Sewing is a fun pastime for lots of people since it allows people to create decorations and other fun items to use at home. However, some sewing projects can be pretty complex, and there are many people who are afraid to try it as a result.

Fortunately, there are plenty of fun, beginner-friendly projects you can try to get warmed up. Get into the sewing craze with these quick and easy DIY creations! Just make sure you have a sewing machine on standby.

Laptop Sleeve

Materials:

• About 1/2 yard of felt (you may need more depending on the size of your laptop)
• A few small pieces of Velcro

Instructions:

1. Start by laying your laptop on the felt. You will want to cut a piece of felt that is about 1-1/2 wider than your computer. In other words, it should have 3/4 inch excess on each side of your computer.
2. Double up the felt to give the sleeve a better cushion. If you prefer a slimmer sleeve, just do one layer. Cut 2 more pieces that are the same width but are about 6 to 7 inches longer. This will create your flap.
3. Pin all 4 pieces together with the two smaller ones in front and, the two bigger in back. Sew all the way around the outside of the case. Part of this will have you sewing through 4 layers and part through just 2; use as small of a seam as you can.
4. Sew across just the two layers that go across the middle; make sure you only sew through those two and not the rest of the sleeve. After this, sew across the center section, and trim the excess all the way around the sleeve to give it a nice clean finish.
5. Grab your Velcro pieces. Two will go on the underside of the flap near the top of the sleeve. Fold the flap down, and mark where they meet up with the sleeve, and sew your other pieces there.

Quick Bookmark

Materials:

• Scraps of fabric
• Small piece of elastic (almost any width will do)

Instructions:

1. Cut 2 pieces of fabric that are about 3” wide and 12” This is only a recommendation; you can adjust this depending on the size you want your bookmark to be.
2. Cut your elastic to about 8” Sew your fabric with right sides together.
3. Sew up the two long sides. Turn it right side out and press it flat.
4. Fold the ends in and press that down as well. Insert your elastic at the end and sew it in place. Make sure to do this to the other end as well.

Gift Card Holder

Materials:

• Fabric rectangle (12” x 4-½”)
• Gift card or credit card
• Sewing tools

Instructions:

1. Take your rectangle and fold it in half, putting the wrong sides together.
2. Using the gift card as a guide, make a crease, and fold the top portion up. Flip it over and do the same thing for the other side. The folded inside portion will become the pocket for the gift card holder.
3. Sew along the outside of your folded square, leaving a small opening at the top for turning.
4. Turn the card holder inside out. You can top stitch across the top to close the hole, but you can do the entire outside flap as well. You can also hand sew the opening using an invisible stitch.

Make an Apple from Book Paper

Materials:

• Old book or novel
• Paper scraps (bright red, green, and brown)
• Brown ink pad
• Glue

Instructions:

1. Tear out about 4 pages from an old book you’re okay discarding. Try going for a really old book, since the worn pages will give the project a nice, vintage look.
2. Fold one page of book paper in half and cut one half of a small apple shape and then layer that shape back onto the page and repeat cutting a bigger size each time. Continue with the layers 4 to 5 times.
3. For each layer, fold over the folded edge with all the layers cutting a bigger size each layer.
4. Take your paper scraps. Fold in half the red paper and repeatedly cut bigger layers; feel free to add in as many layers as you would like. For an added touch, ink the edges with a brown ink pad.
5. Sew together the book pages and the red papers separately, both with zigzag stitch. Glue both the layers together and add in some apple seeds, a brown stem and a leaf. (make the leaf with green scraps, and the stem and seeds with brown scraps)

 

Inspirations:

Crazy Little Projects (Laptop Sleeve)

Crazy Little Projects (Bookmark)

So Sew Easy

NoBiggie

 

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