7 Practical Scrap Fabric Projects People Will Genuinely Use and Love

If you sew, you probably have a growing pile of scrap fabric that’s too pretty to toss but too small for big projects. The good news? Those leftover fabric pieces are perfect for making useful, everyday items you’ll reach for again and again.

In this post, we’re sharing five scrap fabric projects you’ll actually use—not just stash in a drawer. These ideas are beginner-friendly, budget-conscious, and a great way to reduce fabric waste while creating something functional and handmade.

This post contains affiliate links. If you click on a link and make a purchase I may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. For more information please see my Disclaimer page. Thanks!

Why Scrap Fabric Projects Are Worth Making

Scrap fabric projects aren’t just about using leftovers—they’re about sewing smarter. Small projects:

• Reduce waste and save money

• Are quick to make (great for busy schedules)

• Help you practice sewing skills

• Make thoughtful handmade gifts

Whether you’re new to sewing or a seasoned stitcher, these scrap-busting ideas are both practical and satisfying. 

 

1. Fabric Coasters

Fabric coasters are one of the easiest and most useful scrap fabric projects you can make. They protect surfaces from spills and heat, and they’re easy to customize to match your home décor.

Why you’ll use them:
You can never have too many coasters—especially if you entertain or enjoy cozy drinks at home.

Best scraps to use:
Cotton quilting fabric, linen, or canvas scraps

Tutorial: MommySuburbia

Fabric Yarn Coasters: This non-sew option is perfect for the beginner and seasoned crafter. First make fabric "yarn" and then turn it into a coaster. Customize with different colors. Add a layer of batting or absorbent fabric in the middle for extra protection.

Round Fabric Coasters: A simple sewing project to make fabric coasters. Follow along to make your own today. 

2. Fabric Key Fobs (Wristlet Keychains)

Fabric key fobs are small, sturdy, and perfect for using narrow fabric scraps. They slide right over your wrist, making keys easier to grab when your hands are full.

Why you’ll use them:
Great for everyday errands, school pickups, or quick trips—no more digging through your bag.

Best scraps to use:
Cotton fabric with interfacing or batting for stability

Gift idea:
These make excellent teacher gifts, stocking stuffers, or craft fair items.

Tutorial via: Lo & Behold Stitchery

3. Zipper Pouches

Zipper pouches are a classic scrap fabric project for a reason—they’re endlessly useful. Use them to store makeup, craft supplies, school supplies, or travel essentials.

Why you’ll use them:
They keep small items organized and make great gifts.

Best scraps to use:
Mix and match coordinating fabric scraps for a patchwork look.

Skill boost:
This is a great project for practicing zipper installation without committing to a large project.

Tutorial: Laura Radniecki

4. Fabric Bookmarks

Fabric bookmarks are quick to sew and make reading even more enjoyable. They’re also a wonderful handmade gift for book lovers.

Why you’ll use them:
They’re durable, washable, and far more charming than paper bookmarks.

Best scraps to use:
Small cotton scraps, ribbon pieces, or even selvedges (the bound edges of a piece of fabric)

Creative idea:
Add a bit of interfacing for structure or personalize them with embroidery.

Tutorial: Becca Plymale Creative

5. Microwave Bowl Cozy

Microwave bowl cozies are one of the most practical scrap fabric projects you can make. They protect your hands from hot bowls and add a cozy, homemade touch to everyday meals.

Why you’ll use them:
Once you have one, you’ll use it constantly—for soups, leftovers, and oatmeal.

Best scraps to use:
100% cotton fabric and cotton batting (important for microwave safety)

Important note:
Avoid synthetic fabrics or batting when making microwave projects.

Tutorial: Quilting Cubby

6. Reusable Fabric Snack Bags

Reusable fabric snack bags are a practical way to reduce waste while using up small fabric pieces. They’re perfect for kids’ lunches, travel snacks, or storing dry foods.

Why you’ll use them:
They replace disposable plastic bags and are washable and reusable.

Best scraps to use:
Cotton fabric with a food-safe lining (like laminated cotton)

Tip:
Use hook-and-loop tape or snaps for an easy, kid-friendly closure.

Tutorial: Domestic Fashionista

7. Fabric Headbands or Hair Scrunchies

Hair accessories are fast, fun scrap fabric projects that don’t require much material and are always useful.

Why you’ll use them:
They’re practical for daily wear and easy to coordinate with outfits.

Best scraps to use:
Soft cotton, jersey knit, or lightweight woven fabric

Trend bonus:
Scrunchies are always popular and sell well at handmade markets.

Tutorial (headband): Scattered Thoughts of a Crafty Mom

Tutorial (scrunchie): I Can Sew This

Make the Most of Your Scrap Fabric

Scrap fabric projects prove that you don’t need large cuts of fabric to create useful, beautiful items. With a little creativity, those leftover pieces can become everyday essentials you’ll actually reach for—saving money, reducing waste, and making your sewing time more rewarding.

From coasters and bowl cozies to zipper pouches, key fobs, and reusable snack bags, these projects help turn your scrap bin into a source of inspiration instead of clutter. They’re quick to sew, perfect for skill-building, and ideal for handmade gifts or craft fair items.

Before buying new fabric, take another look at your scraps—you might already have everything you need for your next favorite project. Happy sewing! 

Final Thoughts on Scrap Fabric Projects

Scrap fabric projects don’t have to be clutter creators. When you focus on useful, everyday items, your fabric scraps become valuable sewing resources instead of leftovers.

These five projects are proof that even the smallest pieces of fabric can be turned into something functional, beautiful, and worth keeping.

If you’re looking for more ways to sew sustainably and creatively, start with your scrap bin—you might be surprised by what you can make.

How I Made A Magnetic Privacy Curtain For My Front Door Windows

Front doors can really add a lot of character and interest to your home's aesthetic. As a homeowner, you want a door that not only looks great but is functional. Front doors come in a variety of options and features depending on your needs. 

I love my front door or should I say doors since it really is a double door. The front door on my house is actually a set of two steel doors with built-in decorative glass panels along the front that let in a lot of natural light. I really like the way my entry doors look and I love that I can open them both at the same time which has come in handy over the years as we have needed to get large pieces of furniture and other things in and out of the house. 

This post contains affiliate links which means if you click on a link and make a purchase I may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. For more information please see my Disclaimer page! Thanks!!

The glass windows on my doors let in a lot of natural light which is a wonderful feature but the problem I have is the extra heat created from the sunlight. My doors face east which means in the morning when the sun is coming up the doors get the full force of the sun for several hours. This beautiful sunshine is also super warm and heats up our main living area quickly in the summer. This extra heat makes our air conditioner work harder and stay on longer too. 

I needed to find a simple and temporary way to solve this problem. I didn't want to drill any holes into the metal of the door so the solution had to be removable and temporary. 

I'm embarrassed to say that for a little while, I was using a beach towel with magnets attached to the door to cover the glass panels. Did this work and cut down on some of the heat - Yes. Did it look nice - NO! It looked so tacky from the inside and outside. Time to go back to the drawing board and think of a better solution to this problem. 

The magnets were what inspired me to create these removable panel curtains and I have to say they were very easy to make and they look great from the inside and outside! I am so happy with the results and I can't wait to share how I make them with you. A bonus feature of my curtain panels is that they also provide a little extra privacy when they cover the glass too! 

DIY Removable Magnetic Front Door Curtain Panel

For my curtain panels, I used home decor fabric. I really think a heavier fabric like home decor fabric or duck cloth works best for this project. I did not line my curtain panels because I wanted some natural light to shine through. Feel free to line your curtain panels but it isn't totally necessary.

One thing to note here is that you have to have a metal steel door for the magnets to work! If your door isn't metal you will have to figure out a different way to hang the curtain. 

Supplies Needed

• home decor fabric  (amount will depend on the size of your window)
• (4) strong magnets (I used a few manga tile magnets from my kid's toys and they work great!)
• sewing notions
• sewing machine (my recommendation)
• iron & ironing board
• scissors
• tape measure
• cutting mat & rotary cutter (handy but not totally necessary)

Curtain Panel Construction:

Measure the window panel on your door. Transfer these measurements to your fabric adding an additional 1 1/2" to all sides for seam allowance and cut out the fabric along these measurements. 

Fold over the edges 1/2" to the wrong side of the fabric all around the cut fabric panel and iron down. Fold over a second time 1/2" and iron. Stitch around the perimeter of the panel. 

Magnetic Tabs Construction:

Next, measure and cut out 4 pieces of fabric into a rectangle that is 5" x  3". The size of these tabs can vary depending on the size of your magnets. I used square manga tile magnets (toys) for mine and these measurements fit my needs plus a little added seam allowance. 

Fold the short side of the fabric over 1/4" to the wrong side of the rectangle and iron it down. Then fold the entire rectangle in half right side matching the right side with the two short edges touching each other. Stitch around three sides leaving the folded short side open. 

Slip the magnet through the open edge and push it all the way to the top. Pin just under the magnet to hold it in place then sew along the fabric to secure the magnet inside the fabric panel. 

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Finishing the Curtain Panel

Lay the panel right sides down on a flat surface. Along one of the short sides (which will be the top of the curtain) measure 4 inches from each corner and make a mark. 

Center the curtain tab over the mark and pin it in place with the edge of the hem even with the unsewn bottom of the tab. Sew the tab to the curtain panel along the bottom of the hem and top of the hem.

Keep in mind that if your fabric has a pattern or print you will want to make sure you sew the magnetic tabs to the correct end of the panel! I chose a fabric with a print that didn't have a specific direction so this made my job a lot easier. 

I leave my magnetic curtain panels up all the time but when I want to "open" them I just slide one magnet tab over to the opposite side. The fabric keeps it from scratching my metal door. 

These curtain panels are one of my new favorites! I hope you like yours as much as I do mine. Since I already had the fabric and magnets this project was super budget-friendly!!

Make sure to check out my other easy-to-sew tutorials for more fun projects to try. 

How To Make A Hooded Bath Towel Tutorial

When each of my kids were born a friend of our family made a personalized hooded towel for each child that had their name embroidered along one of the sides. These towels were my kids' favorite bath towels and we got years of use out of them beyond just the baby stage. Because these hooded towels were made from full-size bath towels our growing kids could keep using them well into their elementary years. 

I remember bath time when my kids were babies and toddlers. They loved splashing and playing around in the tub and were always sad when bathtime was done. After their bath, I would scoop them up and wrap them in a hooded towel to keep their wet head and body warm and cozy. They loved their hooded towel just as much as I did. 

This post contains affiliate links which means if you click on a link and make a purchase I may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. For more information please see my Disclaimer page. Thanks!

You may have noticed the hooded towels you can buy pre-made at the store. Forget these! They are always super thin which means they don't absorb much water and they are small so you can only use them for a little baby. Little babies don't stay little very long! You will definitely want a hooded towel for your child that fits their growing body, is super absorbent, and lasts for years to come!

After falling in love with these amazing and practical hooded towels I started making them and giving them as gifts for baby showers knowing my friends and family would love them just as much as I did. Just recently I was invited to a baby shower and of course, I made a set of hooded towels to give as a  baby gift! 

How To Choose The Right Bath Towel

I'm sure you are wondering what kind of bath towel works best since there are so many to choose from. Over the years I have tried several different kinds of towels from super thick bath sheets to thin and flimsy towels. What I have discovered is that a bath towel somewhere in the middle range of thickness works best. The super thick towels are difficult to sew but they are also hard to wrap a small slippery wet child in after a bath! An ultra-thin bath towel won't last long if you plan on using it regularly so I suggest staying away from these kinds. 

My favorite bath towels are found at Walmart! The Mainstay brand is not only super inexpensive but it is the perfect weight to use for a hooded towel. Walmart also has matching hand towels! For this project, you will need one hand towel to make two hooded towels so make sure to pick one up before you head home to start this project.

Since we are talking about Walmart, did you know that the store has a sewing and crafting section? How convenient especially since I was about to make some hooded towels and needed matching thread! 

Great Beginner Sewing Project

This is a great sewing project for a beginner and doesn't take much time to make your first hooded towel from start to finish. The most challenging part of this tutorial is figuring out how to place the hood and towel together. Once you master this part the rest is very simple!

How To Make A Hooded Bath Towel

Gather up the following supplies and sewing notions to get started making a hooded towel.

Supplies

2 full-size bath towels

1 hand towel

coordinating thread

sewing machine

scissors

pins

Step-by-Step Tutorial

1 - We are going to start by making the hood. To do so fold the hand towel in half matching the short ends of the towel together - the folded towel will look like a square now. Cut the towel in half at the fold. 

2 - Lay the cut hand towel on a flat surface with the right side facing up. Fold the finished edge of the towel opposite the cut side back about 3 inches and stitch it in place. 

3 - Next take one hand towel piece and fold it in half lengthwise matching the long sides together and making sure the right sides of the towel are facing each other. The folded piece should look like a rectangle. Sew along the cut end of the folded towel. Turn the hood right side out then spread the hood open to create a triangle shape. Set it aside

tip - I like to reinforce this seam by sewing over it two times. This is optional however it will help ensure a strong seam.

4 - Fold the bath towel in half matching the short ends of the towel together to form a large square. Press the center fold with your hands to create a visible fold line. Open up the towel with the right side up and lay it on a flat surface making sure you can still see the center fold line you just made. 

5 - Match the seam line of the raw edge of the hood to the top edge of the towel matching the seam line and the pressed center mark of the towel together. The hood should be placed so that the hood opening is face up. Pin the hood to the towel.

6 - Sew the hood to the towel. I recommend sewing over this seam two times and backstitching over both ends of the hood to ensure a strong seam. 

I hope you enjoyed making a hooded towel and I know you will love using this for your little ones or giving it as a gift to someone special!

If you liked this sewing tutorial I'm sure you will enjoy these other easy beginner sewing projects too! Make sure to check them out today.

How To Make A Rag Strip Quilt

How To Make A Fabric Banner (Bunting) - Sew & No-Sew Options

How To Make A Modern Hanging Kitchen Towel

Have you ever been hard at work in the kitchen, your hands caked in flour as you put the finishing touches on your latest concoction only to realize that after you rinse off your hands there is no kitchen towel to be found anywhere to dry off your dripping hands? 

So frustrating, right!? 

I'm pretty sure my kitchen towels are in cahoots with all the single missing socks in my house sneaking off to some mysterious hidden place to party like it's 1994. Well, I haven't figured out how to solve the missing sock problem yet but I did come up with a great way to keep those kitchen towels in line and I'm excited to share it with you today.

This post contains affiliate links which means if you click on a link and make a purchase I may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. For more information please see my Disclaimer page. Thanks!

When you think of hanging kitchen towels you probably remember those country kitchen style crochet towels your grandmother used to have hanging from the handle of her stove. As convenient as those crochet hanging towels are I think they could stand a little makeover. Hanging kitchen towels don't have to look like granny's because I'm giving them a modern update so they fit with your kitchen decor. 

Modern Hanging Kitchen Towel Sewing Tutorial

To make these modern hanging kitchen towels you only need to be able to sew a straight line on a sewing machine making this the perfect beginner sewing project. Gather up the following materials and let's get started upgrading your kitchen towels! 

Supplies:

• Sewing machine
• Thread
• Cotton fabric
• Scissors
• Rotary cutter & self-healing mat (optional but very handy!)
• Kitchen towel 
• Iron & ironing board

Step-by-Step Sewing Instructions:

Step 1:  Cut the cotton fabric into a 36" x 8" rectangle folding right sides together into a long narrow rectangle and pressing with a hot iron. Along the edge of the fabric opposite side from the fold, measure and put a mark 4" from each of the fabric ends towards the center. Starting at your mark lightly draw a tapered line from the mark to the end of the fabric to create a tapered line. 

Step 2: Sew around the perimeter of the fabric rectangle. Make sure to sew a tapered line at both ends of the rectangle (the picture above only shows one side but make sure to taper both ends! - sorry!!), 

Also, make sure to leave a 2" opening along the straight edge so you can turn the rectangle right side out after sewing. Turn the entire rectangle tube right side out and press. 

Topstitch around the perimeter of the rectangle with a 1/4" seam allowance making sure to stitch the 2" opening closed.

Step 3: Open the kitchen towel up with the right side of the towel laying face down. Fold each long edge on both sides of the towel under to the right side of the towel about 2 - 3 inches (depending on the width of your towel you may need to adjust this a little). 

Now, carefully grab the folded edge you just created and fold it (the folded part) back to the center of the towel on the wrong side. You want the finished edge of the towel to line up with folded section you just created so that it isn't overhanging and visible from the right side of the towel. See the pictures below to help you with this step!

Do this to both long sides of the towel. 

Step 4: Carefully flip the towel over so the right side is facing up. Find the center of the towel by carefully folding it in half, finger pressing it, and opening the towel back up so it is laying flat. 

Now, fold the fabric rectangle tie in half to find the center. Place the fabric tie on top of the towel matching up the center marks of the towel and fabric tie. 

Pin the tie securely to the towel's center line. Starting at the edge of the towel, sew across the width of the towel and over the fabric tie center mark to securely attach the tie to the towel. I recommend repeating this step a few times to make sure the tie is secure. 

To hang your new modern hanging kitchen towel simply tie the fabric sashes around the handle of your oven door or towel bar. These hanging dishtowels make for great Mother's Day, Christmas, and birthday gifts too! 

Easy Sewing Tutorials

If you enjoyed making these modern dishtowels make sure to check out these other easy sewing tutorials too! 

How To Make A Fabric Banner (Easy Sew & No Sew Tutorials)

How To Make A Rag Strip Quilt

How To Make Seat Belt Covers