UHeart Organizing: 5 Simple Sewing Projects To Organize Your Home

You all know that I am doing what I can to get acclimated with our sewing machine, which is why I invited my friend Palak from Make It Handmade to be part of the IHeart contributing team.  Not only does it save money to sew your own home accessories {pillows and curtain panels anyone?}, but why not go a step further and save on storage as well?  So many great organizing options can be created with the help of some fabric and a sewing machine.  Here is Palak now to share some of her favorites from around the web.

Hello, I Heart Readers! The first day of spring has passed, and I'm planning my projects for the next few weeks! If you all haven't dusted off your sewing machines yet this year, I have a few very simple organizing projects that will also get you familiar with your sewing machine.  Each of these 5 bag projects is just a teensy bit more advanced than one that comes before, but any of them can be done by a beginner.

First up are these darling Keepsake Bags from 2 Little Hooligans. If you can sew a straight line, you can absolutely do this! The bag could be used to store anything from toys, to towels. The sweet pocket could also be used to slip in a label or even a photo label!

With spring finally here, reusable snack bags are handy for taking to the park, or even on those long, long car rides. These little bags are also just straight line sewing-- with a little bit of velcro added in. This tutorial from Sisters, What? walks you through the entire process.

So lets move away from straight lines!  This Lego Play Mats tutorial from Twin Dragon Fly Designs are just a different kind of drawstring bag. The bag opens completely flat to create a playmat. Once play is finished, the drawstring cinches up tight- trapping all the mess inside!   These would be so useful for all those little toys that seem to be so difficult for little ones to pick up. I want to make one to keep at grandma's so it's easy to clean up when we leave.

Duffle bags are great for overnights or sports gear storage. To be honest, I've always been too intimidated to sew one myself until I saw A Jennuine Life's super simple version.  Her design just requires a circle, a rectangle and some trim. I'm looking forward to making a few to keep our frisbees, kickballs, and sand toys from rolling around in our trunk all spring.

Finally-- a project with a zipper. These Cake Clutches would are great for keeping purses and diaper bags organized {I use one to file away all my important receipts in my purse}. The zipper can be tricky, but with a few pins and a little bit of patience, you'll have a fantastic little multitasker!

I hope that gets the ball rolling for both you and your sewing machine! As always, feel free to stop by Make It Handmade with any questions!
 

"I'm Palak-- a slightly sleep deprived mom who has loved sewing, knitting and crochet for her whole life. When I’m not chasing after my two rambunctious kids, or sitting behind my sewing machine, I write about my DIY exploits at my blog, Make It Handmade. I also own Sewistry, a site dedicated to stretching our sewing dollars with money saving projects, product review and buying guides. Although organizing doesn’t come naturally to me, I’ve been inspired by Jen and her blog to find the joy in making my home beautiful and functional. I’m transforming my home one room at a time and using my sewing machine every chance I get! I’m simply elated to be able share sewing projects for your home as part of the IHeart team! "