What to Do with Fabric Scraps: Easy “Hi” Banner

Many of us enjoy DIYing projects that involve fabric in one way or another. Problem is, we often end up with so many fabric scraps that we’re not quite sure what to do with them. Has that happened to you? Like, you love the fabric and can’t quite bring yourself to throw it out, but you’re at a loss as to what you actually can do with the fabric scraps.

What to Do with Fabric Scraps - Hi Banner

Maybe you should create a fabric scrap banner to hang in your home? This no-sew DIY project not only reuses fabric scraps you already have, but it also is a great way to add a large “art” piece to the wall for little to no cost. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to create such a thing, although it’s really not hard. Give yourself 30 minutes, and you’ll be patting yourself on the back for a job well done.

What to Do with Fabric Scraps - Hi Banner

Materials Needed:

  • Fabric scraps of your choice, cut to same size rectangles
  • Large piece of fabric for the banner itself
  • Hot glue gun & glue sticks
What to Do with Fabric Scraps - Hi Banner

Step 1: Measure and cut fabric to size. My banner is 46” wide by 36” tall, but you could (should!) customize yours to fit the space you have.

What to Do with Fabric Scraps - Hi Banner

Step 2: Hem the four edges of your blank banner. Determine how you want to hang your banner. This tutorial shows a banner being hung by a spring-loaded curtain rod, but you could really hang it anyway you want – pins, ribbon, a wooden dowel, regular curtain rod, etc.

What to Do with Fabric Scraps - Hi Banner

Step 3: Iron the banner. This step is technically optional…but not really. Iron it. It’s an “extra” step in the DIY that will make all the difference in the polish of your final hanging banner.

What to Do with Fabric Scraps - Hi Banner

Step 4: Gather or prepare your fabric scraps. The fabric scraps I’m using are upholstery samples (from Thrive) that I loved so much I couldn’t bring myself to throw them out, even though they’ve sat around for years because I had nothing to actually do with them. Sound familiar?

What to Do with Fabric Scraps - Hi Banner

Step 5: Lay out fabric scraps in the form, shape, or word of your choice. My fabric scraps fit perfectly into the word “hi.” So that’s what direction this project took. You could do an animal silhouette, a family initial, another word, whatever you want.

What to Do with Fabric Scraps - Hi Banner

Step 6: Hot glue the scraps into place. Once your position is perfect, start gluing the pieces into place, one at a time.

What to Do with Fabric Scraps - Hi Banner

Tip: Be careful to move quickly, but not too quickly. Make sure that the hot glued side of your fabric scrap is perfectly positioned before you set it down, or it’ll make a big hot-glue-stringy mess when you peel it off to re-position.

What to Do with Fabric Scraps - Hi Banner

Step 7: Trim any stray strands.

What to Do with Fabric Scraps - Hi Banner

Step 8: Hang the banner.

What to Do with Fabric Scraps - Hi Banner

Step 9: Enjoy your new beautiful creation…and the fact that it took less than a half an hour to make. That is one fast and easy trick for using those fabric scraps!

What to Do with Fabric Scraps - Hi Banner

What are other ways you like to use your fabric scraps or word art in your home?