DIY sewing accessories
Looking to decorate your workbench or give a gift to crafty friends and family?
Then these sewing ideas are for you!
Sew a tool kit
A tool kit is a great gift for someone who loves DIY. But also to a novice!
You can sew a pretty kit, filling it with the tools you absolutely must have at home (screwdriver, tape measure, hammer, wrench…). Then give it as a housewarming gift to friends and family moving into their first apartment.
To sew a tool kit, start by thinking carefully about the fabric to be used. As tools are often quite heavy, solid fabrics are preferred. Thick canvas, found in the upholstery department, denim, imitation leather… There’s nothing to stop you from using a lighter cotton and lining it with a stiff fleece.
Lucatine Couture suggests sewing a tool kit that rolls up on itself and into which you can slip scissors, screwdrivers, cutters, pens… You can easily adapt it to the tools you need to store by modifying the size of the pockets. The tutorial is available on YouTube.
On the same principle, Mondial Tissus offers a free tutorial for making a tool kit using imitation leather. For this project, it’s best to use special leather needles, which are more resistant.
An apron to store your tools
When it comes to DIY, an apron is a must-have accessory. It helps prevent stains and keeps all your tools close at hand.
As with the tool kit, it’s best to use fabrics that are thick enough to prevent holes and damage.
You can also sew a soft imitation leather, denim or canvas, or even use them together: sew the body of the apron in denim and make the pockets in imitation leather, make the body in imitation leather and the pockets in printed cotton…
To sew a DIY apron, you can use the same base as a kitchen or gardening apron. You’ll simply adapt the size of the pockets to accommodate the tools you need to keep handy.
We also adapt the size of the apron and the ties to tie it to suit the person and their build.
There are many online tutorials, such as the one from Ooreka, which lets you customize your apron from A to Z.
Wall-mounted storage
When you’re doing DIY, you always need to store lots of things: screws, nails, tools… So a fabric wall storage unit can be a great way to make your DIY corner prettier.
Once again, you’ll need to use a thick fabric. Upholstery fabric, thick linen or even rustic burlap will do the trick.
You then prepare a piece of fabric the size you want, which you overcast. Then sew on contrasting rectangles or squares of varying size, as required.
You can take inspiration from Laura Cothereau’s video tutorial, or from Mondial Tissus’ tutorial, which you can adapt for DIY.
Baskets for nails, screws…
To go with this wall-mounted storage unit, you can also sew small baskets to hold screws, nails… To keep them from getting dirty too quickly, you can line them with coated cotton. It’s easy to wipe clean with a sponge. In any case, you’ll need a fabric that’s stiff enough to hold the basket upright and prevent it from sagging over time.
You can take inspiration from Makerist’s free pattern and make it in several sizes, matching fabrics and colors.
If you’re having trouble adjusting the size yourself, the MaxiStitch blog offers a calculator. Simply enter your desired basket dimensions and the site calculates the size of your different pieces of fabric. It’s enough to adapt your small storage items to your every need!
What DIY accessories would you like to sew? Have you ever made one?
