upcycling Archives - Everything's Famtastic

November 9, 2023November 9, 2023

10 DIY Fabric Projects to Make You & Your Home Cozy

The days are growing shorter and the mercury is sinking. Yes, the cool winter season is coming!

I’m much more of a sun-lover, to be honest. But there is a special kind of charm of snuggling up under a blanket on the sofa and sipping on a hot drink. When you want to make yourself and your house feel even cozier, sewing and crafts projects are the perfect way to make your living space feel like home.

This blog post is all about sharing cute winter fabric craft and sewing projects that will infuse your home with a special winter charm, without being only about Christmas and the Holiday season (as lovely as they are!) as well as some basic winter warmers for you and the family.

AND some of them are eco-friendly upcycling projects while others don’t even require you to unpack the sewing machine!

So, if you’re eager to embark on a creative journey this winter, read on for inspiration

October 12, 2023October 8, 2023

Scrap Sensation: 10 Creative Fabric Sewing Projects to Love

You know those little fabric scraps that seem to multiply in my your 😅 sewing room like rabbits in a magic hat? Well, it’s time to pull them out from the depths of your stash because I’ve got the solutions you’ve been looking for.

In this blog post, I’m diving into the world of small-scale sewing projects that put those itsy-bitsy (and not so tiny) fabric remnants to good use. No need to part with those precious pieces just yet – let’s turn them into something cool, useful, and, most importantly, easy and quick to make.

So, grab your scraps, fire up your sewing machine, and let’s get down to some fun, frugal, and fabulously creative sewing!

August 17, 2023April 3, 2024

Clever & creative ideas to easily reuse your old towels

As a busy mother of 3 kids, there are times when I look around our family home and am shocked by the amount of stuff we have. Piles and piles of books, clothes splayed out on the kids’ bedroom floors, overflowing, disorganised cupboards… urgh.

That’s when I get all ranty and demand we start clearing out and organising some of our possessions.

But when I say “clearing out” I don’t mean throwing out. To our family, it means finding new life or new homes for our unwanted things.

As someone who loves sewing, I tend to squirrel away bits and pieces of unwanted textiles during our “clearing out” phases that I can upcycle sometime, somehow. (That’s one of the advantages of being able to sew, right?)

So, while “clearing out” recently I discovered that my collection of rescued old ratty towels was larger than I remembered it being 🙈. I decided I needed to find myself some DIY projects to make a couple of useful things out of them.

Which lead to me scouring the internet for ideas for myself. And then of course I had to share some of my favourite finds with you here!

And since I am all about simple sewing projects that are low-stress and no fuss, I’m know you’ll find something perfect for you and your old towels, no matter how advanced (or not) your sewing skills are!

Take a look for yourself and give your old towels a new lease on life with these fun upcycling sewing projects!

August 3, 2023August 18, 2023

Upcycling sewing project: How to turn your old towels into drawstring bags!

I don’t know about you, but I often find myself at the sewing machine when my kids need something. Sure, of course I enjoy sewing simply for the fun of it or because I discovered some amazing fabric I couldn’t bear to leave behind at the fabric store and I wanted something just for ME.

But there are frequent times when necessity really is the push behind creating a sewing pattern.

Like recently, when my kids were packing to go away camping and we realised that they each needed a bag to stuff in their plates, bowls, mugs, cutlery and tea towels. Something that could get banged around and dirty, but keep the contents inside clean, could fit in a suitcase with all their other gear, and still be suitable to go through the washing machine at the end of their outdoor adventure.

And that is where my idea for sewing drawstring bags came from.

I had been saving a stack of old, thinning, fraying bathroom towels for a handy upcycling project and a drawstring bag was perfect!

This sewing project will only take you about ½ an hour requires nothing but sewing straight lines! Which makes it perfect for all levels of sewing fans, even nervous newbies!

(If you’re on the lookout for more simple sewing fun, take a look at my other straight lines sewing projects .

Ready to put your old towels to good use too? Environmentally-friendly AND easy? Yes please! I have got the perfect, easy-to-follow sewing tutorial for you!

July 20, 2023April 10, 2024

How to sew a pocket tissue holder in 15 minutes!

Do you have the feeling that life just seems to be getting busier? Like, who’s got time to remember to pack every single thing for the family when leaving the house, let alone for yourself?!? And never mind not having a lot of time for your own hobbies (for me, that’s sewing!) like you used to…

I get it! As a permanent ~~servant~~ mum of 3 kids, I am constantly looking for ways to streamline and simplify our family needs, so when it’s time to do anything at home, on the go, or on holidays I know what we need, that it’s going to be practical and that we can find it easily.

Do you know what every family needs every single day? Tissues!

Do you know a cute way to always have tissues at the ready and not in the black hole of your car or handbag? A sturdy, compact, fabric tissue holder!

Get ready to be amazed by how easy and quick it is to sew your own pocket-sized tissue holder! Even if you’re new to sewing, this project is perfect for building your confidence and you won’t need any fancy equipment.

May 11, 2023May 9, 2023

Fun Spring Projects to Make: Simple Sewing Tutorials Round-Up

It’s an undeniable fact: Spring is the best season of the year!

Nothing says warmer weather and sunshine like bright colours, a garden full of flowers, bees humming, pottering around in the garden, the taste of strawberries **drool**, Spring cleaning and some refreshing updates of home décor.

After cleaning through my own fabric ~~mountain~~ stash, I decided to go researching for some fun Spring sewing patterns to put to use some of the fabric bits and pieces that have been saved with good intentions (and long forgotten).

In this blog post you’ll see some of the favourite ideas I’ve collected as a great way of adding some colour and whimsy to your home and make sweet gift ideas for others too!

These sewing tutorials are a mix of fun décor and useful projects and all can be created fairly easily. No need to spend days labouring over these cute Spring sewing projects!

Check out the tutorials to see for yourself how simple and sweet these Spring sewing projects are!

November 3, 2022November 3, 2022

Easy Christmas Crafts: Rudolph the Reindeer Milk Carton Decorations for Kids to Make

You and I both know that Christmas is a great time of year for making craft projects!

The glitter! The hot glue gun! … The vacuum cleaner?!? 😮

Christmas crafts are a fun activity to do with your kids, but sometimes they can get a little messy.

If you are looking for a simple, original Christmas craft to make with your kids that does NOT involve skin-scalding glue, glitter or paint, then you’re in the right place!

In this Christmas craft tutorial, you’ll see how it easy it is to turn an old drink carton into a cute reindeer to use as part of your Christmas decorations.

If you’re planning to go wild with DIY Christmas crafts this year, I’ve got a SACK full of ideas, including delicious smelling cinnamon Christmas candles , Christmas tree ornaments to sew, Christmas stars and fun for kids with Christmas, baking, more sewing and even more crafts.

Get your Christmas jingles ready and start making some new Christmas décor!

June 16, 2022August 18, 2023

7 Super Sewing Ideas to Make with Old Jeans

I read a quote about denim jeans once. It went something like “Jeans are like French fries. You can’t just have one”.

But have you got some old jeans around the house? And you like ~~French fries~~ sewing too? Then you are in EXACTLY the right place my friend!

Because in this post I am going to share a bunch of super sewing projects you can make with denim!

Best of course, is recycling those old jeans and upcycling them into something new and cool vs going out and purchasing yards of new denim fabric. 😉

Some of the best sewing advice I was given a few years back was to never, ever throw out any old jeans.

So now, thanks to that piece of wisdom, I have a sack of old jeans laying around in our roof waiting to be reused somehow.

Which is what inspired me to go searching for sewing projects using old denim and to share what I found with you!

In this post you’ll find 7 really cool ideas of what you can use that old denim to make. I’ve found a fun mix of projects, ranging from home décor to clothes to cute accessories. And all of them have loads of photos and easy to follow instructions to make your sewing time as productive as possible!

Get comfy and let yourself be inspired with these eco-friendly denim projects now!

March 24, 2022April 30, 2024

How to Make a Useful Fabric Box in ANY Size You Need!

Spring is finally in the air! Thank goodness! There is something about a sunny day that makes my heart sing after a grey, damp and loooooong German winter. The sun and warmth sure do improve my mood and energy levels. BIG time! You too?

So, with that extra energy, you know what it is that we all tend to do each year? Spring cleaning! Get organised. Recycle what can be recycled. Throw away the accumulated crap. Tidy up.

What if you could do these things with one little sewing project?

One simple sewing project that can help you keep things organised, tidy (and cute!) is to create fabric baskets!

I published a sewing tutorial a while back, which walks you through how to make a square fabric basket step-by-step.

But what if that size fabric basket doesn’t suit you? What if you want to make a larger (or smaller) one?

I’ve seen other tutorials sharing how to make these fabric baskets in 2 different sizes. Or maybe even three.

What if I told you, that with the help of pen and paper (or maybe a calculator 😅) and this sewing tutorial here, I can show you exactly how you can make ANY size fabric storage cube you want! Then you will never be stuck for organising and tidying solutions to fit YOUR home.

Ready to get creative?

November 26, 2020March 20, 2024

How to Sew: The Ultimate Handmade Relaxing Neck Pillow

Just the other week I shared with you a list of great gift ideas for book lovers, when you want to avoid giving them yet another book. (Didn’t catch it? Read the list here.)

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There was one suggestion in there in particular that I know caught a lot of attention: that funky-looking neck support pillow. Remember? The one that was shaped a little like a dog’s bone?!?

They are so practical AND cute. You can use it as

> a neck rest (lean back and relax!)

> a book stand

> or just a comfy pillow to snuggle up with.

“What else is so good about a neck support pillow?” I hear you asking. Well, they’re ideal for a personalised, unique gift for any occasion (Hello, Christmas gift! Hello, birthday present!) for friends and family of all ages. And who doesn’t like comfort when reading?!?

What’s also super cool about these relaxing reading pillows is that they are SO easy to sew! Yes, even for beginners! (Trust me 😉)

And I’m here to share the details with you, how YOU too can DIY one of these super comfy, relaxing neck support pillows!