Published by Vanessa Brunner under Reuse/Recycle

I’m not what you would call a crafty person. I can be artistic when I want to, but it takes some serious motivation for me to whip out my scissors and krazy glue.

That said, moving into a new apartment on a limited budget has turned out to be enough motivation for me.

Fabric waste might seem like a topic limited to fashion designers, tailors, and, well, crafty people. But fabric waste doesn’t just mean leftover fabric from a homemade skirt. It means the pile of clothes left after you clean your closet, it means the towels stained from spilled wine, it means the clothes your child just doesn’t fit into anymore, and just about everything in between.

Just a few of the fabric samples I nabbed from my mother's studio

There are textile recovery facilities nationwide that coordinate with charities and second hand stores, to save your waste from the landfill. However, there are also a ton ways that you can reuse textile waste.

In order to salvage my barren apartment, I took advantage of the piles of fabric samples my mom (an interior designer) had in her house. These are beautiful swatches of fabric that will never be used! I grabbed a few of the larger books, snagged some swatches, and took them back home.

15 minutes on the  sewing machine and VOILA: new pillows for my living room! (Still in need of stuffing, obviously).

A view of the back and front of each pillow I made. All I need to do is stuff them and sew up the hole by hand!

And that’s only the start of what can be done with leftover fabric and clothing:

-try making a new-sew scarf with a material you really like. All that’s required is some measuring and a pair of scissors!

-larger pieces of fabric can be used for placemats or cloth napkins (or you can patch several pieces of fabric together.

-some fabric patterns are so beautiful, they’re like art. Take some fabric you love, and put it in a frame, or staple it around a large canvas to hang on a wall.

Other ideas I found:

Make pot holders and homemade gift bags with smaller scraps

Use those random bits and pieces to make fabric covered tacks

Add fringe to a pillow or blanket

Pillows, cushions, sachets, and more!

One of the most impressive things I’ve seen so far. Who would’ve thought that old t-shirt could be your next bathing suit?

Obviously, the possibilities are endless. But the important thing is to keep these things in mind! Instead of tossing a t shirt with a hole in it in the trash, make its life last a little longer by reusing/donating/recycling it.

What sites do you use for craft inspiration? What other reusable ideas do you have?

Let us know!