5 Unexpected Places to Buy Fabric on a Budget

Today I am sharing five unexpected places to buy fabric on a budget. The costs of sewing and quilting with all the increases in prices is really making it hard to purchase supplies for an already costly hobby! Hopefully some, or even all of these ideas, help you come up with some projects so you can keep sewing!

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[FirstHusbandofQuilting]

Just so everyone knows, I was duped by this beautiful lady. She coyly asked me if I wanted to go to the hardware store, which of course I did, because I always want to go to the hardware store. Of course, when we get there, she tells me she needs quilt stuff. What a ruse. 😂

[MaJaEvGaGa]

Don’t know if was mentioned but Harbor Freight has lots of things you can use for quilting. Magnetic trays for pins, drop clothes, magnet on a stick to pick up dropped pins and more just be open to using hardware items and you’ll find something neat. I bought a work bench to put my embroidery machine on, it is big and heavy enough to hold the machine with all the motion. It’s cost about 1/4th the price for a sewing cabinet.

[bhallmark]

One resource for fabric that you overlooked at thrift stores is men’s dress shirts. There are some beautiful solids, plaids and prints to be found. The larger size the shirt, the more you can glean when cutting them up. Using only 100% cotton is the best option.

[pegsullivan]

I actually taught a jacket class where a student made it from a drop cloth that she had used while painting rooms in her house. All the paint splatters made a very interesting design all over, The jhacket was fabulous!

[lilly-annkeister]

Another option for the drop cloth fabric: craft aprons. I made many as gifts one Christmas and personalized them with machine embroidery. Sews beautifully.

[jeannemcmillintwinlakeses]

When you said hardware store the first thing I thought of was curtains. I have bought a couple of curtains on clearance at Lowes with beautiful patterns in a heavy woven cotton for about $5. Didn't even think of the drop cloths. I work with a dog rescue that also has a thrift store and when they get fabric in they call me because it just doesn't sell in the store. They called me one time and offered me 6 huge trash bags full of fabric for $30. Those bags had about $400 dollars in 10 different colors of minky. I also go over any sewing machines that are donated to make sure they are clean, lubed and work before they put them out for sale. Needless to say I make quilts and things for some of there raffles also. We don't have an art class at my school anymore and I was able to go thru the art classrooms storage room and found boxes of fabric someone had donated. There was enough printed canvas in those boxes for me to make about 40 big tote bags for the spring carnival. I bought a huge bag of fabric (sealed up bag) at a thrift store because I could see actual fat quarters in it for $20. Got it home and there was full quilt kit and pattern in it that had a price tag of $135 dollars on it. You never know!

[imsewhappy]

I always look at the skirts in the thrift stores. There can be lots of usable yardage in those for making children's clothes, quilting, bags, etc. Also, I made an entire quilt using thrifted men's cotton Hawaiian shirts. Bonus was finding three XXXL shirts that comprised the backing. I look at the thrift store as one big fabric store!

[suusieeeq]

I’ve been using drop cloths for many years to make everything! Pillows, drapes, dust ruffles, slipcovers, tote bags, shower curtain. It has a linen look and is very sturdy. Using clips, rings, on a rod, you can hang a drop cloth with no sewing, just find the right size cloth.

[kristitotten]

Another use for the hardware store canvas . . . to recover your ironing board. After pulling and stapling the canvas (over your batting layers) - wet it down real well and let it dry. That canvas will shrink a lot, which makes it very tight. 😅😊

[terrijuanette]

Harbor Freight sells the same canvas drop cloths for $10 when they have a sale (which is quite often) and it's 9'x12'. I paint so I have more than one. AND I used one to make a round tablecloth -which I stenciled - for a spring tea. It turned out lovely!

[momistaken]

I like the Lowe’s drop cloths a lot. Always prewash and you can even dye it! I double the amount of dye for a richer color.

[annhopy]

I found at the hardware store burlap drop cloth. I think any kind of crafter goes into a store, regardless of what kind of store, and we see things different then non crafters, it is great :)

[kathyhutchins]

One thing to remember, online quilt shops will have great sales on quilt kits. Think - you don’t have to make the pattern in the kit but use the fabric for any project! Depending on the cuts it could be a great goal.

[debbiemorrison]

40 years ago I used drop cloths to make cheap slip covers for some well loved furniture when we were first married....they held up great and were washable!!

[babsgilbert]

The dropcloth can be embroidered, painted, or even used as a patchwork with denim. They also make great picnic quilts or tablecloths for kid parties....let them paint.😊

[karenhess]

I volunteered for a nonprofit local thrift store that had to close down in late 2022. I took over the linens and fabrics department after a previous vol passed away. There are so many items donated to charity that never see the sales floor unless you have someone like me who can see the value. An individual crafter won't have any pull, but if you have a quilting or crafting club, see the store manager and let them know what you are interested in purchasing. For example, we used to toss vintage chenille bedspreads that had stains/holes. Not me! I labelled and priced appropriately and these were always snapped up. I always had to wait 2 days to give customers 1st chance at merch, but I sure wanted to make a "jean jacket" out of vintage chenille. Pillow cases frequently don't make it to the sales floor, even if they are in good condition. Some are good for fabric alone. If your group is making quilts for the homeless, consider piecing pillow cases for those, and save your artistry for quilts that will be appreciated for the long haul. Again, negotiate with thrift management. AND, hold up your end of the bargain. Buy the merch as sales$ per sq ft of display space is an important metric--they can't hold merch forever--it's gotta move. Don't make business deals and fail to execute.

[laurieolk]

As an art teacher, we use that canvas drop cloth for large paintings, play backdrops and giant game boards.

[kynaston]

The Lowes tip was worth its weight in gold! Thank you so much. I'm a guy so I sew guy things. Floral patterns and such don't interest me much but cheap canvas that I can dye whatever color is seriously worth something to me. Thanks so much!

[pattymatteson]

Just stumbled on this video. Great info! I found cotton/ linen sheets at Ollie's in solid navy and solid white. $30 for a king set. That's A LOT of fabric. At least 5 yards in the flat sheet alone! Check the clearance at Kohl's and Target also.

[McJulieO]

There is another great find at Home Depot type hardware stores, particularly if you are trying to trace your size garment from a multi size pattern …. Swedish tracing “paper is SO expensive, and the “Do Sew” I learned on is, too, if you can find it at all. HD sells a non woven, very sheer Soil Separator Fabric in their outdoor drainage department. It works perfectly for pattern tracing AND can be basted together to test for fitting if making a muslin copy is impossible. It is 36” wide by 150 feet long (roughly 50 yards for about $20)