7 Sustainable Sewing Projects for Earth Day
With Earth Day coming up on April 22nd, you may be trying to think of ways that you can “go green.” Luckily for you, there are tons of sustainable sewing projects that are easy, fun, and good for the earth!
When you want to start living in a more eco-friendly way, it can be hard to know where to start. It can feel overwhelming at first, but every time you reduce, reuse, or recycle, you are making a difference. So start small and choose a project off of this list of sustainable crafts--the earth will thank you!
Most of these projects are fairly simple and will only require a few basic supplies. Just gather up your fabric, thread, scissors, pins, and some measuring tape, and you’ll be on your way to creating your own sustainable sewing crafts.
Reusable Sewing Projects
Our earth’s landfills and oceans are overflowing with single-use plastic items. One way you can help reduce the waste that you and your family produce is to replace these single-use items with items that can be used over and over again.
Remember: using high-quality fabrics is an easy way to turn a sewing project into a sustainable sewing project. Durable fabrics will stand the test of time, meaning less of them will end up in a landfill.
Canvas Grocery Bags
Do you have a drawer at home full of plastic grocery bags? Consider replacing them with reusable cloth grocery bags. These tote bags can replace hundreds of the plastic bags that you probably use only once before you throw them away at the end of your shopping trip.
You can also make your own produce bags to hold fruits and veggies at the grocery store. Or a makeup bag to hold your beauty items. Replacing these plastic bags is an easy way to go green while also showing off your sewing skills every time you go shopping!
Eco-friendly Cloth Napkins
Paper products decompose much faster than plastic, but cutting back on paper products is good for the earth, too (plus, it can save you money). Instead of using paper towels, you could use custom-made cloth napkins for holiday get-togethers. They can even match your Christmas table runner! And you can choose your very own cute fabric instead of the same boring prints you’ll find at the store.
You could also apply this technique to make wrapping paper that lasts forever. Have you ever thought about how many trees it takes to create all the wrapping paper you use for birthdays and holidays? Fabric wrapping paper is a beautiful, less wasteful alternative.
Cloth Tea Bags
Do you drink tea religiously? Reusable tea bags are easy to make and can be used with your favorite loose leaf teas. Replacing your daily tea bags with ones you can use repeatedly is a simple step that makes a big difference over time. Plus, you can compost your used loose leaf tea for the garden!
Cotton Face Mask
Instead of using disposable face masks, make your own beautiful cloth mask that you can use over and over! All you’ll need is a simple face mask pattern, a few letters of high-quality cotton fabric, and some mask elastic to make sure your mask fits securely.
Recycled Sewing Projects
Do you have a large stash of fabric scraps that you are ready to throw away? Not so fast! Instead of throwing away extra bits of fabric that will end up in a landfill, use them to craft fun, quirky keepsakes that your family will cherish for years to come.
Scrap Fabric Quilt
There are many quilt patterns that are perfect for using up these little bits of cloth. If you have a quilt that has been loved to pieces, you may be ready to toss it, but salvaging some of the fabric from old projects and recycling it into new sustainable sewing projects is a very green way to go.
Recycled Concert Tee Quilt or Ugly Sweater Pillow
That closet full of rarely-worn concert tees can be turned into a very cool patchwork quilt (so can your old jeans!). All you’ll need is some fabric for the backing and quilt batting and you’ll be ready to go. Have you ever bought an ugly Christmas sweater for a party and then never worn it again? With some stuffing and matching thread, turn it into an ugly Christmas pillow--then recycle it into a White Elephant gift.
Sewing Projects for Eco-friendly Activities
There are lots of activities you can do every day that are good for the earth. With the help of some homemade sustainable goods, you can do these activities more easily or more stylishly, so you’ll be motivated to do them more often!
Gardening Apron
Gardening is great for the planet—and your health! Do your part to lessen your carbon footprint by growing food instead of purchasing fruits and veggies that need to be shipped in from distant farms. Garden in style with a homemade gardening apron, then sit back on some garden bench cushions you made yourself and enjoy a job well done.
Are you feeling inspired and ready to help the planet through sewing? The earth gives us so much: we hope you have come away with some great ideas for sustainable sewing projects, so that this Earth Day, you can give something back to the earth. For durable, sustainable fabrics, recycled paper gifts, and other sewing supplies, be sure to check out The Little Fabric Shop!
