What drives you to sew and recycle?
For me, I love being able to create things with my own hands knowing that I can create exactly what I need instead of needing to shop around for ages! I also find comfort in knowing that I can reuse materials and save them from the waste stream.
This blog post was actually written all the way back in 2021- when I first started measuring the weight of resources I was saving. It started as just a goal for 10lbs. Now in October 2023, I've saved 147 lbs! Keep reading for some upcycled fabric ideas of how to help your community!
Back in January of 2021, I made a resolution to divert 10 lbs (4.5 kg) from the waste stream. Since a lot of my reclaimed materials have come from my neighbors, I also wanted to be able to gift most (if not all) of the items back to my neighbors so that they could go back into circulation. This builds a strong sense of community as well as what is known as a gift economy.
My preferred way to source materials from and gift materials to my neighborhood is through my local Buy Nothing Facebook group. You may have one near you or you can look into another neighborhood app (like Nextdoor), ask friends/family, or go to community meetings to network in person.
After setting my goal, I got to work! A lot of my favorite recycling projects are small and scrappy, so I thought it would be a really long time before I met my goal but I was able to meet it by the end of February! Even though I already met my goal, I am still tracking how much material I save from the waste stream. You can see my tracker here!
Below are some of the projects I worked on for the community. I hope it inspires you to connect with neighbors to upcycle near you!
Ear Savers: It's still 2021 (or 2020 round 2) and pandemic life is still a thing! Face masks with ear loops are worn with these ear savers sitting at the back of your head so the elastic loops onto the buttons. Hopefully, these will be extinct soon! These are really easy to make, especially if your sewing machine has a button sewing function! The ones in the picture are only 4", which I learned is very tiny. I did make some that were bigger, in the 6"-7" range. I made a bundle that went to a nurse that could share with her office.
Cord Organizers: These are made the same way as the ear savers above except you add a closure or snaps! These were actually made from the too small ear savers that I hadn't put buttons on yet once I learned that they were too small for adults to use. Nothing wasted!
Cat Toys: These toy mice were made from a neighbor's wool nylon blend sweater that had shrunk and partially felted in the wash! This project was perfect because the material was in rough shape due to felting and general wear. I was able to make about 20 toy mice from 1 small cardigan! All the mice found new homes with neighborhood kitties or foster families. It's a great way to see pictures of local furry neighbors!
Birthday Bunting: This banner was inspired from seeing my neighbors passing along birthday banners and balloons after they were finished! It was made from a table cloth and a remnant from a neighbor. The tie that attaches all the pieces was the hem of the table cloth with a zigzag over the raw edge. This is a HUGE banner as each bunting piece is about the size of my hand, if I did it again I would break it into two banners so it would be easier to hang. I'm hoping to be able to use this soon for my own family before sharing with the community!
Braided Bag: I made this from 3 pairs of scrub pants, a scrub top, and part of one of my old work skirts. The process involved cutting the scrubs into long strips, knotting them together, and braiding them into one giant long braid. I created the fabric material by coiling the braid and zigzagging edges together. I originally wanted a cylinder shape but I couldn't figure out how to do it without a lot of hand sewing. As a result of some of my experimental stitching (not sure I could replicate it!), I ended up with a bowl shape that I thought would make a fantastic bag! Making this bag was a labor of love, so I hope you don't blame me for wanting to hang on to it for a little while to admire!
Bag Repair: A neighbor reached out to me with a plea to rescue this little Opossum bag whose zipper had come loose, and how could I saw no to that face?! The zipper pull had completely come off the ends of the zipper, which was exposed due to wear and tear on a superlight weight lining fabric that the zipper was attached to. To reattach the zipper pull I had to actually unpick the other end of the zipper as it wouldn't go on the way it came off. After closer inspection, I decided the lining fabric was just too thin/loosely woven to hold up as a favorite cherished possession and I really wanted to fix/stabilized some of the fur that had started to come undone. To add a lining, I made a simple rectangle pocket shape from measuring the size of the existing lining. Then I hand sewed it directly over the existing lining (essentially there's 2 linings now) while also securing that loose furry area. It definitely wasn't a perfect fix, but I felt better knowing that it would prevent inevitable damage in the near future! My neighbor was ESTATIC to see him all fixed up!
Fabric Tic Tac Toe: I made this for my nephew's birthday so that he could play together with his little sister. His favorite color is yellow, which narrowed down about 90% of my fabric stash. Does anyone else have a hard time finding yellow clothes/fabrics?! Any way, after I found my yellow ribbon, I decided the leaf fabric coordinated well. It actually inspired me to make a "Trees and Flowers" instead of tic tac toe so I could stick with the forest theme! The pieces were cut from scraps, 1 front, 1 lining for weight (I used old flannel bedding), and a back piece. Before sewing them together, I sewed on a tiny piece of Velcro. Edges are cut with pinking shears so I don't have to worry about fraying. The bag is a simple drawstring bag with French seams and tucked in casing. I probably wouldn't make this again due to the shear number of tiny pieces of fabric I had to cut with pinking shears! This would be a really nice gift for a kiddo in your life if you felt like using up your scraps!
Scrunchies: A neighbor requested supplies and comfort items that she could add to care packages for a women's shelter. I'll be honest, I saw the scrunchy making a comeback in 2020 and I wasn't into it! I only recently started using them this Spring when I had run out of regular hair ties and was too lazy to run to the store. Scrunchies are really easy to make, you can use your scraps or piece scraps together to get handy hair ties! The grey fabric I used was from baby pants that had a "dry clean" only label. I have NO IDEA how someone approved a dry clean only tag for BABY clothes but I thought it was pretty hysterical at the time! So naturally the fabric was pretty worn on the right side, but I was able to get a pretty garter stitch on the other side.
Toy Bunny: Making small stuffed animals is such a fun sewing project! I regularly make them to gift to family or neighbors. Check out my tutorial to make him! You can get really creative with whatever scraps you have around to make them accessories like sleeping bags, scarves, or bags.
Doll Clothes: The doll in pink I rescued from a thrift shop, someone had given her a rough haircut! So I redid her hair by hot gluing yarn after pulling out what was left of her hair with pliers. I made her a whole wardrobe, but the pink dress was my favorite! It was a pair of old silk pants, with scrap lace, and pearl beads from a pair of worn out jeans. I ended up gifting this doll to my niece to play with!
The shoe patterns I had to draft myself, but I used the patterns from the book 2 Hour Dolls' Clothes for the rest of the clothes. I really like that book because it shows a range of styles of clothing in 3 sizes that work well for any kind of doll or stuffed animal, you can even mix and match pattern pieces! If you can't get your hands on that book you could also use free online patterns or buy doll clothes sewing patterns, I see them all the time in the thrift shop!
Another Doll Rescue: I was contacted by a neighbor when she found out I was fixing up old toys for new homes. This was a cabbage patch doll that her mother had made her back when all the cabbage patch dolls were sold out! When I got her, her hair was all out of shape and she had some undies and socks that were falling apart. Thankfully her hair was easy to fix with a few tugs and snipping off any frayed ends. I was able to make her some dresses from my pattern book as well as repurpose some baby clothes I had gotten from the neighborhood for recycling. Her hairstyle was also perfect for scrunchy wearing! My neighbor was so happy to see her fixed up and she took her back to gift to a new little girl. I hope she has many more years of playtime!
Reusable shopping totes: This is actually one of the first things I started sewing for my community many years ago! I use the pattern from Mors Bags because their whole goal is to get more people to use recycled bags and stop using single use grocery bags! Their pattern makes a very sturdy bag with French seams and reinforced handles. You can order labels from their website if you want your bags to look official and to spread the word about recycled bags! I ordered 50 labels about 3 or 4 years ago and paid a very small fee (less than 3$) for printing and shipping. I still haven't used them all yet!
Fabric Cuff Bracelets: I originally started making these gender pronoun cuffs for a LGBTQ+ youth group in Portland through The People's Sewing Army, but I was inspired to ask around my neighborhood to see if there was an interest locally. There was! I was able to provide some to a neighbor's family and their supportive friends as well as to a school counselor who is the LGBTQ+ Club sponsor at the high school. I'm still planning to send some to Portland but I'm so glad I was able to spread some more gender affirming love in my own area! If you'd like to see how I made my cuffs, you can check out my mini tutorial!
Draft Blockers: Have lots of scrappy bits and fabric that you're sick of seeing? Of course you do! These are so, so easy! Just make a tube and stuff them full of your cut up fabric and thread scraps before sewing it back up again. I've gifted quite a few in my Buy Nothing group!
I hope you have lots of ideas for ways to sew fun goodies for your community! You can check out my Pinterest board for some more inspiration and like Sunny Salvage on Facebook to stay up to date. If you make any cuffs I'd love to see them, tag @Sunny_Salvage on Instagram! Until next time!
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