9 Fun Upcycling Projects

Happy National Upcycling Day! Thimbles is back with yet another edition of fun scrap and upcycling projects to indulge in for National Upcycling Day. 


We love great scrap-busting and upcycling projects. All of our fabulous quilts and quilt projects result in tons of delightful bits of fabric, and we refuse to waste beautiful fabric. How much do we love fabric scraps and upcycling projects? Well, all told, there are hundreds of scrap projects to choose from on our blog. You can read Favorite Free Sewing Patterns for Using Up Fabric Scraps, Our Favorite Scrap Projects, MORE of Our Favorite Scrap Projects, Portable English Paper Piecing Projects, Even More of Our Favorite Scrap Projects, 50+ Scrap Fabric Projects for National Sewing Month, and EVEN MORE of Our Favorite Scrap Projects to see them all. You can also hit the scrap projects tag on our blog to see anything that might possibly use a fabric scrap (it also includes our 5 Tips for Sustainable Sewing). 


So, let’s get into some scrappy projects! Some projects rely on diving into your bin of leftover fabrics, and some will ask you to look at items in your house and try to imagine them as something else. Either way, we’re making use of what we already have in honor of National Upcycling Day!


Tammy’s Scrappy Denim Jacket


Brunette stands against a brick wall showing the back of her denim jacket with quilted fabric scraps


Tammy saw a gorgeous upcycled denim jacket designed by Denise Schober at Baby Lock Tech last year and knew she had to make one of her own. We just released the free tutorial for Tammy’s Scrappy Denim Jacket lasy month, so of course we’ve included it here. Gather the precious fabric scraps you’ve been saving for something really special and find the step-by-step instructions here. 


Recycled Jeans Composition Book Cover


two denim book covers with pockets upcycled from jeans


Speaking of Denim, the Recycled Jeans Composition Book Covers from We All Sew are perfect for converting old jeans into back-to-school book covers. We love the pockets for storing pens and pencils and the zig zag stitch decoration. You can also get some buttons out of your stash by using them to embellish the pockets!


No Sew Ruffled Tea Towels


white tea towels accented with ruffled contrast fabric on a wooden table


The DIY Mommy designed these No Sew Ruffled Tea Towels with bits of pretty fabric and fabric glue, but this also seems like an easy project to convert to sewing on your machine. You just need 1”-wide strips of fabric and some plain tea towels to get started!



Fitted Blouse from a Men’s Shirt


side by side images of a white woman wearing an oversized white men's shirt alongside the same shirt tailored with a peplum waist


There’s nothing more satisfying than making your own clothing. If you’re interested in dressmaking, we highly recommend looking into our upcoming Judy Kessinger classes to design clothing with the perfect fit. But you also have plenty of clothing in your closet that could benefit from some gently upcycling. Sum of their Stories ingeniously turned an Oversized Men’s Shirt into a Fitted Blouse, complete with flattering peplum silhouette. We love the cinched elbow length sleeves and the contrast fabric at the neckline and cuffs!  


Scrappy Fabric Wrapped Hangers


clothing hangers wrapped with scraps of fabric


Beautify your clothes hangers and brighten up your closet with Fabric Wrapped Hangers from Upcycle My Life. This is another tutorial that requires no sewing. It uses fabric scraps of all sizes and a glue stick to create a medley of pretty and functional fabric wrapped hangers. These are great for protecting delicate clothing and keeping them on the hangers and off the floor!


Quilted Jacket from Fabric Scraps


a white woman stands on a path outside wearing a quilted jacket composed of brightly colored fabric scraps


Add this fun tutorial from We All Sew for a Quilted Fabric Scrap Jacket to your fall projects queue! It uses fabric scraps of all colors and sizes to make a striking quilted jacket with a tamarack jacket pattern as the base. 


Reusable Bowl Covers


Three antique bowls topped with upcycled bandanas as covers


These adorable Reusable Bowl Covers from Sadie Seasongoods call for upcycling old bandanas, but you can also use any fat quarters you have lying around that you haven’t found a better use for. These are a great alternative to plastic wrap and tinfoil, and look much nicer at your next outdoor barbeque!


Candle Jar Pin Cushion


sewing notions on a white wood table next to an upcycled candle jar covered in fabric and topped with a fabric pin cushion cover


Sum of their Stories calls this a “double upcycle” because she used an old pillow cushion and an old candle holder. The Candle Jar Pin Cushion uses a bit of mod podge to secure the interior fabric and then a little hand sewing to create the center cushion. This is an easy, fun, and fast project that adds a little color to your sewing notions.


Orphan Quilt Block Sweatshirt


a flat lat of two sheatshirts showcasing quilt blocks sewn in the center of the shirt


The Orphan Quilt Block Sweatshirt tutorial from We All Sew hits on a recent trend we’ve seen at several quilt shows and events over the last few years. So many quilters are wearing quilt blocks—specifically, on the front of their shirts. This is such a fun way to use any orphan quilt blocks in your stash, or to showcase a really special quilt block using scraps of your favorite fabric left over from another quilt project.


Do you have a favorite upcycling project, or project that uses scraps? Let us know!