Fabric & Sewing How-To Guides

Looking for some decorative bolster pillows? We'll show you how to make them in two different ways. One has a Velcro opening and flat ends and the other has gathered, tufted ends. Either way, you'll have easy pillows that are a great addition to armchairs, sofas, and beds. Not only are they beautiful, but they can also help support your back, arms, or neck.

Winter is coming and so is the final season of Game of Thrones! Here's how to make a GOT inspired blanket that will keep you warm through the long night and your premiere party! UPDATE: This blanket is absolutely perfect for cuddling up and crying yourself to sleep over the death and destruction of your favorite television show.

Make your own pillowcase with this simple roll up method! We're making a satin pillowcase with charmeuse satin because it is less abrasive on our hair than traditional cotton sheets. This easy DIY project can be made with other materials too, like sheeting, broadcloth, cotton prints, or flannel. Here's a really easy way to make pillowcases that are beautiful and only take about 20 minutes to put together.

Traditional shower towels are really abrasive on your hair. That's because the piles on the towels act almost like little hooks that pull on the fibers of your hair and make them split and bunch up. Here's a super easy to make a towel wrap that will do less damage to your hair and will stay in place.

Looking to cut down on waste? These baking dish and bowl covers are great for storing food in the fridge and they're washable so they can be reused. Also, if you use 100% cotton thread and cloth materials (instead of vinyl) these dish covers can be microwavable.

Shawls are a great addition to any outfit as a statement piece or simply to add some outer wear to your look. The nice fringe on this shawl makes it easy to dress up or down for any occasion. Just pick your fabric and get to sewing your new favorite piece in your wardrobe.

Remember how I said I love these stinking sustainability projects? Well I have another one for you. Single use plastic bags are the most frustrating form of waste to me. I never know what to do once I get handed a bag. Like "thank you, let me just bring this home and throw it away.

Looking for a new favorite day bag? This simple Origami Bag design makes a great slouchy purse or beach bag. It can be made with any heavy weight fabric and broadcloth and can be made in different sizes. It's currently one of my favorite bags. I get compliments on it all the time and have started making ones for my friends.

New regulations at major stadiums and concert venues call for clear vinyl bags to speed up stops at security checkpoints, but the bags they sell are usually ugly and have big logos on them. So, I am going to show you how to make a clear vinyl bag that doesn't require any kind of sewing. This bag meets most stadium requirements and is a cheap and fashionable alternative to ones you can buy online. It is super easy to make and seriously, who doesn't love a no sew project?

Maxi dresses are a popular item in the summer because they are comfortable but always stylish. You can dress it up or dress it down for a casual look. In this tutorial I will show you how to make your own maxi dress out of cotton jersey.

Did you know you could dye Easter eggs with Rit Dye? And, by using different techniques you can create all different textured looks! Rit Dye is nontoxic but we recommend that you use these eggs for decorative purposes only. To get started, make your dye baths. Put one cut of boiling water, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 3-6 teaspoons of whatever dye colors you want in a dish.

Looking for a fun Easter craft to do with the kids? Or are you looking for egg hunt goody bags? Look no further! These three super easy DIY goody bags are a great way to decorate for the holidays, are inexpensive, and can be used again and again.

Ready for another sustainability project? ! Get rid of plastic wrap and cut down on waste. Here's a great way to make beeswax wraps for your leftovers. Beeswax wraps can be used for about a year if taken care of properly, just wash with cool water and hang to dry.

It's time to start decorating for Easter! Here are some easy Easter DIY projects that are inexpensive and only take about a half an hour to throw together.

Got some cold little piggy's? Keep them warm with these Sherpa lined fleece slippers. These slippers are super easy to make and one yard of fabric is enough to make around 4 pairs of medium sized slippers so you can give them away as gifts or just have a few extra pairs for yourself.

Ripped, broken, and sagging cane are common problems with antique cane chairs. Fortunately, there are ways to replace the cane. There are 2 types of cane chairs. They can be hand caned or have pressed cane. You can easily tell which kind you have by looking at the way it is attached.

Sleeveless blouses are one of the top apparel items for summer, and in this tutorial I chose to make one out of challis fabric. To off set the black and white pattern I am using a 7″ lipstick pink zipper to give it some color and contrast.

Want a space efficient way to store your shoes? This organizer is going to make your tidying up dreams come true. Here's how to make a hanging organizer for the inside of your closet or the back of a door. It is super customizable, just use any decor fabric as a base and clear vinyl for the pockets. It can also be modified to different sizes to hold other things like jewelry or toiletries.

I really love sustainability projects. I think they are really important and that more people should start adopting clean practices in lieu of what is "easy" and disposable. A saying that I really love is "The world does not need one person doing zero waste perfectly, but 7 billion doing it imperfectly" So I have set a goal for myself to share with you as many sustainability projects as I can while still bringing you our classic OFS Content. Today, I am making a sustainable alternative to paper towels (The UN paper towel) with a little bit of cotton print fabric and terry cloth.

Dog toys can be expensive and if you're fur baby is like Winnie, those new toys rarely last more than a day or two. Even those branded as "indestructible" are no match to her very patient, very calculated, gnawing and nibbling. Then, when she finally reaches the stuffing on the inside she will remove it (ALL of it) with the full amount of care a dog can have. Winnie has met her match with this one though. Today I'm going to show you how to make a heavy-duty toy that your dog will love and won't cost you an arm and a leg.

Making popcorn over the stove is delicious but can take a long time and is super annoying. Skip the hassle with this reusable microwave popcorn bag. This bag makes a great gift for all those popcorn lovers in your life and is a great sustainable alternative to regular microwave popcorn. Wash it as needed and enjoy for years to come. We used a lightweight cotton print fabric but many other 100% cotton fabrics will work like cotton broadcloth or muslin.

Log carriers can be heavy and awkward to carry so I decided I wanted to make one for my grandma that would help lighten her load and last her a long time. I came up with the idea of a firewood tote that has both backpack straps and handles for a new take on a traditional look. So far, its been a life saver. So much so that I am really surprised no one has ever though to put backpack straps on these bulky bags. We used PVC-coated polyester because it's a very durable fabric that can hold up to lots of wear and tear.

Ruffle skirts are fun to make for adults and children. The one I make in this tutorial is a medium adult size skirt out of a solid jersey knit fabric. You can also mix and match prints and colors for the layers to give it a fun look.

During these chilly winter months newborn calves aren't big enough to create the body heat necessary to keep them warm. So, if you've been looking for a cheap way to keep your newborns warm let us help by showing you how to make a calf blanket. This design is super easy to put on your calf and even easier to adjust as they grow. Nylon fabric is durable and water resistant so it can withstand the weather and not get soggy. We used a medium weight nylon pack cloth, for the outer fabric and lightweight nylon ripstop for the lining.

Have your trees, bushes, hedges, shrubs, or saplings been taking a beating from all the salt being dropped on the roads? Wrap them in burlap so they are protected from the elements and salt. The best time to wrap trees is in the late fall just before the first frost but this year we noticed the trees that line the road near our office were getting particularly beat up so we decided to make a wrap for them to keep them from becoming more damaged. Burlap wraps like this will protect your trees from sunscald, salt, wind, and will keep them from becoming deformed or splitting under the weight of the snow. The bushes I covered are large so I used burlap squares.

Looking for a fun Valentines Day Project? This decorative burlap heart pillow is great for Valentine's Day as a gift or décor. Craft burlap can be used for a bunch of different projects but its loose weave makes it the perfect material for weaving in the ribbon. This pillow can be made with any color canvas and ribbon like grosgrain ribbon or satin ribbon. You can also create other shapes for holidays or even monograms.

This DIY tutorial will teach you how to make your own cosmetic bag and brush holder out of oilcloth fabric and ribbon. It's an average size and has an easy design making it simple to sew and construct. The size of this makeup bag is great because it will hold all the essentials and is small enough to travel with.

Whether you're team Nikon or team Canon, I think we can all agree that the camera straps are pretty ugly. I'm going to cover an existing camera strap with new fabric and make a detachable lens cover pouch to go with it. This strap makes my camera feel unique and gives it some personality. This project is so easy, you can change out the fabric whenever you feel like it.

Tote bags are super useful and can be made in all sorts of sizes, so you can never have too many! You can make them many different ways, but this tote bag features a recessed zipper to keep the contents of the bag secure. The size I made is perfect to use as a Mahjong bag but you can make it any size you want. (I made these as gifts for my Mahjong-loving aunts! ) You can also add interior and exterior zippers or more pockets to fit your needs.

Making Christmas stockings is a fast and easy project that anyone can do. You can use a variety of materials for the outer fabric and lining. Leave the stocking simple, or personalize it with a name on the cuff. For some decorations like appliques or embroidery, you may want to do them before sewing the stocking together.