Thirteen projects sorted by the shape of scrap they use, because a bag of offcuts is not one material. Long strips, squares, odd triangles and lint-sized bits each have different things they can become, and sorting the bag once is what makes the bag usable.
Quick answer: Sort the bin into four piles before you sew anything. Strips longer than 12 in become bindings, ties, straps and a strip quilt. Squares and rectangles over 5 in become patchwork blocks, coasters and pouches. Pieces under 5 in become appliqué, hexagons and ornaments. Anything smaller than a palm becomes stuffing. Three of the thirteen need no sewing at all.
Sort the Bag First, Once
Of 900 posts we read across sewing groups, 155 were about altering or mending rather than making something new. Sewing that comes out of a scrap bin is the same instinct: use what is here rather than buy more. What stops it is that the bin is unsorted, so every project starts with twenty minutes of rummaging and ends with putting the bag back in the cupboard.
Four piles, four shoeboxes or four bags, and the sorting only happens once because new scraps get dropped straight into the right one.
Pile One: Strips Longer Than 12 In
1. Bias binding
Cut strips 2 in wide on the 45 degree grain, join the ends at a 45 degree angle so the seams spread out, and press in half. 2 in gives a double-fold binding about 1/2 in wide finished, which is the standard for quilts, pot holders and mug rugs.
2. Straight-grain binding and ties
Same 2 in width, cut on the grain instead. It will not go round a curve, so keep it for straight edges and for apron ties.
3. Strip quilt top
Cut every strip to the same width, 2.5 in is the usual, sew them side by side until the piece is as wide as you want, then cut across and rearrange the rows so the seams do not line up. Sixty-four 2.5 in strips at 42 in long makes a lap quilt top.
4. Fabric rope basket
Wrap strips round cotton clothesline cord, then coil it and zigzag the coils together. It uses more scrap by weight than anything else here.
5. Bag handles and key fobs
Any strip 4 in wide and over 18 in long folds into a four-layer 1 in strap. Two of them make a tote handle set.
Pile Two: Squares and Rectangles Over 5 In
6. Patchwork blocks
Trim everything in this pile to one size, 5 in is the standard charm square, and sew them in a grid with a 1/4 in seam allowance. Sixty-three 5 in squares make a 9 by 7 block lap quilt top at about 41 x 32 in finished.
7. Patchwork tote
Sew a panel of squares to 16 x 17 in, back it with plain fabric, and build it as a boxed tote. The patchwork replaces the outer piece and nothing else changes.
8. Coasters and mug rugs
Two 5 in squares back to back make one coaster. Four squares sewn into a 10 x 5 in strip make a mug rug.
9. Zip pouch from a pieced panel
Sew squares into a panel, trim it to 9 x 7 in, and use it as the outer of a standard flat pouch with a 9 in zip.
Pile Three: Under 5 In
10. English paper piecing hexagons
A 2.5 in fabric square covers a 1 in paper hexagon with enough to fold over. It is hand work, it travels, and it eats the pieces nothing else can use.
11. Appliqué shapes
Fuse a scrap to double-sided fusible web, cut the shape, fuse it to a plain tote or shirt and stitch round the edge with a narrow zigzag.
12. Felt and fabric ornaments
Two 4 in shapes, blanket stitched round the edge by hand, lightly stuffed.
Pile Four: Too Small for Anything
13. Stuffing
Cut the smallest pieces down to about 1/2 in and use them to fill a pincushion or a floor cushion. It is heavier and firmer than polyester filling and it costs nothing. Do not use it in anything that has to be washed, because it clumps and never dries evenly.
The Three That Need No Sewing
- Fused appliqué. Double-sided fusible web holds it without a stitch. It will survive gentle washing, and it will lift at the edges eventually.
- No-sew fabric garland. Tie 1 x 8 in strips onto a length of twine with a lark’s head knot. Nothing else required.
- Fabric-wrapped hoops or jars. Strips wrapped round and secured with fabric glue at each end.
What to Throw Away
Scraps that fray to nothing at the touch, anything with a stain, anything cut on a shape so odd that squaring it up leaves less than 2 in of usable fabric, and fabric you disliked enough that it became a scrap on purpose. A bin you have to dig through is a bin nobody uses, and keeping unusable pieces is what makes it that.
Scrap Fabric FAQ
What can I make with small fabric scraps?
Under 5 in: hexagons for English paper piecing, appliqué shapes, and ornaments. Under 2 in: cut them smaller and use them as stuffing for a pincushion.
How do I organise a scrap bin?
By shape, not by colour. Strips over 12 in, squares over 5 in, pieces under 5 in, and pieces too small to cut. New scraps go straight into a pile, so the sort only happens once.
What size should I cut scraps to?
2.5 in wide for strips and 5 in for squares. Both are standard sizes, which means anything you cut now will fit whatever you piece later.
Can I use fabric scraps as stuffing?
Yes, cut to about 1/2 in, and best in a pincushion where the extra weight helps. Avoid it in anything washable, because it clumps and stays damp.
What can I do with scraps without sewing?
Fused appliqué with double-sided fusible web, a tied fabric garland on twine, or wrapping strips round a hoop or jar and securing them with fabric glue.
The pieced tote is built on the construction in tote bag patterns sorted by bottom, and the pouch on zipper pouch patterns. Projects sorted by fabric quantity instead of scrap shape are in small sewing projects under a yard.
