Got only 30 minutes to sew something beautiful? This is the article that’s got you covered.
You’d be amazed at how many quick sewing projects can be finished in just the nick of time, without any wizardry or magic. From face masks, through bookmarks and infinity scarves, to dish towels, hand warmers and laptop sleeves—there’s something for everyone and every taste.
All you need to do is scan through the article and pick the one thing you’d like to create today. Next time when you have half an hour of free time, browse the article and pick any of the other 30-minute sewing projects again!
Face Masks
Face masks are something many of my friends are calling me ‘genius’ for when I suggest that they sew. I can neither confirm nor deny being a ‘genius’, but I can tell you for certain that making your own face mask is a wonderful, under 10-minute sewing project! It will also make pushing through these challenging pandemic times a tad easier.
The trick here is to pick the right material for both the mask and the bands that go behind (or on) your ears. It’s best to pick a hypoallergenic fabric for the mask itself. If you are really worried about allergies and other negative effects from the mask (it will be on your face for hours at times after all), you can always put an actual (K)N95 filter mask behind the fabric. This way, you won’t have to suffer allergens, pathogens, and that dreaded novel Coronavirus.
For the straps, some regular or elastic bands will surely do—but make sure you don’t over tighten them, you don’t want to look like Dopey all day long.
Bookmark(s)
Can’t remember the last page you stopped at before falling asleep? There’s a sub-10-minute solution for that. A simple scarf-like loop made out of thin & fancy fabric will do.
Just make sure you measure the size right. If you make the loop too small it won’t be able to enter the book and keep your last read page. Making it bigger than the book is OK, though. The added benefit is that it’ll fit on bigger books. And you are reading those books, aren’t you?
Sunglasses Case
Alright, now this one is easy and quick to do, and it gives back a lot in return. What you need here is to make a sleeve where your sunglasses can enter and be protected from scratches and dirt.
You need the right rectangular shape that you cut out from your material in two pieces. Then, the pieces are sewn together, leaving just a small entrance at one of the shorter ends where your glasses will enter. Voilà—you got yourself an awesome-looking sunglasses case.
Coin Purse
Another 30-minute sewing project to make your day. Similar to the sunglasses case above, you need a (bit smaller) rectangle double cutout. After these are sewn together, the open side is reserved for the metallic or plastic ‘hinge’ that opens and closes the purse.
Coins and receipts can go inside, while the purse can go in your handbag to be kept safely and in reach.
Dish Towels
Sick and tired of the bland and damp dish towels you have laying around your kitchen? How about making your own? That’s right, this is another quick sewing project that can be done within 10 minutes.
The most important thing to keep in mind here is the material. What I discovered works best here are plain cotton towels. You can either buy a classical bland cotton towel, or just make a rectangle cutout. Then you cutify your towels by sewing binding, some ric-rac, or some fancy fabric on top.
Infinity Scarves
I trust that you already know how to make loops out of fabric bands, which is why this project will be very easy to start and finish.
What you’ll need here is a material suitable for a scarf. Think polyester, chiffon, silk, cotton. If you intend to wear your scarf during the winter, a mixture of wool and silk will do as well. You can also search for printed textures, unless you prefer simple, single-color apparel.
Make a 22”-24” cutout in width, and about 70” in length. Then apply a french or flat felled seam at the short side, and finish on the long. Simple, quick, and—oh my—a beautiful new scarf on your neck.
(While I’m at it, doing a fleece scarf can be even easier & quicker to do!)
Napkin Sets
Now this one is soooo easy, but I failed to convince my friends to attempt it.
What you basically need here is a square (or rectangle, but better square) cutout from a nice print. Then you cut the four corners, and sew their cut edges. Fold and iron the edge along each side. After this, just sew the edge as it lays folded on the inside. Make a set of 3, 5 or even a dozen of these to go along, mixing colors and prints.
There you go. Now you’ve got your own napkin set ready to use in under 10 minutes.
Laptop Sleeve
Finding a good-looking and protective laptop sleeve for your trusty device is hard, I know. But then again, why not make your own in under 30 minutes?
What you need is fabric, a thread, fabric shear and chalk, measuring band, velcro (or button snap), and of course, your sewing machine. Start by measuring your device. Measure the width, length, and the diagonal. Then, make a cutout that will fit your laptop, making sure you leave about 1 ½” of extra seam allowance, as well as about 4” on the one side for the flap. You can either make this cutout from a single piece, or sew two separate pieces together.
After this, attach the velcro or the button snap on the proper place at the flap. Final step would be to put your laptop inside and enjoy carrying it everywhere on your person!
Hand Warmers
What would I give to have a nice-looking, soft hand warmer after throwing those curved snowballs at my family’s heads during the winter. If you are like me, this project will really keep you occupied for half an hour of awesome sewing work.
Alright, so what you need to do first is figure out the design. You can do a box/pillow, ball, heart, or any other shape that fits in your palm and can be grabbed. In terms of material, you need felted wool, rice, and some muslin fabric.
Make four shape cutouts from two layers of wool and two of muslin fabric. Sew them in your shape, but remember to leave one side open so that you can insert the rice. Take a pipe or funnel and pour enough rice inside, then sew it shut. Voilà—you just made yourself some really good hand warmers.
If you wonder how to use them, it’s very simple: just put them inside the microwave oven and heat them for about half a minute to a minute. The rice is a natural heat retainer and radiator, so it will project that accumulated heat towards your hands as you hold your warmer. Make sure you don’t overdo it, though, as the fabric can catch on fire if heated too much.
Pillow Case
Creating handmade pillow cases is another quick and rewarding journey, not to mention it’s very easy to pull off.
All you need is a measuring band (to make out your pillow dimensions), two fitting cutouts from a nice and hypoallergenic fabric, a sewing machine, and of course, a fittingly-colored thread. Depending on your pillow height, you might need to leave 3”-5” of leeway near the seams.
Lay down the two cutouts and start sewing. Make sure you leave one side open for the pillow to enter. You can even sew a zipper on this side. After you complete the sewing task, put the pillow inside, and enjoy a good night’s rest!
The hypoallergenic material here will be taking care of your health. You’ll be putting your head on your pillow case for hours each night, right? A material that can be easily washed, while being hypoallergenic and bed-bug-proof, can significantly improve your quality of life, especially if you suffer from asthma, COPD, and allergies.
In Conclusion
There might be an unwritten rule of sewing: if something is smaller than 10” in size, it probably takes about 10 minutes to create it, start to finish.
While I gave you a plethora of quick sewing projects, the list doesn’t end here. There are many, many more 30 minute sewing projects that you can find to fill up your free time and put a smile on your face.
What are you waiting for?! Let’s get on with these beautiful handmade projects ASAP!
