If you have piles of scrap fabrics from past projects and you’re not sure how to tackle them, here’s three scrap quilting ideas you can try!

1) Cut into squares

Choosing to cut odd shaped or smaller pieces into uniform, same-size squares makes it easier to just pick up and sew – either into nine-patch or 16-patch blocks.

Common sizes for squares (including seam allowance) are 1 ½”, 2 ½” and 3 ½” but you could go bigger too. Keep your squares together for when inspiration strokes – you could make into a simple pouch or into a full size quilt like this “scrap vomit” quilt first popularized by Katy Jones in 2012.

You could also use the squares as a highlight element in a quilt such as in our Christmas Tree quilt tutorial. Looking for a non-quilt project to use up squares? Try our free Scrappy Rainbow Cushion tutorial. 

2) Cut into strips

This suits longer pieces of fabric – perhaps skinny pieces left from a width of fabric cut, or unused strips of binding. You could cut all the same width or different widths to make a variety of “string” or “strip quilts”. This diagonal strip pattern by Film in the Fridge can be made with strips of a uniform width or mix it up with different widths for a more improv look.

For wider strips (2 ½” or similar) these lend themselves well to log cabin blocks or even a jelly roll race style quilt. 

We used strips to create our Drawstring Bags tutorial, or if you have a few less scrap pieces you could try our Notebook Cover tutorial.

3) Selvages

This is similar to strips, but you use the printed edge of the fabric intentionally to showcase and use up the last pieces of the fabrics you have loved over the years! As the selvage will not fray, you can applique these strips down over raw edges to secure instead of sewing right sides together and losing ¼” of selvedge text.

One idea that could be mixed up with strips of fabric as well as the selvages is a Spiderweb quilt pattern. Each block is sewn from 8 triangles, making a spiderweb effect in the centre. Check out Jacquie Gering’s tutorial on how to make this block.

Bonus Tip – Leaders and Enders

When you chain piece your next project, sew a pair of scraps together first before the rest of the project follows under the needle, and then the final piece so that you don’t have to cut your thread. This way you can get smooth even piecing on your main project with no long threads that need tidying up, whilst slowly completing a second scrappy project. You can read more about this method on Bonnie Hunter’s blog.