What do you do with all those scraps of fabric which are often left over from a sewing project? Sometimes I just throw them out, feeling guilty while I do so. Sometimes I fold them up neatly and put them away in a very big box I have reserved for such things (to “think about another day.”) And sometimes, if there is a sizable amount remaining, I’ll put my leftovers in a “giveaway” box, to be recycled in some charitable fashion. But recently I have come up with another solution. I have started making padded hangers with my fabric leftovers.
Remember that small amount of fabric remaining from my recent pink striped dress? I could have easily pitched that scrap (and not even felt particularly guilty about it), but I knew I had just enough fabric left to make a matching padded hanger for my dress.
I had already made a few of these hangers in various scraps, using a You-Tube video for the basics, with several trial-and-error sessions to tweak the method and pattern to my satisfaction. Feeling confident with my new-found “expertise,” I plowed ahead and squeezed out just enough for a hanger to match my dress.
Now, I should add here that I have been a fan of padded hangers for a long time, purchasing quite a few from a couple of Etsy shops in recent years. However, I have always thought it would be lovely to make matching hangers for some of my creations – or – just pretty hangers to mix and match.
Here are three I have recently made.
Two of them are made from Liberty fabrics, and the dark blue one is made from fabric left over from a skirt I made at least 25-30 years ago. There is something particularly rewarding about using Liberty scraps, as the fabric is expensive and its tight weave lends itself beautifully to being stretched over the padded wooden hanger forms.
Speaking of the hanger forms – I have yet to find a source for these raw wood hangers. To get what I need, I have purchased cheap, polyester satin covered hangers in bulk and taken off the fabric and yucky foam padding to reveal the raw wood hanger form inside it all. This works, but I would really love to find a source for basic, uniform, raw-wood hangers with the swivel, silver-toned hardware that I prefer for these small projects.
Here are a few pictures of my process, not intended to be a tutorial.
Shown here are two varying wooden forms I happened to have on hand. The unfinished – or raw – wood one is specifically intended for being covered. The other one is a “finished” wood hanger which I turned into a padded hanger.
Let me tell you why there is something very rewarding about making these hangers.
- First of all, they really don’t take much time, perhaps 35-40 minutes per hanger.
- Second, it is the perfect combination of hand and machine sewing.
- Third, as stated, it is a wonderful way to use up scraps.
- Fourth, I can use the fabric that is best suited for these closet accessories – tightly woven cottons, light-weight linens or damasks, and never anything slippery, such as satin, which causes your garment to slide off one side. I am particularly looking forward to making hangers with some of my scraps of vintage cottons and linens, a unique way to preserve samples of these special fabrics.
- Fifth, handmade padded hangers make very sweet small gifts for friends and family.
- And finally, making my own hangers allows me to use coordinating color ribbon. White is always nice, but using coordinating colored ribbon makes your hangers just that much more personal.
Often, between sewing projects, especially if they are major projects, I like to make something quick and easy and fun to “decompress” and get ready for the next big undertaking. Making a padded hanger is the perfect solution.
fiftydresses 