selvage. or the finished edge of fabric that is usually cut off and discarded.
that seems like a waste of good fabric to me!
so this past summer, i started saving my fabric selvages. {fabric hoarder? yes. crazy? maybe.} and i’ve been trying to use these skinny strips of fabric in creative ways. here is my latest….
this is a gift i gave to a friend recently for her birthday. i used selvage instead of ribbon. and i think the effect is surprisingly awesome. a lot of selvage has color and writing {and sometimes really cool fonts!} so it definitely has interest. and i think it totally adds to the gift presentation. what do you think?
using selvage instead of ribbon is perfect for Christmas gifts! think of the money you would save on ribbon AND i’m sure the landfill would thank you for a little less waste.
some of you may remember my business cards….
yup, that’s random pieces of selvage lovingly sewn onto my business cards. {which also sport a snazzy QR code! want to learn how to add a QR code to your business card??}
as you can tell, i absolutely love fabric. its so pretty! and have a bad habit of collecting pretty fabric….that i may or may not plan to ever use….{check out my fabric collection here}
have you used selvage for any crafts? i’d love to hear what uses you have for it!
happy friday!!
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too funny! i use mine as ribbon too!! i’ve seen one person who sews them together and turns them into cosmetic bags! i thought that was pretty cool!
awesome!! and how cool to make bags with selvage?? glad you stopped by, Natalie!
happy crafting,
linda
love that idea used as ribbon – just gorgeous!! And the business cards – how brilliant are you??!!
thank you!! :) i’m glad you stopped by!
happy crafting,
linda
super cute ideas! now i need business cards! ha~! what would they say?!? craftily challenged…donations accepted for cameo? and about yoru comment yesterday…you don’t want me to live nearby because they i would be sitting in your beautifuil craft room all the time asking for help!! happy friday! xo!
donations accepted….bahahaha love it, Amy! thanks for stopping by!
happy crafting,
linda
What a great idea for those salvages that won’t do as a hem (I admit, I’m lazy sometimes on casual skirts and use the salvage as the finished hem). I agree that some are ‘save worthy’. I also love fabric and sometimes I buy fabric and have a hard time cutting it! Unless of course I bought the awesome fabric for a specific project/clothing item.
Thanks for the idea
i love that you leave it on for a hem! perfect! thanks for stopping by, Libby!
happy crafting,
linda
I love the business card idea!
Love this idea! I was wondering, what program do you use to design your business cards? Thanks!
I don’t usually have a lot of selvage since I don’t sew anymore but do use fabric in projects. What a great idea incorporating the selvage in projects. Fabric hoarder…no just being frugal. Thanks for sharing such neat projects with us. Have a great weekend!
I give mine to my daughter, along with the other small scraps. She cuts them, glues them, and makes her art with them. She’s only 6 so it’s fun for her, and she could care less if it’s salvage or not.
Oh Beth I love it.My 4 yr.old Grandaughter would love to do something with my scarps I just never thought of saving them for her.Thanks for the Idea.
I also hoard those selvage edges. This is a fantastic way to use them! =)
They work in a pinch to tie long hair back out of the way. I also tie little bundles of fabric together with them.
Such a great idea Linda! :o)
I saw a selvage quilt and I thought it was so awesome!!
I Love the idea of sewing fabric on your business cards, i have yet to do so. I did find a church group that was buying fabric pieces to make prayer blankets at a fabric store, I approached the women and asked her what the fabric was for and she said they used pieces of fabrics, sewed them together, and prayed over them and gave them to sick people or people in the hospital. Well i had to offer my fabric scraps to her and the church organization, they now pick up bags of scraps from from sewing room twice a year.
What a great idea, much better than throwing them away. I collect fabric too. Love your blog!
Thank you, Chrissie! I’m so glad you stopped by!
happy crafting,
Linda