Any DIY junkie will love these sewing hacks, so expert or not, check them all out now for ones you might not know yet!
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Best Sewing Hacks that will Make your Life a Breeze
This post was originally posted on sewing.com and shared with permission.
I've seen tons of sewing tips, but none that were as simple and as straightforward as the ones listed here. You're going to be sewing like a pro after you've gotten to the last one!
Don't believe me? Make your way down my list and see what you think!
1. Use Muslin in Cutting Slippery Fabrics
Cutting slippery fabrics can be a little tricky. There is little to no traction between your scissors and fabric that just begs for a mistake.
To help you out, place a layer of muslin under it. You can pin the layers together to make cutting easier.
2. Keep Your Scissors Sharp
Keep your scissors sharp by designating a pair just for cutting fabric. When you use your fabric scissors to cut through paper or other material, it gets dull.
You don’t want that to happen! This is a really important and life-saving sewing hack you always have to remember.
3. Press Buttons Using Hair Straighteners
Use your trusty hair straightener to press fabric between buttons and other embellishments. This is a pretty nifty sewing hack using a day-to-day item!
4. Sew the Perfect Corners
Never worry about sewing corners again! Leave your needle down, rotate your fabric in a clean 90-degree angle, and voila!
Easy-peasy! You don’t even need a sewing table to do this!
5. Use Binder Clips in Applying Your Binding
Who knew these cute little school supplies could help make sewing bindings easier? Just clip these little binder clips on your binding and voila!
It’s like you have your own little helping hands. Talk about handy sewing tips!
6. Gather Your Fabric The Easy Way
Use yarn or a thicker thread to gather your fabric. Sew a zigzag over a length of yarn, then pull the yarn to easily gather your fabric.
Yarn won’t easily snap unlike your regular thread, so it’s easier to gather the fabric.
7. Sew Buttons on the Inside of Your Coat Sleeve
Buttons are so prone to popping off. Here’s what I discovered: Sew extra buttons on the inside of your coat sleeve.
In case you lose some buttons, there will always be some handy.
8. Use Freezer Paper to Cut Patterns
Press freezer paper to your fabric. It sticks to your fabric and you’ll be able to cut your fabric according to your pattern without weights and unnecessary errors.
And even more wonderful, it doesn’t leave any residue!
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9. Use Painter’s Tape
Painter’s tape is a handy tool to use all around. Hold your pleats and ruffles together with painter’s tape.
It doesn’t hurt any fabric and more importantly, it’s an inexpensive item!
10. Use Dental Floss to Sew Buttons
My children used to pop buttons off all the time. As a result, I kept sewing buttons back on all the time, too!
Here’s what I discovered: Using your dental floss as a thread, sew your buttons right back into place. Dental floss is stringier than your usual thread and can keep your buttons from popping off more than regular thread.
Now with this trick, I wouldn’t have to keep on sewing buttons back all the time.
11. Use Wax to Strengthen Threads
Use this little gadget. It’s wax, and when you pull the thread through, it gets coated in wax.
This makes the thread nice and strong while you hand-sew. It’s one of the best hand sewing hacks you’ll learn today.
12. Getting the Thread Through the Needle – the Easy Way!
It’s so frustrating to thread through needle holes. It always seems like the thread refuses to go through the hole!
Until I discovered one genius sewing hack: hairspray! Spray the tip so it stays straight.
13. Sewing Over Lumpy Fabrics Using a Plastic
Next time you’re sewing over the lumpy fabric like terry cloth or fleece, use a plastic bag. Place it over the fabric you are sewing and watch that presser foot glide!
14. Sewing in Your Zippers
Sew up your seam as you normally would, place the zipper face down over the seam allowance and sew it in place. Cut open the seam with your seam ripper to reveal the zipper underneath.
Note: Be sure to check out our easy step-by-step tutorial on How To Sew A Zipper in Two Ways
15. Taking Advantage of Your Stay Stitching
Stay stitching holds the shape of your material in place as you ease it around curves. Stay-stitch anything that isn’t cut on the grain or cross-grain to prevent it from becoming disfigured.
To stay stitch, stitch within the seam allowance, try 3/8″ if your seam allowance is 5/8″, and follow the curve of the piece. Stitch symmetrically, start your line on the outside and work your way in on both sides, if working on a centerfold.
16. Sewing Using Your Decorative Threads
Use two spools of thread, thread them through your machine and around your needle the same way you usually would, having both pieces of thread through the eye. Now when you sew with delicate metallic thread, the regular thread will help support it.
17. Marking Your Seam Allowance
Rubberband 3 pencils together for 5/8″, or 2 pencils for 1/2″. Trace the edge of your pattern piece for a perfect seam allowance every time.
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Sewing is a fantastic DIY craft you will ultimately fall in love with. Us DIY buffs live by the saying, “If you want it done right, do it yourself”, but a little helping hand would be best.
Now, with these DIY projects, sewing hacks, and ideas, you can create wonderful works of art you can be proud of!
What do you think of these sewing hacks? Got any sewing tricks of your own? Let us know in the comments section below!
Up Next:
- Learn How to Make Curtains & Pillows with This Video Sewing Course!
- How To Make a Dress with This Awesome Video Dressmaking Classes
- 9 Easy Beginner Sewing Patterns You Can Do This Winter
Stay connected with us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram!Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on June 26, 2014, and has been updated for quality and relevancy.
