, if people around you know you sew, fabric will often find you. Be grateful for it all, and pass the icky polyester doubleknit from the ’70’s on to someone who will appreciate it (or use it for weed block?) and more good fabric will find you

One more auction possibility: last winter, I bought an auction box of linens because there were a couple of good wool blankets in the box, and the whole box was $5. When I got home, it turned out that there was a bunch of vintage linens and assorted tablecloths under the blankets, including a pilebof those round tablecloths that it used to be in style to have hanging all the way down to the floor, hiding a small round endtable sized table. Well, my 6 year-old was asking for “Laura and Mary” dresses and pinafores, to wear as summer playclothes. Those already-ruffled tablecloths made up into very nice little girl pinafores!

Small town thrift store prices are much better than the bigger towns and cities. Also, don’t forget about sheets! Lots of fabric there and often times we find new or nearly-new sheets at the thrift stores. Our local thrift store sells them for a dollar each. That’s one dollar for a whole dress 🙂 or a few aprons.

One of the thrift stores I go to has a cycle–their prices are color- coded, and every week one color is 1/2 price, the other color is 75% off. (50% this week is 75% next week). I have about a dozen suede and/or leather coats that I plan to make purses out of. Most of these leather/suede jackets were less than $3.00!! My selection includes various colors, so the options are endless!!

I have done the leather/suede purchases at thrift store also. Even the smaller size leather pants make excellent doll shoes and boots.

OHGOSH!!! I am kicking myself now since I just got rid of the majority of the stuff but – thank you, thank you for the idea of using the old polyester knits for a weed block layer! I now have a use for any more that finds it’s way to my house!

I go to Goodwill on quarter day and buy dress shirts for $.25 each. Just watch content. Looking for the color tag that marks if it’s a quarter Makes shopping take less time. A real score for me is a XLT men’s shirt with long sleeves! 😉 I use cotton and flannel bed sheets for quilt backs a lot if the weave is not too tight. Sometimes Bed, Bath and Beyond will have bedding on clearance and I just get picky so I don’t overdo it. Use the bottom (fitted) sheet for piecing, and the top (flat) sheet for backs or clothes. I usually end up keeping pillowcases as they are; great for giving and storing quilts in.

I have had problems with using sheets for quilt back, because the weave is so tight. Flannel might work better. Thanks for the idea.

I limit myself to 500 thread count or less. Yes, flannel always works because it’s always less than that. 🙂

Fabric wholesale direct has great solid fabrics for around $2-5 per yard and they always have sales on pattered and sequin fabric.

Don’t forget to buy canvas drop cloths at Lowe’s , Home Depot or Big Lots and Fred’s. Lots of yardage cheap, and you can dye it in a plastic storage tub! Very good for things that need to be durable…

I recently made a purse out of canvas drop cloth fabric. I lined it with quilters cotton. It came out really nice.

Hi I live in Wales UK,sewing is going out of fashion over here,and it is getting more difficult to find shops who sell fabric.When you do manage to find someone selling fabric it is so expensive,I have even tried on eBay but they are asking £13-£33 per mt,way out of my price range. Been looking in boot sales and church fairs ,but people know its worth quite a bit of money and they charge for it. No wonder sewing is going out of fashion, its become an expensive hobby.Sorry for going on like this but it gets very frustrating.

I know exactly what you mean! Have you checked online fabric stores? I tend to find some good deals there but the ones I’ve checked are all US based sites.

There are many, many sites on Facebook for fabric……throw out words like quilting, sewing, fabric, etc. and you will be amazed at what you find at reasonable prices all mailed to your door using PayPal.

Excellent idea! I’m on facebook all the time, even joined a few of their clubs. Never thought to look for bargain fabric there. Thanks!

I know fabric is less expensive here in the U.S., but it’s gotten way too expensive, and I feel the same way as you do about sewing. I used to sew my own clothes when I was younger, but it’s not worth it now. It’s a shame.

I understand, and agree fabric is getting very expensive, I use to get good deals on eBay and etsy, but it’s been awhile, oh how I wish we could find good cheap fabric,, my home town, Marathon Texas

I used to work at a fabric store and got some good deals on fabric. I then went to a new Walmart and helped set up the fabric and craft area. I got a lot of good deals on things there. My husband threatens to have a fabric and remnant sale all the time. One good thing about it he now helps me on making quilts and does a good job at it. He bought me a longarm quilting machine. I’ve also got good deals at yard sales.

The Wal Mart where I shop just got in a bunch of Waverly fabric at a very good price, cheaper than Joann’s that is across the street. I picked up a few pieces, but wish I could get more. You have to be there when they get it in as it will disappear as the word gets out. I make aprons to sell on Etsy and at our local farmer’s market. I do well because I make all kinds of aprons for adults and children.

All though it has been said to go to thrift shops… not only can you find just fabric but big dresses, shirts, pants, coats. I once found a long denim coat. I couldn’t decide to wear it or use it for patches on jeans… so I wore it until I needed it for patching. The backs of old jeans are good for patching also. I also save the pockets and zippers. I will use them someday. I still want to make a quilt out of back pockets of jeans someday.

Speaking of old jean pockets–I have seen so many things on Pinterest that are made from denim. I also seen photos of organizers made of jean pockets and hung on a wall. Beautiful…especially if the pockets are ones that were decorated!!

For larger inexpensive pieces of fabric, check second hand stores for sheets, So many people donate perfectly good stuff —

JoAnn Fabrics remant bin has some really good deals on fabric. The pieces in the remant bin are always half and if the fabric bolts they came from are on sale then its half price off the sale price. Unfortunately the remants are no more than a yard but you can sometimes you can find several pieces of the fabric.

Loved all these tips! I am a committed Joann fabrics shopper, but I’ll definitely have to try these other tips. If you do go to Joann’s definitely look in the remnants bin, I found some really amazing deals on Christmas theme fabric the beginning of December. Also, don’t forget to peruse the red tag section at the very back of the store. Sometimes the bolts are a little unorganized but they have all sorts of treasures. I found Halloween and July 4th themed fabric for $2 a yard. It was red tagged as $4, but all red tag was 50% off. Also, Joann’s does tons of coupons (a percentage off a certain item). Then if items are on sale you could still use a 20% off a total purchase coupon if they have them. And if you are a teacher or student you always get 10% off. I love deals!

I remember my mother would take buttons off of all kind of shirts that was old. Reused them for other shirt or dress and skirts that she use to make by her self by had.

My favorite place is the thrift store…especially sheets. Thank you for all your inspiring ideas!

Our local Walmarts sell very good fabrics, including Waverly fabric which is excellent quality for 3 to 6 dollars a yard. They also clearance fabrics for $2 to $3 a yard regularly. Keep your mind open, check for quality, you shouldn’t be able to see through the fabric unless it’s the design, watch for sales, and you can get some good quality, inexpensive fabrics almost anywhere. cdahlgren at live dot com

I want to know from where or which website I can buy quilting fabric from ?? Thanks

I love looking for quilting fabric on Craftsy.com. They have really nice fabric!

Try Marshalls Dry Goods located in Batesville, Arkansas. They are a manufacturing company for fabrics – all kinds and types of fabrics and also for quilt batting.

http://www.marshalldrygoods.com

Online, they have very inexpensive pricing. I have gone to the store in person and bought quite a bit of quilting fabric priced around $3.00 – $4.00 a yard. They also have a clearance section for fabrics that are going out of stock and they sell off what they have left over.

Yes! All good ideas! I always like to look at cheap clothes. They provide a lot of fabric, and prom dresses at a thrift store are a really good choice. They provide TONS of gorgeous fabric for REALLY cheap! Chloe

Merissa, “My what a wonderful thing you share with others”, your time away from your family and your knowledge which will leave a lasting impression on all the young ladies either beginners in sewing or young mothers. I can remember my Mom teaching myself and my little sister to sew…my sister is a master quilter/sewer. Myself, a tom-boy always out riding my horse and enjoying the outdoor life. I like to sew and really am into quilting. A beginner as I have always worked away from home. To this date, so many fond memories of my very favorite teachers in school was my Home Economics teacher and her husband was my sixth grade home room teacher. With my parents and my favorite teachers strong leadership of showing love, kindness, their knowledge, respect of others and belief in God has remained within all my life. I too, shared this with my son and with all whom I know. So, go forward young one and know that your sharing will always be remembered by someone’s. I respectfully send this “Thank You”…

I found a beautiful 100% cotton name-brand duvet cover from Savers (a thrift store) for a great price. It’s twice the size of a regular sheet; I’ll be putting that in quilts for a while to come, and perhaps using it as a backing.

I’ve also found quilting fabric there for 50 cents or a buck a yard, and recently found yards and yards of Jumbo ric-rac that I’ll use in a quilt at some point.

Also, let the world know you’re looking for fabric, and what types. People looking to downsize may shower it upon you!

I went to an estate sale that had a large bedroom FULL of fabric, zippers, patterns, buttons etc. There were several of us that were in heaven that day. We have a thrift store near by that has a bag sale once a month. As much clothing as you can fit in a shopping bag for $5. I stock up buying large full skirts and dresses. I even buy clothes that can be restyled. I made several outfits for my daughter when she was in high school. I used old 60’s patterns and retro fabric from clothing to make her dresses that her friends coveted.

For those of you that are interested in quilting fabric, desperatequilters.com has an area on there web site that has fabric for $4 a yd, All first quality quilting cottons. I have bought from them many times in the past & they are very nice if you need to call. If you don’t see anything you like, keep checking back as this section has a major shift several times a yr. Buyers go to Houston to “Market” & when they come back they clearance all the old stuff out to make room for the new. Good luck to all. If you happen to see a fabric/quilting store go out of business that is the time to do a major buy. I did that after Hurricane Katrina, now I have friends that prefer to shop out of my stash, as we have very few places to buy fabric in the state, or even neighboring states. If you are visiting FL make part of your vacation, fabric shopping–they still have lots of nice stores especially in the outlying Orlando area. Sadly, I no longer live in FL

Don’t forget about table cloths especially after the holidays. I buy the biggest size to use for my project at a thrift store.

This list has some great places to buy fabric but none of them are very specific. One of the places I have found myself going to very often is stash builder box. Almost every time I am on the computer I realize that I am on their site looking at fabrics. I love finding new fabrics for my projects and this has some of the best I have ever seen. One of my favorite things about this website is that they send 3 yards of fabric to my doorstep every month. This is my favorite fabric website and I suggest everyone go check this out and add it to their list of places to buy fabric.

http://stashbuilderbox.com/

Thanks for the suggestions. Brand new to sewing and was overwhelmed with fabric costs, especially since I plan to make make items for a charity. Found our Goodwill store today and was almost skipping walking out the door!

Last year, I finally was able to purchase a Singer Starlet Sewing Machine. Rather than be disappointed that it was mostly made of plastic, I was thrilled it was so light weight. As I am much older ad suffer with back aches. I make small dolls and sell them. I find most of the patterns online. I used to sew by hand now I can see straight with the machine, I haven’t graduated to putting on a zipper, I guess because I have so much elastic. I also was given craft supplies by a couple of friends who moved to other states. As the word got out to my family and friends that I wanted to learn to sew, some family, friends and neighbors gave me either clothes that didn’t fit them or scrap pieces of fabric. I have repurposed many items to usable things. I like cotton house dresses and I managed to make a few. I also altered several skirts for myself and others for giving to the needy. I even made three dog beds so my little dog can hang out with me in whichever room I am in. I love to learn crafts to make things rather than buy them, such as soap. I have felt better with homemade soaps and my dry skin is not bothering me these days. I made a gift for a woman repurposing a butter cookie tin. I had blue enamel paint, covered the cookies illustration all around. Then on top I painted some outline with blue. Then painted red and orange Flowers with some sage green leaves. I then use household cement to glue on flat back ornaments, like buttons, ribbon flowers and a plastic cameo. Inside I put the sewing notions I had been purchasing little by little…. Small scissors, tape measure, small fake tomato with straight pins, a few safety pins a small pack of assorted threads and a pack of easy thread on needles. My friend can’t see too well but she does things too. She was so happy about her gift.

In the Austin Tx. area, there is a store called Austin Creative Reuse that takes in craft and fabric and other assorted reusable items with the mission to keep reusable items out of the landfills. They sell rolls of fabric for $2/yard. Another place to keep an eye out for cheap fabric is quilt shows.. Sometimes local quilt guilds will have a country store for members to sell their unwanted fabric, books, trims, etc., to the public.

Just beginning to machine sew again, after a 40 year break; homeschooling, etc. I really need these tips on how to find inexpensive fabric.

I have found that buying fabric around Sept 20th is smart. That is when a lot of the previous Summer’s fabric is being discounted to $1.99 a yard at Fabric Mart. I went there in person, as it is in PA. However, take heart!, they sell online. I am going to check if they sell Fall/Winter fabric on clearance around the beginning to end of April.

Blessing for all that you do to encourage us/me!

I met a lady in a thrift store who was looking for pretty printed bedsheets. She made kids’ quilts from them. I buy clothing, such as fleece and leaather items, to cut up for projects.

I had to use Edge to access your site. Google said it had d a bad gateway. I know Edge has a problem and Google censors which means it should be like a utility. Thanks for this discussion am a quilter. Be well.

For scraps or smaller projects definitely the thrift stores, plus Walmart sells large squares that are great for pillows, etc. I was shocked the first time I visited JoAnn’s for fabric and saw things as much as $18 a yard! Luckily I hunted around and managed to find some for $4.99 a yard and on sale for 50% off, but it took a lot of looking and the pattern’s weren’t that great. I think Walmart is a good place to go if you need yardage for like a dress or something. You can find stuff for $2 a yard and my local Walmart at least has a good selection of patterns. Otherwise you’ll need to relay on that 50% off coupon from the craft stores. I won’t spend more on fabric that it would cost me to buy a ready made dress!

Please share your dyo maxi skirt!!

The tutorial is here:)

I love checking out the remnant bins at Hobby Lobby! Need to start looking at more yard sales. Great tips!

I just love to sew and also love to hunt for bargains. At my favorite thrift store I have found great sources for larger pieces of fabric. I look through the sections with shower curtains and regular curtains, the collections of long, gathered skirts, the long dresses, especially in extra large sizes, and long dresses made of linen. I also like to make long necklaces with beads or pendants at the bottom. For these, I have bought real leather jackets or skirts so that I can cut my own long leather strands for the necklaces. I sew my own summer dresses and tops when I find beautiful Hawaiian print men’s silk shirts in size extra large. Have fun hunting for treasures!

Great tips, thank you for sharing!

I live in a remote area and do most of my fabric shopping online. If you watch descriptions carefully and are familiar with the high quality manufacturers, ebay can be an excellent source. Also marshalldrygoods.com has excellent prices and good quality.

Online stores are the better option to buy fabric. There you can get lots of collections. I found Felt fabric is typically made with wool but synthetic felt using synthetic fibers is also available these days. Fabric Warehouse is a store where you can get all types of fabric collections at a reasonable price.

I purchase my fabric online. I get name brand fabrics for $5 shipping always and also under $4.99 a yard. The service is fast and it is packaged neatly. http://www.quiltedtwins.com They are a great place to purchase larger amounts from they have wide backings like 100 of them for $8.49 a yard.

I want to humbly admit that fabric has been my downfall in frugal living. I have not always bought the cheapest. Sometimes, I wanted sturdy denim or a more expensive color or print for a specific project. I just bought a new all purpose sewing machine after twenty years of homeschooling. I am just enjoying the thrill of sewing again. Loving the creativity!

I’m lucky enough to live in a big city which is socially conscious, Vancouver, BC. We have a non-profit store where clothing designers and others donate excess fabric. You can get really high end fabrics really inexpensively and they even have a room with free fabrics, usually in smaller pieces, less than a yard, of less expensive types of fabric like cottons. In Vancouver it is called Our Social Fabric.

I love this article and the comments! I’m a fabric junkie and am always looking for good fabric. But here’s the thing – be so careful about buying poor quality/cheap fabric. Know your fabrics and know your craft projects. Sometimes it doesn’t matter if the fabric is cheap but sometimes it does. My very first quilt that I ever made was a large project and I labored over it with love and determination. The fabric was pretty but it was a low quality brand from JoAnn’s. After a couple of washings, it was destroyed. All that work, only to see it disintegrate!! Not to rain on anyone’s parade, but be careful.

I also made fancy aprons from not-so-inexpensive quilting fabric and that, too, was a mistake. Apparently I am really hard on my aprons! Shredded after 6 weeks of use or so, and that was the good quality quilting fabric. Duck cloth is better for aprons but if you want to do anything with ruffles or a style beyond the standard barbecue style, then you need cotton. There are heavier weights of cotton that can drape nicely, but I’ve had a hard time finding it since most fabric stores sell quilting cotton, which is lighter weight.

When using a sheet as a quilt back, use only 100% cotton sheets with a lot of wear still left in it. If you use polyester blends, which is what most sheets are made of, it may be experienced as “hot” by the sleeper. It also doesn’t wash up the same as 100% cotton quilting fabric, which is presumably what you are using for your pieced top, so you can get puckering.

I watch the sales at a local fabric store that is a wholesale warehouse type store and can get quality fabrics for less than $7 (which I know is not exactly a terrific bargain!) but sometimes I can get yardage of name brand fabrics for around $3/yard.

Other sources for me for fabrics, which I see others have also mentioned:

Ebay, thrift stores, 100% cotton sheets and duck cloth shower curtains at drastically reduced prices in outlet stores like TJ Maxx, garage sales, and sometimes sewing machine repair shops will carry fabric selections that they have gained from estate sales or business closeouts. Also tell all your friends that you are “open to receive” fabrics, because you never know when someone’s grandma left a stash that no one knows what to do with!

I’m hoping to identify a good online fabric store and see a couple listed here!

My family’s has recently undergone a myriad of hardships and it has come to the point that I am needing to learn to make our clothes. I’ve always sewn(simple things mostly: pillow cases, throw pillows, non-quilted throws, and a lot of cross stitching) but I’ve never made clothing before. The biggest problem isn’t that with our hardship I can’t exactly afford the price of buying fabric. We all need new clothes pretty badly and ive managed to recycle some of Mine And my husbands clothes for the kids(mostly dress clothes). But the thrift stores in my area rarely if ever have sheets or fabric. Some don’t have them at all. It’s a struggle. What’s more is patterns. I have been looking all over for patterns but everything free is printable. That’s all fine and dandy but if we can’t afford fabric it should go without saying that printer ink Is off the list too. And printing at the local library isn’t at all cheap, not cheap enough to be printing page after page with just a few lines on it which I’d have to piece together later.

What is a person to do in a situation like this. I realize it’s not the usual kind. But it’s real.

Could you ask around and see if anyone has any sheets or fabric that they are getting ready to toss? You could try asking friends or family first and then could also post on Facebook or Craigslist to see if you can find anyone. And as for patterns….you could try sewing without them by making your own patterns out of clothing that you already have. Read my post here —> https://www.littlehouseliving.com/make-your-own-skirt-pattern.html for ideas on how I do this.

Matt, are you aware that JoAnn’s fabrics has one day a month when all patterns of a certain brand are only $2? Go into your local JoAnn’s and ask about that and write down the dates. Sometimes it is all patterns but usually it is just for one or two brands, like Simplicity and McCall’s, and then the next month it might be Vogue and Butterick, etc. Look through the pattern books carefully and locate patterns that offer many variations in one package. Get a basic top, basic skirt, basic pant, and make all your clothing from those patterns. I assume you must know about Goodwill, too. They have gotten ridiculously expensive, but every day there is a sale on a particular color tag, and then you can really get things quite cheaply. That would be my strategy for every day clothing, rather than trying to sew. Sewing is just not cheap even when you do find bargains.

I do flag dance, prophtic dance at church. I buy sheer curtains from threft and garage sales to make flags and dance cloths. Just tug fabric to be sure it didn’t get sun damage. If it did it will RIP easy when tugged. I buy dye for the type of fabric to get other colors.

I also buy used cloths and make something else. I bought a skirt 4 sizes to big and made palazzo pants and a scarf to dance with.

My mother is the queen of cheap shopping. I can ask her for anything and she’ll find it cheap. One place we like shopping is the goodwill outlet store (my mom and I call it the dig because they throw everything into big bins and you have to dig to find them). It scares some people, but if you bring a pair of gloves, it can be really fun. Everything you buy is priced per pound so if you find fabric it’s going to be $1 per pound or less… while they dont sell many stricktly fabric material things there are all sorts of drapes and clothes and sheets and such to pull apart into virtually free fabric.

Thank you for all your awesome ideas. I enjoy your bog/ emails plus the recipes. Have a fantastic day.

Ok 1st thing is didn’t your Momma teach you guys if you can’t say something nice don’t say it. Wow. Now if you need a large amount of fabric cheap I buy sheets. I’m making mask for the children’s hospital & having a hard time finding children material cheap so I bought children flat sheets at the Goodwill so for around $5 I can make around 75 or more mask. Love your post & have a blessed day.

I shop for cotton flannel baby receiving blankets at the thrift stores. They can range from $.25 up to $1, but you can get quite a few squares out of those

I found great sheets…. cotton… flannel… what ever… in thrift stores that provided me with a lot of fabric for crafts and I also bought table cloths there for the same reason. And I have a never ending supply of ribbons for decorating hand towels from these stores. And they’re clean.

When I make thrift store donations I never include anything with stains, tears etc. Instead, I recycle the fabric for crafts or other projects; save the buttons and zippers for the same. I love finding older sheets to use. Not many patterns available in newer ones. And they are awesome for so many projects! Recycling lace from thrift store finds is also a good thing. I’ve even recycled embroidery from clothing into patches to add to projects. Back when I had no money for gifts, I’d recycle fabric into balls for my toddler, dolls and doll clothes for my daughter, a special pillow, a backpack, small quilts, bags to store toys, etc. I’d even recycle wooden things found at the thrift store – a jewelry box became a doll wardrobe; a game board sanded and repainted into a chess board for my son; a piece of wood became a tic-tac toe board with bottle caps painted for the pieces. Even old teacups which I would use to create small fairy gardens or candles. Creativity and ‘thinking outside the box’ can add so much to our lives!

I am a plus size woman. I do not donate any clothes to thrift stores or plus sized friends when I lose weight. My thinking may be wrong and horrendous however, I feel passing on my plus sized clothes just encourages a person not to make healthful changes in their life.

I need febric

Hi Merissa: I had used pretty much all of the above to obtain cheaper fabric sources. Another way is to link up with fellow crafters and do a swap out of each others fabric stashes. I’ve done the same with knitting yarn. I have often been a reuser of fabric. As someone mentioned cutting pieces out of old unusable clothing is another way to gain fabric swatches. A long time ago I made matching quilts for my two youngest out of flannel swatches cut from old flannel shirts, crib sheets, boxer shorts etc. I cut the squares from the older clothing and stitched them together to create the top. I used an old comforter from our queen sized bed that the outside fabric was worn but the batting was still good. I cut it in two for the two quilts. That became the middle. I used old sheets for the backing. The boys loved them. They turned out to be very warm. We still have one of the quilts. I have also used old blankets that are still usable as “batting” for quilts as well. I have also followed my mother’s example of repurposing some things like tea towels become aprons, old bath towels get cut down for dish clothes, cleaning rags or baby butt wipes. Old table cloths (depending on the fabric) can be used for quilt backings, aprons, tea towels you name it.

I also find fabric at the Dollar Tree and sometimes at $ General.

My added suggestion is freecycle let them know you are looking for fabric or sewing notions or patterns….i did this once and some one was thrilled to end on fabric from her grandmother who did a lot of sewing but no one else in family sewed…sometimes people clear thru fabrics in a sewing room clean and reorganizing. I watch a podcast called rosery apparel she goes to thrift stores and hunts for sheets and makes wonderful dresses she did coats out of blankets it really is fun to see how this turns out. I am a rug weaver so sheets I have collected for that but she has me looking at them differently. She also has a free beginning sewing videos. Just passing along this as I enjoy watching her she is Australian but right now they are in Japan for a few months….

Buy quality. You do not want “cheap” for most projects. I think a better title would be haw to find great fabric for less $$$

Of course I forgot to proof read before submitting…

I strip our old clothes of buttons, appliqués, lace and trim, and zippers. Then I cut the fabric down into usable pieces of fabric. I also save old sheets, tablecloths, and other linens if I think they can be used. During the lockdowns, I used my fabric stash to make face masks for family and friends. I also use it for quilting, mending, making doll clothes for my granddaughters, and any other miscellaneous craft items.

I do buy fabric for quilting at thrift stores. I have also gotten great deals at farm auctions. If you want fabric from a store, I have found that Marshall Dry goods online have good prices.

cheap textiles projects

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24 Fun and Easy Sewing Projects for Beginners

These simple projects are easy for beginner sewers and experienced crafters alike.

cheap textiles projects

Whether you're just learning how to sew or know your way around a sewing machine , our easy sewing projects are fun for all experience levels. Sew your own farmers market tote bag or create eco-friendly kitchen essentials , like no-waste sponges and reusable snack bags. We even have easy instructions for homemade home decor, like curtains, ottomans, and more.

Use our free patterns to whip up these easy sewing projects to use yourself or to give as gifts. These simple DIYs are a great way for beginners to get started but are also fun for more experienced crafters.

Simple Six-Pocket Bag

This DIY six-pocket bag is an easy sewing project with space for everything you need for a day of running around. This handmade bag uses three fabrics, so you can easily create a tote that matches your style.

Oilcloth Table Runner

Upgrade your table settings with this handmade oilcloth table runner . This easy-to-clean table linen is an ideal easy sewing project for beginners. It's ready in just three steps.

Sew Curtain Panels

Take the guesswork out of making curtains with our step-by-step guide . We'll show you how to measure, cut, and sew professional-looking curtain panels that will instantly transform your space.

Farmers Market Tote Bag

Better Homes & Gardens

Use our free sewing pattern to create this roomy market tote . Its oversized interior and exterior pockets are perfect for stashing fresh fruit, veggies, bread, and even a bottle of wine. We customized the tote with pretty paisley fabric and added an outside loop for holding a bouquet of flowers.

Fabric Utensil Holder

This roll-up fabric pouch is an easy sewing project for storing whatever loose utensils and accessories you have lying around; it's also an easy way to transport them! Corral your eco-friendly reusable straws or makeup brushes inside this clever carrier with divided pockets to fit narrow and wide items. Then roll it up and fasten the tie ends for compact storage.

DIY Canvas Tote Bag

This DIY tote bag is an easy sewing project that makes a big statement. We paired two neutral fabrics with a bold floral print to create a handy carryall that's perfect for your weekly farmers market finds , library books, or pool essentials .

Use this simple carryall for your bag of sewing tricks. Pick two fabrics, one for the exterior and one for the lining, and whip up this trendy fabric knot bag in a flash. Use it to hold your knitting supplies or as a reusable grocery bag .

Reusable Snack Bag

Pack a lunch without wasting individual plastic bags! These eco-friendly reusable snack bags work whether you're packing a full meal or a quick bite. Thanks to a water-resistant inner liner, you can seal the bags with velcro (no spilled snacks here!) and wash them as needed. Pair this project with our no-sew beeswax food wraps to reduce plastic use in other kitchen areas.

Try Visible Mending

Just a little decorative mending is all it takes to give worn-out clothes, curtains , or duvet covers new life. Get our basics for visible mending and darning socks. You'll only need to learn a few simple stitches for this easy sewing project.

Pretty Pouf Ottoman

It's easier than you might think to sew your own functional decor pieces. You can make your own pouf ottoman in about two hours, and for much less than you'd find one at a furniture store. Plus, when you make it yourself, you can choose a fabric that perfectly matches your existing decor.

Hidden Tab Curtains

Dress up your windows with a set of DIY hidden tab curtains . Making drapes is as easy as picking your fabric and correctly measuring your space. We'll show you how to do this easy sewing project.

Reusable Sandwich Bag

This washable, reusable sandwich wrap eliminates the need for plastic bags or containers. You only need one piece of patterned fabric, a water-resistant liner, and a piece of velcro—and it's so easy to assemble! Make a few different sizes for your family, and never worry about plastic waste while deciding what to pack for lunch .

DIY Envelope Pillow

Upcycle a treasured shirt into a homemade piece of decor. Create your DIY envelope pillow in just four simple steps with this easy sewing project. It's easy to customize the size of your pillow to fit any insert.

Restuff Flat Couch Cushions

Adam Albright

Use your sewing skills to give your existing furniture pieces a facelift. It's easy to restuff couch cushions that have gone flat using foam batting, down, or polyester fiber fill. Some chair and couch cushions have zippers to help you do this easily, but if yours don't have that option, you can easily open them up, stuff them, and sew them shut again.

Zero-Waste Sponges

Sew your own no-waste kitchen sponges in just a few minutes. The outside can be made with any cotton fabric, so you can choose a pattern that matches your decor style. (This is also a great way to use up leftover fabric scraps!) Fill them with a mildew-resistant poly batting and cover with a coarse mesh for extra scrubbing power.

Tea Towel Curtains

If you have a set of dish towels you love, but deem too pretty to actually use, turn them into decor instead. You can either use ring curtain clips for a quick and easy window treatment, or sew your own permanent curtains by modifying our curtain panel tutorial for a smaller size project.

DIY Dog Bed

Turn your old jeans into something useful! This DIY dog bed is made from denim scraps, so it's not only on-trend right now , but super durable too. Our design uses an envelope-style close at the back, so the cover can easily be removed and washed when needed.

Custom Roman Shades

Custom window treatments are notoriously expensive, but they don't have to be. You can sew your own DIY Roman shades to get a custom look for less. The hardest part about this project is choosing the fabric. After careful measuring, these window shades come together easily.

Fabric Bunting Garland

Decorate your home with a sewn fabric bunting . The pieces are small enough that you only need to use fat quarters, and bias tape makes it a cinch to stitch together! Use fun floral prints to make a sweet addition to a girls' bedroom, or use festive patterns to create a DIY party decoration .

Weighted Blanket

This DIY weighted blanket could be the key to a better night of sleep! Making your own is an affordable alternative to pricey store-bought options . Customize your blanket based on your body weight.

Upholstered Furniture

Give any fabric furniture piece a facelift by learning how to upholster . This is an easy way to repurpose pieces that are stained, worn, or otherwise outdated without splurging on a new piece.

Coffee-Cup Cozy

Sweeten your morning jolt with a coffee cup cozy in your choice of three delicious varieties. These aren't just for hot drinks—use them for your iced coffee drinks too!

Precious Pot Holders

Spice up someone's kitchen by gifting festive handmade pot holders and oven mitts. This makes a fun DIY Christmas gift or housewarming present.

Bright Bookend

Instead of standard bookends, sew sandbags from fun, colorful fabric to organize your books, files, and folders . Cut two 8x10-inch pieces of fabric, place right sides together, and sew three sides using ½-inch seam allowances. Turn right side out, then insert a sealable plastic bag filled with sand. Topstitch all around to finish.

Top tips for finding cheap fabric to practice your dressmaking

  • Bethany Armitage ,

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cheap textiles projects

Do you want to practice your sewing skills but you're nervous about cutting into the lovely fabric! In our new series Dressmaking for Beginnerswe're going to be looking at basic skills you need to begin making your own well-fitting clothes. In this post, we're looking at a few ideas for sourcing inexpensive or free fabric you can use to get started.

Our pattern brand Simple Sew Patterns was created especially for beginners through to intermediate sewers and dressmakers. We try and keep everything simple with easy to follow instructions and in our magazines we always have 'Skill-Builder' and masterclass articles by sewing experts, which help you develop your skills each month alongside a project to try it out on.  Love Sewing comes with at least 2 cover gift patterns each month (patterns worth a guaranteed 18) on the cover so you can start building up your pattern collection as well as all the projects to sew inside. You can find all of our back issues still available in our web shop - buy back issues

Finding Cheap fabric to Practice Dressmaking

Sourcing fabric can be one of the most fun parts of making clothes, everyone loves a trip to the fabric shop! (ok well maybe just crafty types like us!) Dressmaking fabric can be very expensive, which is one of the reasons we believe people are so reluctant to have a go. Here are a few ideas for where you can find cheap fabric to practice your dressmaking -  

Bedding - sheets, pillowcases and duvet covers - either old (clean) ones that you no longer use or cheap bargain offer duvets from supermarkets. You can sometimes buy double duvets for under 10 when they have been reduced. Don't think about whether you 'adore' the pattern just see it as test material for trying out your new techniques.  

Table Cloths - one stain and a tablecloth is rejected, so much fabric you can use for your practicing!  

Old clothes - we'd recommend giving in tact clothing to charity shops but if they're no longer fit for purpose, then they are ideal for transforming into something new. See below for a couple of great ideas for transforming large shirts.  

Curtains - not every curtain will be ideal for turning into wearable garments, but some lightweight curtain fabric will work.  

Charity Shops - worth a regular root around your local charity shops to see if there's any fabric, or items that you can upcycle.  

Friends and Relatives - if you've found slim pickings in your own house, put a call out to friends and family, they may be delighted to get rid of the stash of fabric they have left from an elderly relative or the piles of old clothes they haven't had time to take to the recycling yet.  

Freecycle - Post an ad on freecycle saying you're after some fabric... you'll be inundated!  

Remember, this is just for getting started, if the fabric isn't exactly the kind of thing you'd buy don't reject it, it's so much better to make mistakes on cheap fabric that won't make you cry when something doesn't go quite right! Your biggest problem is not finding fabric to practice your dressmaking, it's finding somewhere to store it all!  

We'd love to hear where you find cheap dressmaking fabric to practise your sewing skills! let us know in a comment or post a pic of your upcycled make on our Facebook wall.

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Sewing From Home

Where To Buy Cheap Fabric By The Yard [8 Online Stores]

When you first get started with sewing, it’s easy to make a lot of mistakes. Unfortunately, that does mean wasting a lot of fabric as you get to grips with how the patterns and your sewing machine works.

For that reason, spending a lot of money on fabric often just isn’t practical. It’s usually better to try and hunt down cheaper options online so you aren’t left too out of pocket.

Looking to buy cheap fabrics?

While we’d recommend Fabric Wholesale Direct and Fashion Fabric Clubs as two of the best sites to buy cheap fabric by the yard, it’s worth noting — the best deals come in sales! Browse our list of sites below and sign up to their mailing lists. When a promo drops, you’ll hear about it first. This is the best way to make BIG savings via coupon codes and limited time offers.

It’s always a good idea to have a well-stocked arsenal of high quality online stores under your belt that you can use to get cheaper fabrics.

Fabric can cost a lot of money, which is why we’ve been combing the web looking for the best discounts on your behalf!

8 Best Places To Buy Cheap Fabric By The Yard

1. fabric wholesale direct, 2. fashion fabrics club, 3. online fabric store, 4. fabric.com, 5. fabric mart, 7. best fabric store, 8. fabric depot, final thoughts on sourcing affordable fabrics.

Where to buy cheap fabric by the yard

We’ll start with a couple of the online retailers that you may already be familiar with…

https://www.fabricwholesaledirect.com/

The first option on our list is Fabric Wholesale Direct.

This company sells a lot of pretty affordable fabrics, and you can get an even better deal if you buy per yard in bulk.

It’s a good idea to try and buy their scrap fabric boxes . With these, you can get massive amounts of fabric for a really cheap price – up to 20 pounds worth of fabric in some cases!

You will be given a random pattern, so it can help you to think outside the box when making new garments since you won’t just be sticking to things that are tried and true. You can make wonderful clothing that you may have never thought to make if you were selecting a piece of fabric yourself.

This company is great at catering to beginners too, since each fabric will come with a video tutorial that will show you how the fabric operates and what it will look like when made into a garment. It’s an especially good idea if you are looking for knit fabrics.

By signing up to their mailing list on the website, it’s even possible to get a discount on their products.

When you have completed your order, you will often be sent emails with promo codes and vouchers that you can use for your next purchase. If you really like their stuff then it’s possible to sign up for their reward system that will give you discounts based on the amount that you spend. 

The fabric is pretty high quality, though it’s certainly not perfect – you may find one piece of fabric every now and again that’s a little snagged.

It’s not going to be the kind of fabric that you’d find on a luxury brand, but it’s certainly more than good enough for the majority of projects.

It is a little disappointing that the fabrics tend to only be solid colors though. There are a few prints but there isn’t a lot of choice, though there’s a decent amount of African prints that you can use.

https://www.fashionfabricsclub.com

Fashion Fabrics Club

If you’re looking for cheap fabrics by the yard, then look no further than Fashion Fabrics Club. It’s ideal for all sorts of print fabrics and you are going to get a lot of variety too.

Of course, this level of variety can be a little bit of an issue if you aren’t already going in with a specific fabric or pattern in mind. You may spend a very long time looking for the right fabric for the job.

The company makes some excellent print swimwear fabrics and print rayon challis fabric. You’ll also find some wonderful jersey knits on this site.

If you spend over a certain amount you won’t have to pay for the shipping either, and sometimes there are also coupons that you can redeem to save more money. You’re getting affordability, but for a high quality. Keep an eye out for the regular discounts.

https://www.onlinefabricstore.com/

This was a great discovery on our part – we’re so glad that we found them! With the Online Fabric Store, you can get super affordable fabric delivered to your door – and there are a ton of different fiber types too. 

It’s a great site to visit if you want variety at a low price.

The company is based in New England and is run by a family with over 50 years of experience in the fabric industry. That shines through with one of the US’s largest supplies of first quality upholstery, drapery, apparel, and industrial fabric materials. Whether you’re looking to make your own shirts or curtains , you’ll find the right fabrics here – at a good price.

We’d recommend subscribing to their email list, which has regular deals just in case you’re itching to buy some new fabric.

There is one slight problem with this site in the sense that you won’t be able to get free shipping unless you spend a decent chunk of cash. Though, if you do want some samples then the shipping for that is free if you live in the United States.

https://www.fabric.com/

Fabric.com

Now, this isn’t going to be the most affordable option on this list. With that in mind though, you will get free shipping after a fairly low order cost, and you’ll be able to get a bunch of fabrics on clearance.

You can find a lot of print knit fabrics on the Fabric.com store – which is one of the biggest fabric stores in the world.

In most cases you will need to order at least 2 yards of a fabric if you are ordering on clearance. When you have done that though, it’s possible to order as small as ½ yards of fabric instead.

When you place your order, you can expect it to arrive fairly quickly. In addition to that, the fabrics are all very high quality too.

If you are going to be ordering knit fabrics though, it’s worth doing some research in advance to see what they’re like, since it can be tricky to buy the right kind for your project if you don’t know what you’re working with.

https://www.fabricmartfabrics.com/

Fabric Mart Clearance

This is yet another site that’s a lot cheaper if you order their products on clearance – you may be spending quite a significant amount of money if you buy their items at regular price. 

If you look on the website then you will find a bunch of fabrics on sale for less than a dollar, and they switch up the fabrics on offer pretty regularly. It’s a good idea to check out their sales and anything they have on clearance since you can get some bargains by doing this. 

Sign up for their email list, too – you can sometimes get free shipping on your first order with them. This is a pretty good bargain since you’ll need to pay quite a bit of money for shipping after this.

If you want to know more about the fabrics that you’re buying, don’t worry – you can find information about them on the website. 

If you don’t just want the fabrics, you can also check out the bargain bin. You can find lots of sewing accessories here which can be rather useful.

https://www.joann.com/

JoAnn isn’t always the best when buying cheap fabrics online – you need to be watching their website like a hawk for their weekly ads and any coupons they provide. You’ll then need to hop on those bargains ASAP!

You should especially keep an eye on the website around the holiday season, since the Doorbuster sale around the holidays is really good. If you’re impatient to get your fabrics then you can even arrange for collection in store.

Jo Ann Doorbuster

The weekly ad will be changed every 2 weeks or so, making it a good idea to keep an eye out on their site to see what coupons and sales are there. 

It’s worth remembering that certain fabrics are going to cost a lot more money than others, as would be the case in most stores. It’s especially important to note with JoAnn’s though, since their regular prices can be astronomically high .

https://bestfabricstore.com/

You can usually find a lot of upholstery, home decor, quilting and more in Best Fabric Store, but it’s not the best place for fabrics that are a little bit more stretchy. You won’t find a whole bunch of knits on this website.

With that in mind though, there certainly is no shortage of good deals at Best Fabric Store. All you need to do is go to their sale section to find oodles of deals, which can be incredibly cheap whether you buy by the yard, bolt or as remnants.

When you have placed your order you will also get insanely fast shipping, perfect if you’re itching to get sewing with your latest garment. You can get free shipping with a very low order cost too, which is always a win in our book!

https://www.fabricdepot.com/

This site is pretty good if you want a lot of high quality fabrics for clearance prices. Their regular prices tend to be somewhat high, though there’s usually enough in their clearance section to make up for that if you are on a budget.

Finding cheap fabrics is something of a mission for us, so we’re pretty pleased with many of these sites.

Of course, there are certainly more options out there, but these provide you with a good starting point if you want to save some serious cash on new, high quality fabrics.

Good luck with your next project! 

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Threadistry

Where to Find Cheap Fabric to Practice Sewing

When you’re learning to sew , you’ve really got to just dive in and start sewing. But fabric can be expensive and you don’t want to destroy that gorgeous fabric.

Even if you’ve been sewing for a while, if you’re sewing a new pattern, it’s always a good idea to sew a test version (aka toile or muslin) before cutting your final fabric.

So you need cheap fabric to practice. You want to be able to make mistakes and learn new techniques without sending yourself broke. (Isn’t sewing supposed to save you money???).

Here are some of my favourite sources of cheap fabric to practice sewing, so you can grow your sewing skills without shrinking your bank balance (too much)!

Where to find cheap fabric to practice sewing. Whether you are a beginner learning to sew or an experienced sewist looking for bargain fabric to sew up a toile, here are my favourite places to get cheap fabric.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase after clicking these links, Threadistry may receive a small commission, at no cost to you.

Watch the video or keep scrolling to read more:

Remnant Bin or Clearance Racks in Fabric stores

Some fabric stores have a remnant bin or clearance rack. Remnant bins can contain discounted fabric from the end of a bolt or that has been incorrectly cut. Sometimes the fabric is damaged or dirty.

cheap textiles projects

Clearance racks typically have out of season fabrics and fabrics that haven’t sold well at discounted prices. Some stores will give you an additional discount if you finish the bolt (or off that as a seasonal promotion).

Both options are a great way to pick up different fabric types at a lower price. And sometimes that print you thought was really ugly actually looks good when it’s made into a garment!

I always check the remnant bin and clearance section when I visit my local fabric stores.

Minerva sells remnant mystery bags , with a few different options including knit, ex-designer, summer and winter fabrics.

Whether it’s because someone no longer sews, are downsizing or just realise they are never going to sew that fabric in their stash, fabric bundles sometimes come up on Craigslist.

cheap textiles projects

Like with all things on Craigslist, it’s a matter of luck whether something is listed in your area when you happen to be looking.

I received a big bag of boy fabrics a few years ago, and I’m still working my way through it. If you have the time to look, you never know what you might find!

Another place people got to get rid of no longer needed fabric is Facebook. There are local Buy Nothing Groups that promote giving away useful items within your local community. I occasionally see fabric pop up in my local group.

cheap textiles projects

For people looking to sell the excess fabric, there are fabric destash groups or the Facebook Marketplace. Just make sure you pay attention to the price and amount of fabric, but they are not always a good deal!

Thrift stores/Charity Stores

Thrift stores can be a great place to look for cheap fabric. Some thrift stores have a fabric section. Fabric pieces may be partially used, resulting in strange-shaped pieces, but still have plenty of useful fabric, depending on your project.

cheap textiles projects

Don’t just look in the craft section. Other fabric sources in a thrift store are:

  • Sheets, pillow covers, duvet covers
  • Tablecloths, placemats and napkins
  • Curtains and shower curtains
  • Blankets and throws

Clearance racks at fashion stores

cheap textiles projects

Another source of cheap fabric is the clearance rack at clothing or department stores. You can find heavily discounted clothing, particularly at the end of a season.

Larger sized clothing can be cut down to sew clothing for kids or other smaller items (or just to practice sewing different types of fabric.

It can feel like you’re contributing to fast fashion, but that is a personal choice (and personally prefer to use this option sparingly).

Secondhand Goods Sales

Other places where you may find cheap fabric

  • Estate Sales – sadly, it’s not uncommon for people not to have anyone to share their fabric collection with when they pass, and fabric and other notions can be up for sale at bargain prices.
  • Flea Market/Swap Meet

Your Own Home!

If you look around your house, you may find a treasure trove of fabric options. Almost anything made of fabric can be used to practice your sewing skills. Here’s a few household items to look for:

  • Tablecloths
  • Old clothes (clothes that are too big, too small, too stained, ripped)
  • Cloth shopping bags
  • Painting dropsheets
  • Old cushion covers and pillow slips
  • Curtains (just like in the Sound of Music!)

The best way to improve your sewing is to practice. To avoid sewing becoming a money pit, look out for these places to find cheap fabric to practice sewing.

Where do you find cheap fabric? Let me know in the comments.

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I'm Narelle and I believe sewing is most rewarding when you learn by sewing what you love. I'm a Burda-certified sewing instructor and love sharing sewing tips, tricks and tutorials.

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15 Creative Fabric Storage Ideas

cheap textiles projects

How much excess fabric do you own? Maybe you have some remnants or larger bolts you're looking to store. These fabric storage ideas will work whether you have one bin worth of textiles or an entire room. 

Before you pick a storage solution that will work for you, do a full inventory of all your fabric. Next, examine your existing sewing room or crafting area and think about where you could store this fabric.

Once you have picked a storage area like a wall, a closet or a section of floor space, you'll be in a better position to implement one of the ideas listed below. 

Learn How to Fold Fabric to Size

The first thing you should master when you start storing excess fabric is how to fold the pieces to size. Figure out where you are going to stack the fabric, create a template and fold accordingly. This tutorial will show you how to do just that. 

Folding Fabrics to Size from  I Always Pick the Thimble

File Fabric Inside a Filing Cabinet

If you have an extra filing cabinet you're using, repurpose it into a fabric storage caddy. If folded correctly, you'll be able to easily flip through your fabric remnants when you open the drawer. This fabric storage method might take some time to set up and maintain, but the functionality it offers makes up for it. 

Organize Fabric with a File Cabinet from  Craft Your Happiness

Hang Fabric From Clothespins

There are a couple of benefits to storing fabric on the wall if you have the space. First, fabric displayed on a wall will double as an art installation. Second, you'll be able to see all the scrap fabric you have, which will make it less likely that you'll purchase duplicates. 

Clothespin Fabric Storage Rails from  Ana White

Repurpose an Old Dresser for Fabric Scraps

When thinking about where to store your fabric, consider any extra space you have as well as the amount of fabric. If you have the floor space, consider repurposing an old dresser for the job. Remove the drawers and paint the interior. This way, you'll be able to see all the fabric you have on hand. 

Free Storage is Always a Good Thing from  Cameras and Chaos

Purchase Fabric Organizer Boards

Storing fabric vertically will make it easier to pull the fabric on and off a shelf. However, if you fold the fabric without a board of some kind, it will quickly lose its shape and defeat the purpose of placing it in an upright position. There are fabric organizer boards you can purchase, or if you have a bunch of excess cardboard, you can make some yourself. 

Misson Reorganization: Fabric Storage from  The Girl Inspired

Use Hangers Inside a Closet

Take advantage of any extra space inside your closet for fabric storage. If you have a bunch of regular hangers, you can use these to organize your fabric. You can also use trouser hangers or hangers that have multiple rods to maximize the space. 

Reader Space: A Working Wow Factor from  i Heart Organizing  

Sew a Fabric Storage Bin

Keeping like fabric together in a bin is a smart move if you find yourself crafting in different areas of your house. When you start a sewing project, you can quickly grab the fabric bin you need and put it away when you're done. One option is to purchase some inexpensive totes, but you could also make your own fabric baskets for this purpose. 

Sturdy Fabric Basket Pattern from  Bluprint

Hang Bolts of Fabric on the Wall

If you need to store large quantities of fabric, you could store the rolls on dowels. However, another option is to hang the roll of fabric from a hook on the wall. If you have enough rolls, this will make a beautiful accent wall. 

Wall of Fabric from  Bonnie Christine

Lean a Ladder or Crib Rail Against a Wall

Hanging fabric from dowels or rods is ideal because it minimizes the chance of wrinkles and unnecessary creasing. To save some money, think about what you have at home that has rods and upcycle it. Some people have repurposed crib rails. You could also use a wooden ladder as seen here.

DIY Fabric Storage Ladder from  From House to Home

Stack Clear Plastic Totes

If you have to store your fabric in an attic or basement area, utilize some air-tight plastic totes. To help stay better organized, make sure the totes are transparent, so you can see what fabric you have in stock. 

Organizing My Craft Closet from  Simplicity in the South

Keep Fabric Inside of an Armoire

If the idea of having your fabric out in the open doesn't appeal to you, conceal it inside an armoire. An armoire allows you to stack fabric on shelves and get full access to the collection by simply opening two doors. This solution is much less cumbersome than digging through drawers looking for what you need. 

The Glorious Fabric Storage Armoire from  The Craft Patch Blog

Roll up Fabric and Put It in Baskets

Fleece is hard to store and keep tidy. Instead of folding it, consider rolling it and placing each roll inside a basket. When it comes to fabric storage ideas, this one is easy. Simply purchase some baskets from a craft store and stack them for additional space. The size of the roll will give you a good idea of how much fabric you have left. 

Fabric Organization Ideas from  Jennifer Maker

Organize Fabric by Color Inside Laundry Baskets

Head to a discount variety store and pick up a dozen or so laundry baskets for this fabric storage idea. To keep everything organized, sort fabrics by color and pick laundry baskets that have large gaps so you can see the fabric from the outside. 

Fairy Tale Ending from  Bee in My Bonnet

Store Fabric Remnants in a Vintage Suitcase

For stylish fabric storage, reuse vintage suitcases. Just make sure you don't toss the fabric inside and forget about it. To keep all your fabric remnants in order, print off some labels and wrap them around the entire roll. 

Organizing Fabric Remnants from  Inspired Barn

Add Clips to a Pegboard for Hanging Fabric Storage

Pegboards are helpful for organizing all sorts of tools and craft supplies. In most cases, a pegboard can be easily customized to accommodate your needs. This crafter used inexpensive binder clips to hold the fabric together and hang it off a peg. 

Craft Room Organizing Ideas from  Fynes Designs

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The Best Online Sources for Affordable Fabric

By Laura Shelby Murphy

Image may contain Home Decor and Linen

All products featured on Architectural Digest are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Want to make your own pillows ? Finally reupholster that chair ? Put the finishing touches on your outdoor living space? You’re going to need fabric. With so many seemingly-identical options online (fabric.com, onlinefabricstore.com, fabricville.com— ahhhhh! ) and on the flip side, the seemingly impenetrable world of trade fabric sources, it’s difficult to know where to start. We’re here to help with a roundup of greatest-hits fabric retailers. Hit up the below sites for affordable, unique yardage and then get sewing!

As Impressive As They Are Inexpensive

Spoonflower : Fan-favorite retailer with affordable fabric (and wallpaper, gift wrap) galore! Bonus is you can upload your own design for printing. Even better? Sell your design via their marketplace function for the world to use.

IKEA : The dark-horse fabric distributor that also happens to be super affordable and fun: Where else can you find an awesome Josef Frank-inspired print for $4.99/yard?

Calico Corners : Best online stop for beautiful and more traditional, pared-down prints, including an array of linings (if you're sewing drapes or making slipcovers, for example). Their search-by-price functionality makes finding yardage on the cheap easy.

Fabric.com : Unoriginal name for a fabric website, pretty incredible selection. For example, search “bahama” and a staggering array of banana-leaf goodness is at your fingertips.

Joann : Let's just say that a very wide array of fabrics can be found a go-to fabric retailer Joann—but if you commit to digging for it, there are great options here: flannels, felts, even a holiday section (with sweet, simple patterns like this ).

Mood : This famed retailer on 37th street in NYC ( if you’re a Project Runway fan, it’s where they shop!) has it all online: pleated chiffon, faux and real fur, leather, etc. They also have an outstanding selection of Liberty of London prints .

Lesser Known But Also Excellent Sources

Serena & Lily : Serena & Lily takes their sale section seriously—they’ve been known to mark down designer fabric over 50% off (example here ).

Famcor Fabrics : Luxurious velvets and suedes are majorly trending. Head to Famcor for the yardage like Navaro Rasberry and Teal .

Rifle Paper Co : Anna Bond recently translated her feminine, whimsical designs to fabric. It’s screen printed in Japan and ranges from $11-$18/yard. A steal! You need this Flamingo print in your life.

Worth the Splurge

Purl Soho : This beloved NYC brick and mortar has a fantastic online store (and some of the best DIY projects out there to put that fabric to good use). Highlights include pre-cut bundles, like this Watercolor option , and luxurious linen.

Marimekko : No words.

Rebecca Atwood : Swoon-worthy prints embroidered in India, like this Dot-Dash Fabric in navy .

Sunbrella : Hands-down the best option for long-lasting, high quality outdoor fabric.

Linen Me : You guessed it: the best place to shop online for linen. It just doesn’t get any prettier than this prewashed coral stunner .

Worth a Trip to NYC:

Most of these brick-and-mortar stores have online shops, too, but they're not as amazing as the in-person experience!

Mood (225 West 37th Street, 3rd Floor) Purl Soho (459 Broome Street) Grey Line Linens (260 West 39th Street) B&J Fabrics (525 7th Avenue) NY Elegant Fabrics (222 West 40th Street)

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7 No Bake Christmas Cookies

27 things to sew and sell.

Shared on February 10 Leave A Comment

Do you have a sewing machine and want to make some extra money?

You’re in luck! Handmade goods are a hot commodity right now as more and more people shift from cheap, mass-produced items from big box stores to locally crafted products.

Making money sewing is a good idea for anyone who wants to work according to their own schedule, use their creative talents, and make beautiful and useful things.

We’ve found 27 easy projects perfect for starting out your handmade business.

cheap textiles projects

How to Make Money from Sewing

If you know how to sew, you can make money at it.

In fact, it’s easier now than it ever has been to start a business (or at least a side hustle) using your sewing machine.

As a bonus, you can even do some projects using repurposed fabric scrap material! Or at the very least thrifted fabric that you find at a discount.

The profit possibilities are endless in this line of business! 

cheap textiles projects

Here are just a few ways you can use your seamstress skills to make money:

  • Alter people’s clothing
  • Make home décor
  • Teach sewing (it’s a lost skill these days!)
  • Start an online shop selling your handmade goods (like an Etsy store)
  • Sell your sewing crafts at craft shows
  • Start a YouTube channel teaching people how to sew
  • Sell sewing patterns (and occasionally offer free patterns to get subscribers to your email list)
  • Start a page or profile for your small business on social media like Facebook or Instagram

Save on shipping costs by keeping your business local so you can meet buyers at a place of your choosing for product drop-offs. 

As you can see, there are so many great ideas to sell because not everyone has the skill of sewing!

It shouldn’t be hard to find to find potential customers to buy your handmade sewing crafts.

cheap textiles projects

Easy Fabric Crafts to Sell

We’ve rounded up a fantastic list of easy sewing projects and useful things for new sellers to make. 

Get started on your sewing business today with some of these great sewing projects.

And if you ever want to branch out from sewing, check out this list of 100+ hottest crafts to make and sell . Loads of ideas there!

cheap textiles projects

Sewing Projects to Sell for the Home

Hand-crafted décor and home goods are a treasure. They make a space feel vintage and cozy in the best way.

Below are some beautiful pieces your customers can use in and around the home.

1. DIY Rag Rug

Use your stash of fabric strips to make a beautiful rag rug to sew and sell.

It’s the best way to use strips because it doesn’t matter how long or short each piece is or what sort of pattern it has.

Just pick  strips of fabric in coordinating colors that’ll work well together. 

cheap textiles projects

2. Easy Table Runner

This quick and easy table runner is an easy way to give a kitchen or dining room a little extra oomph. Kitchen items like this sell well at craft fairs.

Make some with classic, evergreen fabrics and others for the holidays and seasons.

cheap textiles projects

Handmade aprons are great for beginners and experienced sewers alike. Plus, you can make them for men and women.

They make terrific gifts for Mother’s Day, Father’s Day (grilling season aprons are fantastic), and Christmas. 

cheap textiles projects

4. Quilted Pot Holders

Make sets of quilted pot holders to sell!

You can whip up these kitchen accessories in no time. They’re fast and so pretty.

They’re popular year round but are especially big during the holidays when everyone wants matching potholders, oven mitts, and kitchen towels to coordinate with their decor.

cheap textiles projects

5. Reusable Sandwich Bags

Eco-friendly products are the best thing for the environment, so market these reusable snack packs and sandwich bags to moms who want to avoid using plastics in their kids’ lunchboxes (or their own) everyday.

Using waterproof fabric makes these bags a cinch to clean up.

cheap textiles projects

6. Wine Bags

This project is perfect for beginner sewers and will make the most money when wine gifting is at its peak.

This is typically around wedding season (late spring through early fall with peaks in June and September) and the holidays.

Make sure you have plenty of wine bags made up for those times.

Small businesses also gift wine to their employees frequently, so reach out to see if they’d like custom designs for the holidays.

cheap textiles projects

7. Christmas Stockings from Sweaters

People love matching and coordinating stockings for Christmas. You can upcycle your family’s old sweaters to make some!

Add buttons or ribbon accents to dress them up. You don’t even need a sewing machine for this project—they can easily be sewn by hand.

cheap textiles projects

8. 15-Minute Pom-Pom Pillows

Design throw pillows for a fraction of the price. You can whip these up in 15 minutes!

With simple fabric and pom-pom trim, you can make a bunch to sell in no time at all.

Pillow covers are another practical item that you should consider.

cheap textiles projects

9. One Day Quilt

A quilt in a day? Yep. You’re going to love how easy this project is. 

It’s a rag quilt (ragged-edge style) and is the simplest form of quilting to learn. The unfinished edges are less work but give quilts that rustic, farmhouse look people love.

Grab holiday fabrics while they’re on sale in the off season to save a bundle on supplies!

With summer-weight quilts, you can even skip the batting to save even more money.

cheap textiles projects

10. Chair Organizer

Keep homeschool or homework station items tidy with a chair organizer. It’s an easy craft and is a great way to store all of a child’s supplies neatly.

This fits over a standard dining chair up to 18″ wide, but you can customize them for smaller chairs, too.

Try selling some at homeschool conventions! But don’t limit yourself there; many classroom teachers would love an adaptation of this to slip on their students’ chairs.

cheap textiles projects

11. DIY Hot and Cold Bags

These hot and cold bags are so versatile. Use them for stress relief, injuries, or illnesses. Use them cold for fevers or swelling or hot for chills and sore muscles.

They’re easy things to make and useful year-round. Hot and cold bags are filled with dry rice, so they’re extremely frugal projects that you can make a good profit on.

One of these bags would make a great gift for Grandma or Grandpa.

cheap textiles projects

Sewing Crafts for Sale – Accessories for People and Pets

Lookin’ good! At least, your customers will be when they purchase these handmade accessories from you for themselves or their pets. From a tote bag to a dog bandana, you’ll find several fun projects to try. 

12. Tote Bags

You can never go wrong with a good tote bag. This camo version is large, stylish, and has a reinforced base to carry loads of stuff.

It’s durable and made of water-resistant canvas, which is great for moms.

Sew some totes for the holidays as well as beach season—we all know how much moms have to lug around at the beach!

cheap textiles projects

13. Dog Bandanas

People love their pooches and are splurging more on their pets than ever before. If you want to start a sewing side hustle, pet gear should definitely be on your list of things to make. 

These dog bandanas are certainly easy sewing projects!

Find fun patterns (seasonal and sports teams are big hits), sew into sample bandanas, and personalize them with the dog’s name (optional) to make a few more dollars.

cheap textiles projects

14. DIY Denim Dog Toys

Spoil dogs with these durable handmade denim dog toys! Reuse your old jeans or buy denim fabric.

Either way, denim is long-lasting and durable, so these will likely last longer than typical dog toys. That’s a good thing for pet owners with tough chewers who destroy ordinary toys in no time.

Insert a squeak or leave them out for those who prefer quiet toys.

They’re easy to make, so you can whip up a lot of them in just a little time.

cheap textiles projects

15. Double Sided Infinity Scarf

This cozy, double-sided scarf will be a hit. Who doesn’t love a fashion item that can pull double duty? It’s a great project for all sewing skill levels and is perfect for the autumn season. 

Make scarves with coordinating patterns on each side or one patterned side and a neutral on the other. You have so many possibilities!

cheap textiles projects

16. Pocket Pillows

These pocket pillows are perfect for families who love to travel.

They’re useful all year round but are particularly helpful for vacation season for kids to take some books, games, or an iPad along while having a pillow to rest their heads on when they need it.

cheap textiles projects

17. Leather Passport Holder

Another great item for travels is a passport holder.

Why would anyone settle for a bland, boring passport holder when they can have one of these colorful leather ones instead?

This chic little DIY idea is perfect for people whose passports are a prized possession and treasured memory.

cheap textiles projects

18. Fitted Face Mask

It seems that face masks will be around for a while, and many people like to have lots of different patterns to coordinate with each outfit, holiday, or season.

These fitted face mask patterns are available in 5 different sizes for children and 4 different adult sizes, so it’s easy to ensure a good fit.

cheap textiles projects

19. Coin Purses

Moms who are on the go love coin purses. Just stash some cards or cash in a keyring coin purse, and you’re ready to head out the door. 

This fun Baby Yoda version is perfect for tweens and teens, but any Star Wars fan will be thrilled with it.

Of course, you can swap out the pattern for any fabric you’d like.

Each one takes a little over an hour to make.

Other zipper pouches like cosmetic bags and travel bags follow the same sort of template and are just larger. Consider those, too.

cheap textiles projects

20. Scrunchies

Can you believe scrunchies are back in style? What a surprise, and a welcome one at that, since they’re so super easy to whip up.

Each scrunchie only takes about 20 minutes to make, but of course, you’ll get faster at it the more you make.

If you can make them in the colors of local sports teams or for the holidays and seasons, they should sell like hotcakes.

cheap textiles projects

21. Sweater Handbags

Turn old sweaters into fashionable handbags!

You can gather lots of materials for these bags just by asking your friends and family to donate their old sweaters to you.

You don’t need to spend much money; your only costs will be the zippers, buttons, and handbag strap anchors.

cheap textiles projects

Handmade Items for Babies and Kids

Moms are always on the lookout for items to buy for their newborn babies and little ones at home.

Family and friends want to buy the perfect gift for baby showers, too. You can craft some cute, unique, and fun baby and kid items using simple patterns and basic sewing skills.

Here are some of our favorite handmade product ideas for babies and children:

22. Fringe Burp Cloths

New moms are often looking for quality, handmade items like burp cloths and bibs for their babies. 

These flannel burp cloths are too easy to make. Simply sew two pieces of flannel around the edge, cut the edges to fringe them, and you’re done. 

Once you get the hang of it, each burp cloth takes less than 10 minutes to make.

Local boutiques or thrift shops that sell baby items are a great place to market these baby items. Don’t forget about trying your hand at baby bibs, too.

cheap textiles projects

23. Baby Tag Blanket

Tag blankets are terrific for babies who are just starting to develop motor skills. They are colorful and tactile and often become baby’s favorite toy.

They’re also easy crafts that don’t take much time and will be popular for baby showers and baby’s arrival.

cheap textiles projects

24. Stuffed Bunnies

Making stuffies is a valuable skill. Handmade toys like this mean so much to parents and will mean a lot to their children as they get older.

Bunnies are an excellent choice for Easter, but you’re not limited to that season since bunnies are a popular baby shower theme, too.

These bunnies were made from trouser legs, so it’s a great project for upcycling old clothes.

cheap textiles projects

25. Fruit Dolls

You can’t get much sweeter than a cute strawberry doll. This is one in a series of fruit dolls that are just darling.

They’re perfect for toddlers because they’re so soft and cuddly. 

They’ll make wonderful handmade gifts for birthdays, baby showers, or Christmas.

cheap textiles projects

26. Felt Food

Parents are much more into classic toys these days that keep kids entertained through play rather than using screens.

Felt food is fun to make and perfect for little hands to hold and play with. Plus, it’s pretty easy to make, too!

Here’s a tutorial for felt donuts, but the sky is the limit. Fruits and veggies are perfect for play kitchens and grocery carts instead of plastic toys.

cheap textiles projects

27. Stuffed Felt Letters

Here’s another favorite homemade toy that moms and kids alike will love. Educational toys are always a hit.

They’re made with felt and are handstitched with embroidery thread, but you can likely come up with a similar idea for other fabrics, if you prefer.

cheap textiles projects

In summary, starting your own business is easier than you think. Choose 2-3 of these sewing patterns and fun projects, whip some up, and see how you do. 

Let us know which projects and patterns you plan to try in the comments!

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IMAGES

  1. 25 Fun Ways to Use Your Fabric Scraps-These scrap fabric projects are

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  2. Fabric Scrap Projects to make, sell, or gift! Tons of great ideas here

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  3. 25 things to do with fabric scraps

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  4. Textile Projects

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  5. Textile Projects With Patterns

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  6. Roundup: 14 DIY Textile Ideas for Your Next Craft Project

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VIDEO

  1. fabric //my fabric design

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  3. small fabric best reuse ideas 😱👌#sewingtips #sewinghacks #reuseidea #shorts

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COMMENTS

  1. 15 Creative Places To Look For Fabric To Repurpose

    4. Flea Markets. Kind of like thrift stores, flea markets are an excellent place to find cheap fabric sources. While I don't have as good of luck with rock-bottom prices and a large variety in our local flea markets, I know my grandmother used to be an expert shopper and haggler at flea markets in her area! 5.

  2. 10 Secrets for Finding Incredibly Cheap Fabric

    $25 a yard may seem manageable in order to get that amazing fabric you REALLY love…until you realize you need 6 yards. Which means $150 plus tax…and shipping. And suddenly your sweet DIY project is going to cost way more than just buying something ready-made. Ouch.

  3. How to Find Cheap Fabric for Sewing Projects

    Here's a guide to finding cheap fabric for your sewing projects. Sometimes you'll find cheap fabric that's just as nice as full price fabric, and sometimes you'll find pieces that you can experiment on without feeling guilty if you mess up.

  4. 150 Easy Sewing Projects That Takes Less Than 30 Minutes

    1.) Spit Bib ( via Sew Much Ado) What better gift for a new mama than a hand made spit bib? 2.) Hand Warmers ( via Sugar Bee Crafts) Something nice to keep your hands warm in the office, in the car or when you are watching a movie. 3.) Vintage Button Curtains ( via West Coast Crafty)

  5. 10 Places Where You Can Find Cheap (or Discounted) Fabric for Sewing

    You can pick up leather pieces for $2 a pound, or $1 per foot from rolled stock. This is a great way to pick up fabrics for re-upholstery or home accent sewing. 2. Walmart. I've seen a shift in Walmart from bolt yardage to fat quarters. That's not a problem for simple sewing projects, like cloth face masks, headbands, or quilts, but can be ...

  6. Turn Scrap Fabric into NEW Clothes: 14 Sewing Project Ideas

    Fabric scraps can be turned into patch pockets on tops, pants, and jackets. Featured: clothes from Liberty and Net-a-porter. From top left: Loewe, Andersson Bell, Liberty, and Victoria Beckham. I recommend adding lightweight patch pockets onto lightweight clothing, and heavyweight patch pockets onto heavyweight clothing.

  7. Where to Buy Cheap Fabric

    However, it's 50% off the current price so if the fabric is on sale that week, you get 50% off the sale price and that's where I find the deals. For example, this week it's 60% off snuggle flannel prints. They are normally $6.99, onsale for $2.80. So a yard of flannel remnant would be $1.40!

  8. 24 Easy Sewing Projects for Beginners

    01 of 18 Simple Six-Pocket Bag Jacob Fox This DIY six-pocket bag is an easy sewing project with space for everything you need for a day of running around. This handmade bag uses three fabrics, so you can easily create a tote that matches your style. 02 of 18 Farmers Market Tote Bag Better Homes & Gardens

  9. Top tips for finding cheap fabric to practice your dressmaking

    Here are a few ideas for where you can find cheap fabric to practice your dressmaking -. Bedding - sheets, pillowcases and duvet covers - either old (clean) ones that you no longer use or cheap bargain offer duvets from supermarkets. You can sometimes buy double duvets for under 10 when they have been reduced.

  10. Where To Buy Cheap Fabric By The Yard [8 Online Stores]

    1. Fabric Wholesale Direct 2. Fashion Fabrics Club 3. Online Fabric Store 4. Fabric.com 5. Fabric Mart 6. JoAnn 7. Best Fabric Store 8. Fabric Depot Final Thoughts on Sourcing Affordable Fabrics 8 Best Places To Buy Cheap Fabric By The Yard We'll start with a couple of the online retailers that you may already be familiar with… 1.

  11. Where to Find Cheap Fabric to Practice Sewing

    Clearance racks at fashion stores. Another source of cheap fabric is the clearance rack at clothing or department stores. You can find heavily discounted clothing, particularly at the end of a season. Larger sized clothing can be cut down to sew clothing for kids or other smaller items (or just to practice sewing different types of fabric.

  12. Crafting on a Budget: 39 Inexpensive Craft Ideas

    5 Minute Gold Marbled Pillows Decorative Painted Rocks Low-Cost Crochet Patterns Your new favorite crochet patterns might be made from leftover scrap yarn, or you might finally find use for that single skein left over from an old project. Scrap Yarn Crochet Slippers Brilliant DIY Rag Rug

  13. Here's Where To Buy Cheap Fabric By The Yard!

    Best Online Fabric Stores for Affordable Fabric If you want to buy inexpensive fabric in-store or are looking for ideas for things you can repurpose (like sheets, shower curtains, and pillowcases), check out my post on fabric sources for repurposing.

  14. 24 Amazing Cheap DIY Projects for $10 and Under

    01 of 24 Organize Craft Supplies in a More Stylish Way I Spy DIY To upgrade your craft supply storage, all you need are some glass jars, vinyl lettering, and the right kind of spray paint. If you don't have any jars yet at home, shop at the Dollar Store or some thrift shops. Sea Glass Supply Jars from I Spy DIY 02 of 24

  15. 15 Creative Fabric Storage Ideas

    15 Creative Fabric Storage Ideas By Lauren Thomann Updated on 05/06/20 Bluprint How much excess fabric do you own? Maybe you have some remnants or larger bolts you're looking to store. These fabric storage ideas will work whether you have one bin worth of textiles or an entire room.

  16. 37+ Easy Fleece Sewing Projects to use up your Leftover Fleece

    Fun projects and some will work with minimal equipment. A couple of small projects are sewing enough tiny pieces on a string until you have enough to make a wreath ornament for your tree., some people have made 'monster' soft toys and your tiny pieces can be used to make the faces, arms etc. the eyeglass case uses a small amount of fabric.

  17. 14 Online, Affordable Fabric Sources

    Mood (225 West 37th Street, 3rd Floor) Purl Soho (459 Broome Street) Grey Line Linens (260 West 39th Street) B&J Fabrics (525 7th Avenue) NY Elegant Fabrics (222 West 40th Street) Read More Clever

  18. 27 Things to Sew and Sell

    Sewing Projects to Sell for the Home. Hand-crafted décor and home goods are a treasure. They make a space feel vintage and cozy in the best way. Below are some beautiful pieces your customers can use in and around the home. 1. DIY Rag Rug. Use your stash of fabric strips to make a beautiful rag rug to sew and sell.

  19. Cheap Fabric

    $12.27 $15.34 (20% off) BULLET strips fabric | Liverpool | Stretch Fabric | Spandex | Solid Fabric | Textured fabric | Bows fabric | Liverpool fabric (16.6k) $3.50 Fishnet with Metallic Lurex Nylon spandex 4 way Stretch 7Colors Available. Metallic fishnet fabric sold by yard 60" wide (2.2k) $13.99

  20. Moscow textiles celebrate 150th anniversary. Curator's guide to Moscow

    The textile industry has always been focused on the pattern. Tendencies varied with the time to reflect the events unfolding in the country. The 1920s can be considered the starting point in the history of Russian textile design, when the Higher Art and Technical Studios (VKHUTEMAS) had their textile department opened.

  21. [4K] Walking Streets Moscow. Moscow-City

    Walking tour around Moscow-City.Thanks for watching!MY GEAR THAT I USEMinimalist Handheld SetupiPhone 11 128GB https://amzn.to/3zfqbboMic for Street https://...

  22. About Textile Collection Moscow

    Textile Collection Moscow - is a unique exhibition in Russia, specializing on apparel sourcing and fully covering the whole process of apparel production. GET A TICKET. FACTS AND FIGURES. Frequency Twice a year (Feb./Mar + Aug/Sept.) Location IEC Crocus-Expo; Exhibitors Over 300; Visitors

  23. Visiting the Fair

    Visiting Textile Collection Moscow exhibition provides you with opportunities to: See on display and select fabrics, accessories, apparel sourcing and sewing equipment for you apparel production. Get information about the latest trends, new products and technologies. Meet in person with representatives of over 200 suppliers from Russia and ...