In our last blog post we shared with you several reasons why you should learn to sew. To recap:

1. Learning to sew can save you money (and even help you make money)

2. It’s a life skill (or at the very least a rewarding hobby)

And most importantly,

3. Sewing can be eco-friendly! With a little know-how, you can alter, mend, or transform your clothing to extend its “life” and usefulness.

In this blog post, we’ll share with you 5 easy projects to get you started.

We’ll start with the easiest project: A no-sew grocery bag from an old t-shirt. All you need is a t-shirt and a pair of scissors; no actual sewing is involved. Thrift stores are full of t-shirts in all sizes. Need a big bag? Head to the men’s section. Want to make a smaller tote? The kids section has many to choose from.

Why we love it: We love this project for several reasons. First of all, reusable grocery bags are much better for the environment than plastic or even paper bags. Second, this project transforms something unwanted into something useful. And lastly, it’s super easy; a great way to whet the appetite of beginners.

Creative Mending by hand. Kids are tough on clothes. Instead of discarding their holey-kneed jeans, patch the holes with cute fabric and hand stitch around the edge.

Why we love it: We love the mentality behind the project, which is to extend the life and usefulness of clothing items. There’s very little actual sewing involved so it’s a great project for beginners. Best of all, it uses very little new resources. You may even already have most of the necessary supplies on-hand.

A Girl And a Glue Gun has an ingenious idea for shirts that are just a little too short: add lace to the hem! This project involves machine sewing a straight line–a perfect way to get started using a sewing machine.

Why we love it: Again, this project demonstrates that with a little effort, you can extend the life and usefulness of clothing items. Who would’ve thought that a little bit of lace could make such a big difference?

Sue at A Purdy Little House had a smart idea for an unwanted sweater: A cozy throw pillow! In her tutorial, she shows you exactly how she created this pillow using a sweater she bought at her local thrift store.

Why we love it: As with the previous projects, this project breathes new life into an unwanted item. As a sweater it had outlived its usefulness. As a pillow it will likely be useful (and pretty!) for many years to come. What’s not to love about that?

This quilt, made by recovergirl, is the most difficult of our featured projects, but don’t let that scare you. It’s still very doable. The difficulty will be in sourcing the appropriate number of wool sweaters needed for the size of quilt you want to make.

Why we love it: By now you can probably guess why we love it. Like the others we’ve feathered, this project involves taking unwanted items and giving them new life and new purpose.

So there you go! 5 easy projects to get you started sewing. Remember that the most important point is to use what you already have or to give new usefulness and purpose to unwanted items. With a little thought and know-how, you can do just that!

About Us

EcoGoodz is an established credential clothing supplier in the USA.We purchase wholesale used clothing and shoes (including credential clothing, mixed rags, used shoes, soft and hard toys, and bulk linens). We then distribute these goods at deeply discounted rates to wholesalers and retailers across the globe with an emphasis on developing nations.

To inquire about credential clothing or any of our products, you are welcome to contact us through our credential clothing website or through our main website ecogoodz.com. We look forward to hearing from you.