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.
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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.
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1 comment:

  1. 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.

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