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When I was younger I attended college to study on a Fashion and Design course and it was so much fun! We spent our days designing and making our clothes, eventually resulting in creating our very own collection and a fashion show in college as part of our final exam.
I loved doing this course and one of the things I absolutely loved doing was visiting the fabric shop on the way to college to pick up any fabric, ribbons or accessories I might need for my pieces. The shop was always so beautiful, bright and a real cave of treasures and whilst the fabrics were stunningly beautiful, it was all the little accessories such as ribbon, buttons and appliques that I loved browsing. I think they have the power to transform a piece if you use them correctly.
However once college had finished, I ended up with loads of things left over including fabric and lots of accessories too and since they were all to pretty to throw out but with no use, I just stored them in a box somewhere safe. But when I had kids this box became a treasure trove for my kids who love to crafts, stick and make. I figure I can't be the only one with a box of random fabrics, buttons, ribbons etc they have gathered up over the years (or maybe you have old clothes and jewellery you don't know what to do with). So I thought I would create a post with some great ideas on how to use up those bits and pieces in crafts!
Wrapping Gifts
Receiving a gift is of course exciting, but receiving a beautifully wrapped gift is even more so. Knowing someone has taken the time and care to wrap a presently nicely adds to the overall feel when you receive the gifts too. Using up bits of ribbon you may have left to wrap around gifts or even create pretty bows for your gifts is the perfect way to use bits up and it looks really pretty too.
If you really wanted to get creative you could even use pieces of fabric, beads and buttons etc to create your own gift tags with each one being totally unique they would definitely make any gift stand out and really show the recipient how much you care.
Dream Catchers
I remember having a dream catcher in my room as a child and my mum telling me it would catch all my bad dreams so I would only have good ones, I don't know why but it made me feel "safe" and so when my daughter said she was having bad dreams we made out own too... and it seems to be working! Anyway dream catchers are a lovely craft for adults and kids to do together and are another fantastic way to use up and left over bits and pieces you might have such as ribbons, string, feathers or beads etc.
All you will need is a hoop, string and any kind of extras you want to add on. There are lots of tutorials online on how to make these too depending on how simple or intricate you want to make your design. The great thing is though that there is no real right or wrong, just let you imagination take you where it takes you.
Hair Bows and Accessories
Since having a daughter our home is full of hair bows, hair accessories and clips, but according to my daughter you can never have too many! So making hair accessories and bows is a useful way to use up and bits you might have laying around from other projects, or to repurpose old hair accessories that have broken or are no longer used. Old clips or hairbands can be used as a base and then just add on an extras you want, my daughter likes it when we use bits of ribbon to make a "corker" style hairband and they are really simple to make too.
If you wanted to make your hair bows really pop you could even order
custom ribbon which will really make your hair pieces stand out, and since they are so small your ribbon will last a long time.
Sensory Trays
Sensory toys in general are a huge hit with children, especially younger kids and even toddlers as it allows them to explore different textures etc through play. One of the best toys I think I brought for Evelyn as a baby, wasn't even a toy at all... it was a tuff tray! They are just big trays with high sides that have so many uses including being perfect for setting up sensory activities.
Some of our favourites were pasta/rice, slime, water, playdoh and of course fabrics! A fabric sensory tray is super simple to set up, just be sure to remove any bits your child could put into their mouth of choke on such as buttons or zips. Instead stick to large squares of fabric in different textures, ribbons and you could even add other textures in their as well such as tissue paper. Of course as with most things you will need to be there to supervise your child whilst they play, but this is a fun way to use up lose bits you may have and a fun way for young children to explore different textures.
There are lots of ways that we can use bits and pieces we collect or have around the home that would normally discarded and it can be a great way to bring down your waste too. Do you have any ways in which you use up spare fabric, ribbons or haberdashery bits in your home? I would love to hear them in the comments below.
xXx
**This is a collaborative post**
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