Five easy sewing projects that are perfect for beginners to make. Practice your sewing and learn new skills with these simple things to sew.
Hey y’all, lately I’ve noticed a lot of people looking for beginner sewing projects, so I thought I’d put together a little round up of some easy sewing projects you can make when you’re learning to sew. Each diy sewing tutorial can be sewn for yourself or made as gifts. And if you’re just learning to sew, make sure to check out my free learn to sew course!
Maybe you got a new sewing machine, and now you’re ready to tackle an easy project. Or maybe you just want to brush up on your sewing skills after time away. Or maybe you know how to sew but you just want to do something easy as a palate cleanser. Whichever category you fall into, here are some projects for you! I’ve got a short preview of some of them in the video linked below and on YouTube here.
Bonus: all of these projects have a step by step video tutorial showing you how to sew them in the linked post. Those videos aren’t like the quickie above, they walk you through the whole project.
There are projects in this post that I’ve done with kids (supervising them at the machine of course) and projects made with fabric scraps. There’s even a couple from my free sewing patterns gallery. As long as you can sew a seam, there’s something here for even beginner sewers.
First up try a drawstring bag! You can make these in any size, and you can even sew one as a gift bag. This is one of my favorite first projects when I’m teaching kids. See how to sew a drawstring bag here.
With more straight seams you can easily sew a pillowcase to add a personal touch to your bedding. This tutorial is easy and has fully encased French seams so you can add seam finishing to your skill set. See how to sew a pillowcase here.
Ready to tackle clothing? These pajama shorts are quick to make out of beginner friendly quilting cotton, and they’re perfect for lounging around the house. Make a bunch of matching ones from flannel as a Christmas gift or use fun character fabric for tweens and teens. See how to sew pajama shorts here.
Or maybe you want to sew for a baby? This easy criss-cross pinafore will help you practice sewing around curves. With only one pattern piece you can make this adorable and reversible baby dress. And it’s a great gift at baby showers. See how to sew the baby pinafore here.
Next, is an envelope pillow cover. This easy sewing project is a decorative pillowcase that only requires fabric and thread, no other notions. And it’s a great way to refresh your decor quickly! See how to make envelope pillow shams in this post.
Another easy garment to sew is a gathered skirt with an elastic waist. This is basically a big rectangle and it’s a great opportunity to experiment with fabrics besides quilting cotton. The one pictured below is made with polyester crepe. See how to sew a simple skirt here.
Ready to add to your skills by tackling zippers? A zipper pouch is both a great way to use up scraps of fabric and practice your sewing craft. See how easy it is to sew a zipper bag here.