Homesteading is not just about sawing, hammering, and building things. You also need to do other things with your hands, such as sewing. If you’re a guy reading about sewing, good for you. Believe it or not, there are still people who think sewing is a woman’s job. It’s 2018, mateys! Even us pirates like to dip our hook hands in some sewing projects.
If you’ve forgotten what your Home Economics teacher taught you, you can start with the easy sewing projects meant for beginners. Below are some projects you can do for your home and family when you’re not too busy hammering away or chopping wood with a badass axe.
First, you need the right tools. If you’re doing some woodworking or carpentry jobs, your tools of choice are hammers, saws, and drills. For sewing projects, you need needles, spools of thread, a pair of scissors, fabrics, and some other stuff. It would be a lot better and easier if you had a sewing machine, though.
Pillow Covers
Pillowcases or cushion covers are some of the popular sewing projects for beginners. They’re easy to do and you can play around with different designs and fabrics letting you stretch your imagination a bit. You can make covers for your throw pillows to give your living room some personality. Your bedroom can also look livelier with colorful pillowcases made by your own hands. You can learn about sewing pillow covers here.
Tote Bag
A tote bag is a nice thing to have with you everywhere you go. Keep it in your purse or in the pocket of your cargo shorts and simply whip it out if you need to carry something home. You can also make a cute tote bag for your toddler to use when you all go out for dinner at a fancy restaurant. Just kidding! Going to a posh place with a 3-year-old is impossible but sewing a tote bag is easy. Just follow the instructions here.
Bib
Do you have a baby? Are you having a hard time figuring out what to give a friend who recently had a baby? Are you an adult who still makes a mess while eating? How about you make a bib? Bibs are pretty useful and can be as cute as the little darling who’s going to wear them. For instructions on making a bib, go here.
Beard Bib
Since we sort of dabbled on it above, you can also make a beard bib or shaving apron for your (or your hipster husband’s) monstrous facial hair. Anyone who has sported a beard knows how annoying it is to get hair clippings on the sink and bathroom floor. If you don’t want to earn your significant other’s ire, use a beard bib, which you made with your own bare hands.
You can also use your shaving apron to keep food and drinks off your hard-earned beards. Just position it right. Better yet, just don’t eat like a slob.
Apron
Wouldn’t it be nice to raid your prepper pantry and whip out something special for your family? Would it even be more special if you wore your own apron as you do all these? An apron is perhaps one of those sewing projects for beginners that will be exceptionally useful, especially if you do the cooking and dishwashing every day. Take it a step further by sewing five different aprons to wear each day. Don’t worry about Saturday and Sunday. You can take the day off to chop more wood or work on the tractor. Go here to find out how you can make your own apron.
Scarf
Preppers and homesteaders know the importance of warm clothes. If there is an ice storm, you’d be glad you made everyone in the family their own DIY scarves. Actually, scarves may do little to protect you from the next ice age but they will do the job during cold winter nights. Still, adding a scarf to your layers of warm clothes will not only keep you warm, but you’ll also look good. Click here for the instructions on how to sew a scarf.
Headband
If you have a little girl or a teenager, you’d want her to look her best always. It’s a good thing then that one of the sewing projects in this list is about headbands. Keep your girls’ hair in their proper places by making them headbands of different designs or patterns. If you’re a dude with long hair, you can also make your own headbands. Who doesn’t want to look purdy, right matey? Learn how to sew a headband by going here.
Bandana
Again, if you’re a guy and you don’t want to wear headbands, you can go for bandanas instead. If Captain Jack Sparrow can rock one, you can wear bandanas, as well. Click here to see how to make your own pirate bandana wraps.
Banner
No, we’re not talking about Hulk’s ginormous purple pants. You can make banners for parties using fabrics and string. Use these banners for birthdays, as a Christmas décor, or as a “Welcome Home” sign. You can do anything and as many banners as you want since this is one of the easiest sewing projects here. Make your own fabric buntings by going here.
Stuffed Toy
Of all the sewing projects for newbies on this list, this one is probably the most complicated. But you know us, pirates, we like a challenge when we see one. The best part of sewing a stuffed toy is the smile it brings to your little one or to whoever will own your masterpiece. Follow the instructions on how to make a stuffed toy here and see those glowing smiles.
Just a disclaimer – We have partnered with these companies because we use their products and/or proudly trust and endorse them – so we do receive a commission if you make a purchase or sign up for services. Often, we are able to negotiate special discounts and/or bonuses, which we will pass on to you via our links. We often get short notice on sale items available for 24-48 hours as we will pass these savings on to you.
