I love making things and
creating using all kinds of materials and one of my favourites is upholstery fabric. This fabric has several advantages over other kinds of
fabric. It is strong and durable, which means that you always get good results
and what you make lasts. Plus, of course, you can easily pick up off cuts at low prices.
Here are a few fun projects for
you to try if you have some upholstery fabric lying around or see some for sale
in a local store. Most of these projects I have tried, others are ideas from
friends and blogs that I follow. They are all relatively easy which means that
you can do them in an evening or on a Saturday morning.
Purses and wallets
The durability of this kind of
fabric makes it perfect for making a wallet. You will need some card to glue
the fabric too. The good thing about this project is that you can make your
wallet just using glue so there is no need to get the sewing machine out.
Although if you do sew you have the option of using two layers of fabric
instead of using card, which I feel produces better results.
A simple shopping bag
This fabric is strong so it is
excellent material for making reusable shopping bags. Just remember to double
stitch the base seam and where the handle attaches to the body of the bag. If you have good sewing skills
you can make nice handbags out of this type of fabric.
\
Cover a book
Cover a book
You can also cover a hardback
book using this kind of fabric. It works well for those who still keep a
personal diary in written format.
Soft toys
The fact that this kind of
fabric is durable yet soft means it is great for making soft toys. Choose a
plain fabric and use buttons for eyes and you can make any type of soft toy you
like and do so quickly. For this project try to use fabric that can be put in
the washing machine.
New cushion covers
Making cushion covers from this
type of fabric always produces good results. If you do not use piping and opt
for poppers instead of a zip, all you need to be able to do is to sew in
straight lines, so they are a great project for someone who is new to sewing.
A new tablecloth
Another straight-line sewing
project is a tablecloth or table runner. This kind of project works best with
lighter fabrics, but if you have a wooden table you want to protect when not in
use heavier fabrics are a better option.
Easy furniture makeover
Ok I know this is a bit
obvious, but I could not ignore this option. Recovering a dining room chair or
footrest is an easy project that can be done with some simple pieces of kit.
Recovering a dining room chair is a good starter project. You just need to cut
the fabric to the right size, stretch it over the seat and staple it into place
one side at a time. There are some great videos to show you exactly how to do
it on YouTube.
As you can see upholstery
fabric has a lot of potential. Have a hunt around and try one of these projects
to see what I mean.
I love the recovering a dining room chair for a beginner as I am. I like the colors in this example. I'll try it, after buying a swing machine.
ReplyDelete