The J&O Family has put together a small list of neat craft ideas for your cotton novelty, dress, upholstery, decorative or tapestry fabrics that will awaken the artist in all of you. Birthdays, holidays and home / garment décor will never be the same once these crafty ideas are manifested by your own unique hands.

Book covers

Photo albums, scrap books, baby books, even grandma’s secret recipe book could all use a facelift over time. Customize it for that special someone or even just for yourself. A half a yard is all you need for a nice sized cover. Select from our multiple novelty fabric categories, even mix and match for that perfect reflection of you.


Check out our African fabric here.
Check out our Children’s fabric here.
Check out our Maps of the World here.

One of the easiest and most popular craft ideas for scrap fabrics is a quilt. With a little needle and thread, you can customize a truly unique quilt for family, friends or loved ones. If you have a child who loves spider man, pokey man, baseball, horses and the color blue, search your scrap pile a little deeper to see what you can find. Or maybe you have a companion who you met in the winter in Paris and you went on a date and had a wonderful pasta plate that both of you enjoyed and later he gave you red roses and a kiss… and maybe you have fabrics lying around that could symbolize each of these moments in time. Imagine what a thoughtful and sentimental gift that would make. Just from scraps of fabric.

Simple or intricate, small or large, quilts can be a great way to say “you’re special” and free up some of that closet space for more important things in the meantime. Cut your fabric scraps into the standard 4” squares, or create your own unique look.

Check out our Quilting fabrics here.
Check out our Novelty fabrics here.
Check out our Holiday fabrics here.

Sachets are small bags usually made of fabric or mesh material with a draw-string closure. They are traditionally used for holding potpourri, but you can create one to hold your jewelry, precious stones or coins, incense or even gift items. With those small fabric scraps, you can create several and personalize them for family and friends. Even use them to hold spices or teas in your pantry. Our cotton knits, sheers and food themed novelty prints are great fabrics for such a project. And the looser materials would allow for the scents to come through. A sheer chiffon or netted fabric will allow you to see what’s inside as well.

For those of you who have children, fashionable custom made attire for that Barbie, Dora or GI Joe doll can be made from those camo’s and silks. Create great fatigues or beautiful evening gowns for your little one’s fantasy play. Even let them design the outfits themselves. Make play time an opportunity to learn and share with one another. Even something as simple as a skirt or vest is enough to spark the creative juices in their little minds and give them a taste of what they can fashion with a little imagination and their two little hands.

If you want to make a little money with your creative talents, create to sell. For instance, Barbie is a fashion icon and she has been around for a long time, her miniture wardrobe is stylish and hip and just keeps growing season after season. Her fan base consists of young and old collectors and admirers alike, who love to dress her. In fact, there are shows throughout the nation that are dedicated to dolls in general. Creating unique ensembles out of your fashionable fabric scraps for them to model could prove quite lucrative & fun.

The last fabric scrap craft gem the J&O Family has to share with you is the Applejack Hat. This hat is constructed out of anywhere from 6 -8 triangular shaped fabric pieces and a fabric band with elastic running through it. Create unique hats for your family and friends both young and old. Personalize by using fabrics, prints and colors that hold some meaning or sentiment for the receiver. You can use fleeces, denims and wools with a light lining in it during the cooler months, or colorful cotton solids, novelty prints and lightweight denims for fun wear in the warmer months.

So don’t be so quick to throw those year old red satins, embroidered tapestry or $25/yard designer prints in the garbage. And please don’t let your pile grow taller than you before you put that good scrap fabric to use. With a little help from the J&O Family, we can help make your wonderful fabric selections work magic for you, ‘til the very last thread.

Posts by J&O Fabrics Store