Never picked up a needle before, but want to learn to sew? Excellent, you’re in the right place.
Maybe you have a little experience with a needle and thread but aren’t what you’d call an expert. You’re in the right place, too.
This article will give you examples of 14 beginner sewing projects that you can complete with no expertise or sewing know-how at all. Go on, make something amazing that you can proudly show off to friends and family!
Sewing is not only fun and creative, but it’s also an extremely practical skill to learn, so what are you waiting for? Try one or all of these simple needlework craft projects.
14 Best Beginner Sewing Projects: Our Top Picks
1- DIY Felt Fox Purse Sewing Craft
This is easy enough for a child to do, so you absolutely can make this cute, furry fox purse. It might not be such a practical item for a grown adult to own, but then again, it does look impressive for a first project.
Even better if you have a child in mind to gift it to. It’s no problem to hand sew this craft, so very little is needed in the way of equipment or materials.
The finished product is a small pouch or purse with a short shoulder strap and a cute fox face on the front.
2- DIY Gift Card Holder
This is a practical item to be able to make. Some people say that giving a gift card or voucher is too impersonal, but sometimes it’s exactly what’s called for.
If you don’t know exactly what they want or need, but you want to show you care, a gift card is a perfect way to do that.
It’s more personal than giving cash because you have to demonstrate some limited knowledge of the person or people you are gifting to choose an appropriate store for their gift card.
What would make giving a gift card 100 times more personal is making something yourself for it to go inside. These cute little gift card holders are easy to make and look great.
Don’t be put off by the insistence that you require a sewing machine. You really don’t. Trust us that anyone can sew in a straight line with a little practice.
3- DIY Doll’s Bed Mattress
If you have a little one at home who has a doll’s house, they’ll be thrilled with this addition to the tiny bedroom.
This tutorial shows you have to make a neat and pretty mattress for an IKEA doll’s house bed, but you can adapt the measurements to work with whatever bed you need it to fit.
They also use a sewing machine in the demonstration, but there’s no need to.
You can hand sew it without much difficulty and the mattress is going to be tucked into a bed anyway, so you won’t be able to see if you’ve done a few rogue stitches.
4- Super Simpler Reusable Sandwich/Snack Bag
If you want to try something that you will absolutely use, then check this reusable sandwich bag tutorial out. It creates a laminated pouch to keep food fresh, but unlike plastic wrap or tin foil, it’s not disposable.
You can use it again and again, which is such a great idea to help you do your bit for the environment. You can make them in any design, so you could do one for every member of your family if you feel like it.
They use a sewing machine, and you can too if you have the means to use one, but if not, get the needle and thread out again. They also use a snap press-stud to close the pouch, but this might not be the easiest option.
Velcro would be the easiest way, but it makes it harder to clean as the spikes can collect crumbs. We think that a sturdy button and simple buttonhole would work just fine. You can find out how to do that here.
5- Fabric Face Masks
They are just handy to have in your sewing arsenal. Nobody knows what the future holds, but whatever happens, you can look stylish and safe in a custom fabric face mask.
Amazingly, you don’t even have to buy new fabric for these. You can use clothes or fabric items that have come to the end of their shelf-life and give them a second life as a face mask.
We do love a bit of recycling. There are various options for making the nose part flexible and options for using filters too.
6- Fabric Flower Headband
If you want to make a present for a baby girl, either yours or someone else’s, then this is an easy, cheap but thoughtful gift.
Sometimes little girls need some help keeping their crazy baby hair out of their eyes. Before it’s long enough to tie back, there’s an awkward stage of spending your entire day brushing the hair out of their face.
Life’s too short, so parents will be grateful for a cute headband that keeps the curls under control. The best part is, you can make this out of old clothes, so you don’t need to buy new fabric.
7- Reusable Fabric Chalkboard Gift Bag
This one is definitely easier if you have use of a sewing machine, but feel free to give it a go freehand if you’ve got the determination.
We see no reasons why you can’t do these drawstring bags without the addition of the chalkboard fabric panel. Well, it’s pretty cool and all, but sometimes you just want a simple storage bag or gift bag.
This will work fine without the chalkboard part.
8- DIY Crayon Wallet
This will be a Godsend for parents or carers who are sick of tiptoeing around odd crayons in the playroom and never seem to have the right activity with them to entertain the kids when out and about.
You can keep those crayons together in this handy travel case. Now you can keep crayons within easy reach in your purse for any-time coloring fun.
The cute little felt sun design on the front is fun but not functional, so if you want to make it easier for yourself, you could just leave it out and stick to the basics.
9- Zipped Bow pouch
These can be made in any design, so get creative with your fabric and color combinations to make it suit whoever it’s intended for.
These are great zip pouch bags for makeup, travel toiletries, or whatever else you want to keep together in one place. We use our one to keep all our hair accessories together.
Does anyone else ever struggle to find a single hairband in their house? Where do they all go? Feel free to make them for you, or they make great gifts for girls from 3 years old to 30.
10- Scrap Fabric Heart Garland
With a little creativity, you can hand sew these beautiful 3-D hearts. Make them in any fabric or style you like with what you have lying around.
There’s not a lot to buy for this to make a great accessory for your own home or as a decoration for an event like a baby shower or wedding.
Choose your colors based on what it’ll be for, and you can use them again and again when appropriate or give them as a gift. Hearts don’t go out of style.
11- DIY Denim Drawing Pad And Pencil Holder
If you know a budding artist then this will make a great gift for them, or if you just want to make a fun cover for a notebook, then this is a cool way to jazz up a boring notepad.
Upcycle an old pair of mom or boyfriend jeans no one is going to wear again and turn it into something signature like this. It’s fun, relatively easy, and it’ll make someone smile as a handmade present.
You don’t have to make it out of denim though, there are plenty of options and there are several options for closure methods, so it’s totally customizable.
12- 15 Minute Infinity Scarf
Yes, you can pull this one off in 15 minutes, once you have the very few materials on the list assembled, that is.
It’s an easy and customizable scarf loop that can go around your neck twice for a bit of snug, winter style. All you need is some woven fabric in a design you like, and a needle and thread. That’s it!
You don’t even need to buy fabric if you don’t want to. You can use old garments heading for the trash if you like as long as you still like the print, and it’s long enough to make a length that goes around your neck twice comfortably.
Pick a thread that compliments the color of the fabric, and away you go.
13- DIY Hot Pads
Make these hot pads with any scrap fabric you have lying around. They are really cute and incredibly handy to keep in the kitchen.
This design has a pouch on the back, so you can slip your hand in to handle hot items in the kitchen without risking burns. There is also a little loop on one corner to hang them up on hooks.
That way, you’ll always have one handy when you need to grab something that’s too hot to handle in the kitchen. It can’t just be us that are always looking for our oven mitts when cooking dinner.
14- DIY Fabric Knot Headband
Fabric headbands are all the rage right now, for kids and adults alike. Make them in any print and in any size for you or for a friend.
The example shows a dark blue and white polka dot print which is really cute, but you don’t need to stay so uniform, tie-dye your own cotton fabric to make something boho-chic and colorful, or use scrap fabric or old clothes to make something personal.
You’ll soon pick up the basics of sewing with these simple designs. Whatever type of sewing project you choose, remember to be kind to yourself as a beginner.
Don’t get frustrated and give up if it isn’t perfect the first time.
Nothing worth doing is easy at first, but as we say, sewing is a really practical skill to get down, and it can be really satisfying and fun to get creative with a needle and thread.
Finally, if you want to find more projects for beginners, why not consider joining one of your local sewing groups?