Tips for How To Quilt on a Budget

Getting into a new craft like quilting can be very exciting, especially if you’re inspired by all the different unique quilt designs everywhere. However, you’re going to need many different materials along with many tools to help you quilt properly. The expense of these items can start to rack up fast. Since you don’t want this to get in the way of your hobby, it’s worth learning some ways to get what you need without spending too much. Learn some tips for how to quilt on a budget by reading below.

Look in Your Closet for Old Shirts

One of the first ways to save money while quilting is to consider what you might still have hanging up in your closet. If you’ve been looking at the different fabrics on the market—especially those made of high-quality cotton—you’ll likely notice that many are pretty expensive. This can be important if you’re just getting into quilting. If you’re trying to save some money, look in your closet and your drawers for any old shirts and other articles of clothing. Make sure the clothes are made of cotton, though. This way, you’ll end up with a quilt made of quality cotton fabric without spending nearly as much as you would when shopping in a fabric store.

Use up Your Leftover Scraps

If you’ve already experimented with quilting or if you’re into any other crafts that involve sewing fabric, you’re likely to have a certain number of leftover fabric scraps. You can save on your spending by using up what you already have rather than buying more fabrics. If you’re wondering whether your quilt will still come out looking nice, there are actually various quilt design styles that are made entirely from scraps. You can use fabric scraps from things like dress-making, sheet-making, and any other crafting hobbies that use similar materials. Look around in books, magazines, and online for examples using these designs. You can also use a combination of fabric scraps and anchor fabrics to create a scrappy, rustic look.

Check With Fellow Quilters

This is one tip for how to quilt on a budget that is great if you’re part of a quilting or crafting community. It really does pay to get involved and connect with people who share the same hobbies as you, especially when your shared hobby involves crafting. Not only is this a fun opportunity to form new friendships and get inspiration, but it’s also great for getting cheap supplies. Check with your quilting friends to see if they have any fabric scraps or excess materials that they want to get rid of or wouldn’t mind you using. You can also organize what’s known as a scrap-swap or material swap party. This involves all attendees bringing their leftover fabric scraps and other materials to trade. You might find this to be a much cheaper and more fun way to find what you’re looking for.

Make Use of What’s in Your Linen Cabinet

Another place to check in your home for some useful fabric is your linen closets. Within all the stored-up towels, blankets, and sheets, you’re likely to find old linens that you haven’t used in years. Look to see if you can use any of these fabrics or old textiles in your quilt. These can often be good sources of quality fabric in varieties of solid colors. Using these fabrics is a great way to save money when you’re making your first quilt since you’ll have a good amount of material to work with, and it’ll cost you practically no money.

Visit a Local Thrift Store

You can never go wrong by looking through a thrift store, especially when you’re looking for quality materials at a good price. You may come across fabrics being sold at a discount rate, as well as sewing and crafting equipment. Some of the tools you’ll need for quilting can rack up a bit of a bill, especially when you’re first starting off because you’ll have to buy everything for the first time. At a thrift store, you can commonly find used tools that are still in working shape, making them much cheaper. If you’re not finding many fabric options, you can always purchase inexpensive clothing made from quality material that you can use for quilting fabrics. This method may allow you to find unique fabric options that you can’t get at typical craft store.

Look at the Clearance Rack When Shopping

Another location where you may come across inexpensive materials for quilting is the clearance rack. There are many types of stores with these kinds of sections, including clothing stores, thrift stores, and especially craft stores. You can look for fabrics and other materials you want to use on current projects, but clearance racks are also a good opportunity to grab items that you’ll be able to use on future projects. Building up a collection of low-cost materials is a great way to get started. Also, make use of any coupons these retailers might be offering.

Get Cotton Sheets on Sale To Use for Backing

A very unique way tip that will help you save money when making a quilt is finding cotton sheets on sale to use as the backing for your fabric. This is where understanding the anatomy of a quilt will help you out, especially if you’re a beginner. The backing is the layer of fabric on the back of a quilt. This is important to know because it’s generally made of one large piece of fabric. If you’re going to make this piece out of fabric from a quilting shop, you’re going to need to purchase one large piece, and that might not be cheap. Luckily, many sheets are made of cotton, which will ultimately do the same job at a much lower price.

When you save money by spending less on certain supplies, it becomes more feasible to put a little more money toward something special that will make your quilt stand out. At Lindley’s General Store, you will find a unique selection of intricately designed batiks from Canada with colorful designs from leading name brands.