Crafty people often have a little problem with “excess.” We all love to cultivate our fabric stash, whether the closet door will close or not. But there comes a time when you have to “thin the herd.” Or maybe you just have a few scraps here and there of some cool fabric you bought and don’t want to throw it out. We totally understand! But what do you do with all those great fabric leftovers? Let’s create some very cool, simple craft projects with your leftover material!

1. Make It Fashion

When we think about extra fabric ideas, the first ones that comes to mind are fun and simple fashion projects. For example, you can easily put together a headband by cutting out a rectangular piece of fabric. Fold each side until they meet in the middle, and place the strip of fabric around your head, tying it in place with a simple knot. If you have zero sewing skills whatsoever, this is the easiest option!

If you’re still wondering what to do with extra fabric and you want to try something a little harder, you can make your fabric scraps into bows, bags, or almost anything fashionable. If this idea catches on and you need more fabric, it’s also very easy to create your very own fabric with us on Zazzle.

2. Journal Scraps

Bullet journaling has become extremely popular as of late, and where better to keep your fabric scraps organized than in a journal? There are tons of notebooks and writing pads you can personalize, and you can keep your fabric scraps organized inside in order to make sure you never lose them. Affix them to or simply press them between the pages. A book of this sort lets you take your fabric “collection” wherever you go, so you can easily match colors when shopping or use it at a crafting get-together.

What’s more, you can even create a fabric scrap cover for your notebook or school books if you need to protect them or add a pop of color to the classroom. Extra fabric can add a bit of “you” to your journaling or note taking, no matter how you choose to make it happen.

3. Homey Looks

Maybe your home decor could use a personal touch, as you’re considering what to make with your extra fabrics. First, you can create a pillow from different fabric pieces without too much hassle-—or too much sewing. Or, you can actually make your own dish towels out of a cool, modern fabric for a project that is both practical and decorative. Finally, many different sewing experts will be happy to give you simple tips on making fabric baskets, which is a great way to tie the project for which you originally used the fabric into little accents around your home.

4. Treat Yourself

You can create plenty of soothing self-care items from these extra fabric remnants. Or, you can easily make hand warmers that will keep your digits toasty through the winter. You could also make your very own sleep mask so you can grab some extra zzz’s in the morning. Another easy trick is to sew some extra fabric into a small pouch and to fill it with potpourri, which you can use to keep your drawers smelling fresh throughout the year.

5. Gift It Away

Strapped for ideas when it comes to giving a baby shower gift? Why not use that extra fabric to create some burping cloths for the mom-to-be? Or maybe your friend just got a new dog and you want to shower them with love while also being practical. You can create a washable mat to go under their dog bowls if you have enough fabric.

If you’re looking to give a small gift, just to say you’re thinking about someone, you can also make keychains out of upcycled fabric! Some tutorials will even show you how to create a keychain that will store your coins, lip gloss, or other items.

Fun Uses for Leftover Cloth

If you’re asking yourself what to do with extra fabric, you’re not alone. It’s common to want to find a home for the leftover pieces from a project that you loved making. So, go out there and start upcycling your fabric, and you’ll find the smallest projects are often the sweetest.