Projects for Fabric Scraps

Sorry for my prolonged absence and sporadic posting.  If it’s possible for things to be both dull and hectic then that’s what they are–we’ve got a lot of last minute school/house stuff to deal with, and none of it should really be that taxing, but it’s so hot that all I want to do is sleep through the day and watch television all night.

Additionally, we’re drowning in fresh apples, pears, and figs right now.  The last thing I need is sweets (you know, in combination with the sleeping all day and watching television all night), but I can’t let all that beautiful fresh fruit go to waste either.  Consequently, I’ve been baking up a storm, and you can expect to see the fruits (har har) of all that labor very soon.

Another project that’s taking up a lot of my time right now is my sister Dawn‘s birthday present.  Due to the fact that she’s one of the only people who reads my blog regularly (and she lives with me and loves to spoil surprises, so I’m already working hard to keep this under wraps), I can’t go into too much detail about this, but I will say that it involves muslin.  As I was cutting away and piling up all the excess fabric this project is creating, my mind wandered to all the beautiful and inventive scrap fabric projects that I’ve filed away.  I’ve never been able to bring myself to throw away the smallest scrap of usable fabric, and after compiling this list of projects I’m thankful for that!

rag balls by maya*made

I love these  juggling rag balls by Maya of maya*made.  While I can’t think of too many practical ways in which I could use these (I am, after all, not having a circus-themed party any time soon), I still think they’re adorable and will probably make them just the same.  I can see Chowder and Maxine, strung out on catnip, chasing them around on our hardwood floors.

i've had this scarf by craftster's how_german bookmarked for well over three years

I love how this raggedy scrap scarf , by how_german of Craftster, is unique, visually interesting, totally cozy-looking, and made entirely of stuff that would normally be thrown away.  It’s great that even if I did have enough scraps to make two of these, they wouldn’t look anything alike.

i love this simple fabric scrap necklace by RubyEllen of cakies

This fabric scrap necklace by RubyEllen of Cakies is so sweet and simple.  There’s so much fun to be had with different pattern and color combinations; I can see these making great headbands without too much extra work.

another great necklace by cut out and keep's cat morley

I really love how the “beads” of this fabric ball necklace are, well, fabric balls.  Again, there are so many interesting possibilities based different combinations of color and pattern.

i love this fabric pom pom by Molly Chicken so much

I need this fabric pom pom to be hanging somewhere in our house right now–too bad we’re not living our my house right now, and it’s not technically our house yet.  I guess that means it will have to go somewhere on my (growing) to-do list.  Maybe I’ll sneak it to the top?  I hope my other projects don’t get jealous.

with Mademoiselle Chaos's tutorial for spinning fabric scraps into yarn, the possibilities are endless

Depending on the amount of scraps you have on hand, I imagine you can make just about anything by following Mademoiselle Chaos’s tutorial for spinning fabric scraps into yarn.  I can see a beautiful matching winter hat and mittens resulting from this tutorial.  Maybe for one of the babies or children in my life?  I’m not sure if I have enough coordinating scraps for a grown-up set.

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Homemade Holidays: Wreath Roundup

One of my dearest friends moved away recently, and she took her camera with her.  She’d been letting me use this camera for months (what a good friend!), so naturally I’m missing them both terribly.  I’m buying a new one as a Christmas gift to myself (any recommendations?!), but until that happens I’ll have to get creative as far as posting goes.  Anyway, I’ve been drooling over DIY holiday decor all season, and my bookmarks are full of things I can’t wait to try for next year.  The thing I’m most excited about is making a big, beautiful wreath.  I have a feeling I’ll be making one of the following:

(Click the pictures to visit the tutorials!)

http://bleubirdvintage.typepad.com/blog/2009/11/diy-pom-pom-wreath.html

Pom Pom Wreath from BleuBird

Amanda's Holiday Wreath from DesignSponge

Amanda's Holiday Wreath from DesignSponge

Felted Ball Wreath from Pickles

Felted Ball Wreath from Pickles

DIY Ornament Wreath from ApartmentTherapy

Ornament Wreath from ApartmentTherapy

Cranberry Wreath from The Idea Room

Cranberry Wreath from The Idea Room

The hard part will be deciding which one to make! At least I have a year to think about it.

(All images are property of their respective owners.)

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