We at Unison have had an ongoing love affair with fabric for – well – forever. If you know us at all, you know that much.
So we’re always noting great ideas for getting creative with fabric. And why not? One of the easiest ways to inject new life and style into any look is to bring in some material full of bold color or striking pattern.
Step one: choose your fabric. The options for this are virtually endless. But we’ll help you out by humbly mentioning that our collection of fabric offered by the yard is one great place to start.
Now for what to do with it:
Fold an origami-style tote bag
This is a hip and current look, and there’s no reason you can’t do it yourself in a few relatively easy steps.
Brittany Watson Jepsen has one great how to with lots of photos. (And don’t hesitate to linger. Her blog is chock full of great ideas for using fabric.)
Let the kids go wild
Let’s be honest: you can spend your life savings on a Rembrant, but the framed finger painting that your 5-year-old made in kindergarten is destined to garner more comments.
So why not encourage your little artisans to get creative with your favorite fabrics? Just grab some glue, safety scissors, and a selection of gorgeous material, then see where their imagination takes them. Frame the results for praise-worthy wall art.
Turn scrap fabric into gorgeous twine
Bring new life to your gift wrapping with My Poppet’s great tutorial on making roping from scrap fabric. Tie one on and give it away!
Think fabric for wainscoting
Ever muse about doing something bold with those lovely, framed sections of your dining room? Turns out they’re the perfect place to go crazy with patterned fabric.
Why? For one, you’re working in sections that are surrounded by lots of white space (or gray space or black or…you get the picture). So you needn’t worry about overwhelming the room with too bold a look.
But there’s another big benefit: Fabric is easy to remove (unlike that pesky wallpaper). So if you go big and bold and then need a change by next fall, it’s not the end of the world.
Makeover a chair with fabric scrap
Pull up a chair and start a conversation with this DIY idea from Sincerely, Kinsey. Who’d have thought that a made over wooden chair could have so much personality?
Braid a basket
Didn’t think you were cut out for basket weaving? Maybe you just need to rethink what you’re putting into it.
Not for the casually crafty, Tiffanie Turner’s DIY fabric basket tutorial is as thorough as it is creative. Get to work now, and you could have a gorgeous collection of hostess gifts in hand for the holiday party season.
Cover some cork
In our Chicago store, we often use fabric-covered boards as wall art (and as a great way to feature our extensive line of fabrics).
It couldn’t be easier: just be sure that your cork (or whatever core you choose) is acid-free, cover it with your favorite fabric, and hang. Easy + gorgeous = forever favorite.
Wrap in fabric
If you were thinking of sending us a gift, we’d like it wrapped like this please. Who wouldn’t?
Joy Uyeno has an über easy tutorial on her Frock Files blog – simply easy, simply gorgeous. What could be more modern than that?
Switch a switch plate
Light switch plates are a fun place to inject some spark into a room, because they’re small but often seen (and used) by all who enter.
Plus, it’s not too tough to do this yourself with your favorite bit of fabric. Tidy Mom offers a nice tutorial.
Pick a bouquet of fabric flowers
Sew them in, pin them up, tie them on… Whatever you can think to do with these beautiful fabric flowers, we approve.
This tutorial on Flax & Twine is inspiring and thorough – templates and all. Happy handmade indeed.
Light up your life
Just follow the steps from Six Sisters for a beautiful and cost-effective freshen for any lamp.
Create a fabric flag banner
We could list creative takes on this classic all day, but Pinterest already has the options covered in spades. Check out this Fabric Flag Banner board for endless ideas.
Keep an eye on our Projects with Fabric Pinterest board for more ideas.