My mom used to buy formal gowns from the thrift stores, wash them, take them apart and make my dresses and petticoats when I was a little girl. I tell ya, I was the best dressed little girl at school and church. That was back into the day when a girl wasn’t allowed to wear pants to school. My mother was an amazing seamstress as well, so if I showed her a picture of a dress, she could easily make it and could fancy it up using those pre-owned gowns.

Never thought about using dollar tree dog collars for the hardware! Word!!!

I like to use the zippered bags that sheets and comforters come in. They are sturdy and are great for keeping projects in.

My suggestion is if you need pattern paper because you need to make paper patterns go to a medical supply store and buy a roll of the paper they use in doctors offices to cover the beds. It's about $5 a roll, makes great pattern paper, and I can use it to cushion gift bag gifts or my fragile seasonal ornaments as well.

I bought a beautiful satin outer shower curtain It had shoes 👠 and handbags 👜 printed on it. I cut it up and made it into shoe bags for travelling!

I purchase inexpensive bed pillows for the fiberfill they are stuffed with. Cheaper than a bag of fiberfill!

Thrift store handbags often have interesting hardware as well as zippers. Thanks for these tips!

Thrift store fabrics are great for historic-themed costumes. I once bought a new king comforter ( beautiful silver - blue color with baroque style pattern) in Goodwill Outlet and have made it into a splendid Tudor-era gown, adding some dark blue, golden, dark red silky fabrics, sourced also from thrift store curtains and place mats. There were so much seamless fabric in that comforter, that the other side with stripes and most of batting is still left for yet another costume. Also, I once bought two real silk taffeta large window drapery panels $ 4.99 each in another Goodwill, which later turned out to be of regular price $ 800 each (as per I-net research), since manufactured by one well-known company. I am going to make those into a Marie-Antoinette style ballgown for dancing in one of the Versailles historic reenactments.

I'm just learning how to sew. Thank-you for sharing all these ideas!! I'm struggling financially with having to drive my grandson 400 miles, round trip, for his many doctors appointments! He has a very rare heart condition. I thought if i could sew our clothes, his ideas (he's got an imagination!) I could save some money! All of you have been a Godsend 🥹💜❤️ Thank-you, bless you, and have a blessed day

I love getting large fabric pieces from Goodwill. I found a cute snowman sheet/blanket but before I could do something with it my son fell in love with it. He uses it every night. Great video with great ideas.

I would not have thought to disassemble a collar for the hardware. That's brilliant. Thank you!

I love the thrift store for sheets to be used in many ways!

I made a wedding veil from a Martha Stewart valance from Walmart. It was a beautiful lacey satin and we were in the boondocks of Kentucky attending a family reunion which turned into an impromptu layed-back wedding. Yeah!😉... The bride looked beautiful! Who would have thought it possible!?! Thanks for your tips... really good ideas!

I am from the Tulsa Oklahoma area. I went into a Salvation Army Family Store and found 5 yards of a Charlie Brown Great Pumpkin material. The cost: a total of $3.00! I made a skirt with it.🙂

I forget how ingenius crafters are. ❤

If you use less expensive sheets, make sure that you wash them AND your quilt top before you quilt them together. That way if your top is 100% cotton and the back is a polyester and cotton blend, they'll not shrink differently once quilted. Shrinking difference can leave you with an actual gap between the top and bottom.

Whenever I get sewing supplies at Harbor Freight or my local co-op hardware I always say to the checkout guy, "Bet when you came to work this morning you didn't know you working at a craft store." The reactions are precious! I've also noticed the selection of crafty things increasing in the co-op so maybe letting the folks know what customers are looking for is handy for all.

Here in Cincinnati there is a recycle/reuse place that is open twice a week where you can go and everything is free. They have tons of fabric, yarn, thread, tiles, and just about everything else. They do it to keep it from the landfill. I went a few weeks ago and scored a huge box of tapestry fabric that I donated to my local historical reenacting group. I'm sure there are places like it in other cities. I even found some vintage Stretch N Sew patterns!

The cutting glove...... EXCELLENT idea! About 10 years ago I was cutting fabric with a rotary cutter that had a dull pinking shear blade on it. I was using a regular ruler. You guessed it. I cut off the end of my left index finger! It bled for 6 hours! PLEASE! Take his advice and use a glove. Also, NEVER use dull blades... it isn't worth it. Use the proper set up. Thank you for telling people about this.

Thrift stores are #1 for me. I got my Kenmore 158.1757 at a thrift store, $20, complete, w/ cams, button holer, and original instruction book. I often find fabrics and useful patterns. One of the best things, as you suggested, is sheets. Brand new, still in the package. Another overlooked place is yard sales. They take a bit of time and effort but the payoff can be amazing. I found a box of miscellaneous Singer bits for $10, bobbins, needles, feet, button holer w/templates, including the elusive eyelet, lots more. It's an adventure.

Love everyone sharing their thrifty ideas as well! ❤

I love thrift stores for fabric, notions, and even vintage patterns ❤

I always have my eyes open for the unconventional sewing and craft item. My sewing table is a Husky work bench from homedepo. It adjust the height very easy, it has a great wooden top. The big plus is, it was a lot cheaper than the adjustable sewing table. ❤❤

My mom and grandma also used sheets for quilt backings. In those days wide backing fabric was not available at any price. It was an amazing day when it did become available, but sheets are still the way to go if money is tight.

I found an embroidery machine for $49.00. I was so happy.

Sheets are wonderful to make curtains out of. Especially, if you have amatching bedspread.!!. 😊

During the pandemic, I wanted elastic shoelaces but couldn't find them anywhere. I went to Dollartree and bought hairbands. They worked perfectly and I haven't had to replace them in four years.

Timothy, you out did yourself with these tips. I especially liked the 5 gallon bucket idea. We purchased a travel trailer recently and didn't want to spend a lot of $$$ changing out the curtains, so I used painters' drop cloths. I bleached them and I swear they look and feel like raw silk. Made all 3 windows for about $13. Thanks again for sharing!

I have gone to Harbor Freight for my notions. Canvas tarp, telescopic magnet stick, and a magnetic tray.

Sometimes "antique" stores or junk shops have sewing notions too. There is this awesome antique store in Lockhart, Texas that has their stuff so well organized and they have all these drawer carts FULL of old sewing notions. Ribbons, zippers, buttons, you name it. You can also find old sewing patterns at places like this. I dug through the plethora of ones they had at the aforementioned store and found a pattern that had the right shape I was looking for for a garment I was making. I wasn't sure how to make the arms and top but there was this old dress pattern that had the shape I was looking for and I was able to use it as a guide to make a viking style under dress.

One thing I love to buy is the square washers I put two together and cover them with fabric as they are a little ruff to the touch. Once covered I use them as patten weights so that it keeps my pattern in place on fabric that you cannot use pins on while cutting around the pattern. They are also handy to keep the patterns in place while trying to workout the best layout on your fabric. Nothing worse than the patterns floating away when you’re placing down another one.

I purchased 4 Yukon 3-drawer workbenches from Harbor Freight and put them together to use as a cutting table. My new table is 40” x 10’ and I have 12 drawers for all of my sewing and quilting notions. I also purchased a large container of Command hooks from Costco and stuck them to the legs of the tables. The hooks hold my quilting rulers and templates. Additionally, I bought 2 of the Yukon workbenches and use them as an ironing surface. The vise extends all the way out and holds the base of my iron. All of my ironing supplies fit either in the drawers or on the shelves below. :)

I came across some pillow forms at Wal-Mart on clearance for $1.50. I grabbed several and used the stuffing for my memory bears I make. I'm always trying to think outside the box for craft supplies. Thanks for your tips.

I also loved the dog collar idea. I liked your storage idea. I use a large fishing tackel box for my sewing supplies and one for my art (penciles, pastels, ect.). I have found that it is made from stronger plastic and have ajustable compartments to fit the sewing supplies that I need.

I had a farmer friend who saw me using a seam ripper years ago and suggested I try a scalpel she used on her farm. I tried one and I have been using them as seam rippers for 30 years now and they are fantastic if you are careful.

Zip ties can be used in place of boning, some gardening gloves for free motion quilting, tackle boxes to organize supplies, and hemostats used for turning fabric right side out are some things you can find at these stores also. 😁

I’ve made some great bags from tablecloths and curtains I’ve gotten at thrift stores. And dollar stores often have fabric placemats that make great pouches, makeup bags or bottle totes.

Great ideas!! Out my way in West Virginia, we have a store called Harbor Freight. Great for the same types of things in your Rural store. And I LOVE getting my fabric from the thrift stores. I pick up shirts on dollar day that have great patterns as well as getting vintage sheets that I use for the backing of my quilts..LOVE getting vintage sheets for $1-$2

Bravo to the shower curtain for plastic for bagmaking! Really original and definitely cheaper!

Great ideas, Tim! My favorite hardware item from the tool section is the various magnetic steel bowls. Mechanics use them to keep track of all those nuts and bolts and smaller tools; we can use them in our work, too! Also, years ago I used a tarp to protect my couch from a new puppy. It tucked around the cushions nicely and was easier to launder than a slip cover.

FYI: About using a sheet for quilt backing, some long arm quilters won’t accept a quilt that’s backed with sheet fabric because some sheets aren’t straight grain. I found this out early on. On small quilts that I finish myself, sheets are a great option.

Great tips! I’ve found many supplies at local thrift stores. 24x36 Olfa cutting mat like new $2.15. I’ve found Olfa pinking and wave rotary cutting handles and just bought new blades for them. I’ve also taken the long zippers out of those plastic bags sheet sets come in.

At the thrift store a way to find fabric is to look thru the clothing section men’s larger shirts have large sections of fabric that can be recycled. You can also find smaller zippers and lace and buttons. Not big pieces but if making textile jewerly or children’s clothes. Just let your imagination go wild. Love your video’s so much information.

I used the left over aisle runner from my daughter's wedding for practice fabric and pattern try outs. We had a 50% off coupon which made it very cheap.

Harbor freight has a ton of items you can use in the sewing room. Tool boxes, rulers, magnets , magnetic dishes for pins to name a few.

Timothy, these are great ideas for thinking "outside the box." I never would have thought about using dog collars for notions. I'm just getting back into sewing and your tips are so helpful - thank you!!

I use the tea towels to make a purse/ bag for my wheelchair. With the buckles I got at a thrift store. ❤ your channel!!!

Your last tip to check out the Thrift stores for fabric is spot on! I have found many great buys at our local thrift store from upholstery material to fine silk! And sometimes the amount is incredible (8 yds of silk was donated there one time). Needless to say the sewists in our town are happy to check out the wonderful bargains.

I’ve been using painters cloths for years to make grocery totes…you have some great ideas❤️

Another place I get fabric and notions is Daiso. They are a Japanese 'dollar store'. They are not in all states yet. Loads of locations in CA, but also in WA, TX, AZ, NV, NJ and NJ. And it looks like there are several in Canada as well. Thanks for the video. My grandmother never bought batting for her many, many quilts. She always used flannel blankets.

Hello Tim, I was so interested to see your latest tips video. When you showed the cushioning floor mats, I realised that I had some in my garage, left over from a different use. I got them immediately and brought them to my sewing space (where I am now) and put them down at my ironing board. Ooh, it’s so comfortable underfoot, I love it! Ikea sometimes sell bolts of canvas fabric cheaply. So, thank you for your tips and tutorials. Best wishes, Louise, Dublin, Ireland 🇮🇪

I love using and making pillows. The inserts are ridiculously priced... so I buy pillows at Goodwill and other thrift-secondhand shops and reuse them as inserts into my new covers. So much cheaper (except Goodwill which is pricing itself out of business)

That last thrift store tip is genius.

I use the seasonal wooden shapes for templates. They can be used to make pot holders to put on a counter for hot dishes

Most of the Thrift stores I've gone into, the best "stuff" has already been "put aside" by the actual volunteer workers. Before it even gets out onto the floor. There's method in their madness for "volunteering" you know.

Our thrift stores are amazing at stocking fabric, yarn, embroidery, and loads of other items.

Great ideas! I hadn't thought of Rural King! I live on the Treasure Coast of FL, but I will definitely be scouring the Rural King next time I visit Ocala!! I'm currently on the hunt for a lesser expensive grommet tool and snap tool because they're so expensive at JoAnn's and Walmart. (Btw: Walmart does have nice fabrics, stuffing, and threads at much better prices. I wish JoAnn's would go back to the old days of concentrating only on sewing, fabrics, and notions instead of trying to compete with Michael's and Hobby Lobby.

Hi Timothy. I agree with the Thrift store idea. I was lucky to find two queen sized linen duvet covers for $5.99 each! I washed/dried them and will be making dresses out of them. Joann's wanted $15.99/yd. Use bed sheets as toilles.

Yes! I thought the same thing about the pet collars at the Dollar tree! Great place to get hardware cheap.

Great video, love the thrift store section as I love up cycling ideas. And the mention of your beloved grandma’s quilting for kids just touched my heart. My nana and Aunt taught me to sew and I treasure those times. My grandsons are showing interest in sewing, we shall see how that goes ❤️🙂

I have kept some of my clothes for barbie and doll clothes fabric. It would be very expensive to buy these fabrics, and the clothes look more real than those out of cotton. Blouses make great gowns, khaki pants make great totes for Barbie. I’ve made an entire quilt from plaid shirting fabric, I used a brown cotton that looked like leather strips for the backing, sashes and binding. The plaid, scrappy 9 patch is so beautiful. I have always looked at fabric in this way…I thought I was an oddball….but there are other oddballs ! My people ❤️👍

You're a GENIUS! I thought I was the queen of using items for uses other than what they were intended for, but I bow to you, Tim! Specifically the dog collars for D-rings and strapping. I just stared at those D-rings and other hardware for putting on bags I'm making for a craft fair in JoAnn's the other day and thought, wow, there's quite a mark-up on those!

Thrifting is how I get sheets for quilt backing and I LOVE to look at the tote and string bags for exactly what you mentioned. Handles, zippers, hardware, straps and strings. That stuff is very expensive so even if you pay a few dollars, if you get a couple of pieces off of it, it’s worth it! Did not think of the canvas and leather though, great tips!!!👍🏻

Can I add a couple? Harbor Freight has lots of tools. I have purchased their magnetic bowl for my pins. They sell hemostats, they are used in hospitals. But I use them to hold the ends of elastic. When you are making a pair of shorts or PJ bottoms. You can clamp the elastic together and try them on for fit. Harbor Freight sell inexpensive tarps and microfiber towels. My local Saver's does a great job selling fabric. They stuff a bag full of fabric, it sells for $7, cheaper on Senior day. If I don't like a certain fabric, I donate it back.

You are just the sweetest and most talented guy. Love your videos and tips. My favorite fabric store is here in Massachusetts near Boston. It’s a family run store and they have the greatest fabric and notions. There drapery and upholstery fabric is no more than $5.99-$6.99 a yard. There remnant table fabrics are only $2.49-2.99 a yard! You can’t beat their prices anywhere. I never leave there without fabric! I always refer all my clients to buy their fabric there for their upholstery and home decor sewing they hire me to do for them.

I also use garden gloves for machine quilting. The rubber one work great. Lots of good ideas.

I found using those cosmetic bags you get free with cosmetic purchases (like Lancomb, Estee Lauder, etc) work great to repurpose the zippers for other projects. They're usually super easy to remove. I first discovered this when I made a knitted and felted a handbag but had no sewing supply stores anywhere nearby. I realised I had a yucky old cosmetic bag with a zipper that was in good shape. It worked perfectly!

I'm totally using the bucket storage seat suggestion! ❤

At some thrift stores near me, they will go ahead and put out fabric, but they’ll hang it up in the home decor or bedding area. Also, if your thrift stores arent too expensive and you don’t mind a tiny bit of work, men’s dress shirts hold a LOT more fabric than they might appear to! And if you don’t want to fuss with seam ripping, just cutting off the seams and cuffs gets the job done very quickly.

So many useful suggestions! Love the hair ties for elastic, and getting hardware off pet collars. Sheets as backing fabric, brilliant. (My MIL does a lot of quilting, and she uses worn-out blankets as batting.) Thanks for sharing!

Great idea with the dog collar. New to quilting so I need all ideas that you have.

D rings and buckles from the dog collars!!! FABULOUS IDEA!!! Thank you thank you for sharing!!!

Another great place for fabric is if you have a Goodwill Bin store close by, pay by the pound instead of per piece. Plus if you go to the thrift store remember closes are FABRIC too, I have made a few quilts for womens Extra Large dresses I found and cut up for fabric. Mens shirts are great too.

😊 home design centers. Sample fabric books that have been retired.

the leather laces from a hardware type store excellent idea😃❤

Table cloths, placemats, and thin bedspreads & duvet covers are good fabric sources too… I get them at discount stores and when on clearance😉

I love Rural King! I'm also a gardener, and I get so many supplies there and they are reasonably priced. Thanks for the tip on the leather laces. I'm wondering how long they are, though. I've been making some pendants from clay, and really wanted some long leather laces to put them on. I'll check those out. I did find rolls of the larger twine there that was SOOO expensive online. As for thrift stores, I love to shop the women's clothing for plus size dresses and skirts that are ankle length. There is so much fabric in those skirts, and you can also get zippers and buttons from some of them. Talking about asking them to save things for you, take them a big trash can with a bag in it, and ask them to save clothes that are not sellable. The larger stores like Goodwill and Salvation Army won't do it, but smaller local stores may. Sometimes they just have a small stain and the rest of the fabric is fine. I make Barbie clothes, so I use a lot of that kind of stuff, and of course, they are a great source of notions.

I routinely get my rotary cutter blades from my local Harbor Freight Tools. I get my quilt backings from thrift store sheets. I even found a sheet and curtain combo to make myself a duvet cover... thanks for all your suggestions!😊

The canvas drop cloths are just lovely to work with or to use as curtains after washing. They become much softer and take paint and dye so much better.

What a Bazinga moment this video was for me. In all my thinking outside of the box, I didn't think of using clearance sheets or thrift store curtains for the fabric or the hardward off of Dollar tree items! Excellent! My tip is to use oil & vinegar containers for candle holders. Appreciate all the craftiness shared!

This was a great video. Never thought of Tractor Supply (or the one you mentioned). I do frequent thrift stores. I found a beautiful piece of Sari fabric on my last trip, and lots of XXXL mens shirts to cut up for fabric.

Thank you, I especially like your idea of the bucket with the storing compartments inside! Could use to store items that you are already using working on for a small craft project. ❤

The best place to buy sheets for backing is the Goodwill type stores. They’ve been washed and washed so they Are already soft. . Top sheets are rarely worn.

Also, the thrift store will often have sheets - individual sheets or even full sets. I've made dresses for my granddaughter out of cute kids sheets with fun prints. I even have some curtains and tableclothes set aside for dresses for myself.

I go to thrift stores. They have sheets, curtains, blankets, as well as clothing that can be altered or used just for the cloth. In the miscellaneous section, look for bags of thread, yarn, scissors that can be cleaned up and sharpened, sewing notions, etc.

In Canada, we have a Dollarama. It has fabric table clothes (52 x 72) for $4.50. Very pretty in several different patterns and I needed several for a long table to seat 24. A friend who is a high end couture seamstress loved the print. She suggested I then use them and make a very beautiful summer dress.

Yes, thanks for sharing Timothy.

Thank you Timothy, for your willingness to share such great finds and ideas. I am starting to get into jewelry making and your tip on the leather laces from the store that sells things for animals was a hit. Just returned from Tractor Supply (the store where I live) and for less than $10 I nabbed a bag of leather laces. Blessings.

My favorite screw driver for my sewing machine is a ratchet style one from Harbor Freight. It gets under the foot and all to unscrew the screws.

Thrift store is great for buttons too. I bought a men's shirt for $3.50 that had 10-12 buttons. That's cheaper than one card of buttons at the fabric store. Buttons and other notions can be found by looking for garments similar to what you are making.

Just found you..Happy , happy.

Thanks for sharing this information with us and have a blessed day 🙏

One of my favorite upcycled projects to this day is a children's fleece lined rain jacket that I took apart and reassembled as a doggy bed for my bicycle basket, with the added benefit of being waterproof on the outside and warm and comfy on the inside. I kept the flap closure pockets for poo bags and treats. Now, if I'm not looking for some specific clothing item, I go in looking for colors, patterns, and fabrications

I don't disagree with the glove idea. I cut the pad of my index finger off with a rotary cutter. I still need to buy my gloves, so I haven't gone back to the project yet. Safety matters.

Thank you for a lot of great suggestions !

The Dollar Tree has a pack of 8 nickel sized magnets for the $1.25. I buy the 2 1/2" "jelly rolls" in solids for $5. I found the quality to be fine, I used it sashing for a quilt that has been washed, with no problems.

A couple of things: 1. For folks in the Midwest, the Rural King equivalent is Blaine's Farm and Fleet. 2: Thrifted fabrics - you can find bed linens and tablecloths which are pretty large. Pillowcases and placemats are good for small projects. 2a: Be careful: some of those older vintage fabrics can have dry rot which means they can fall apart easily.

At the thrift store I have found cotton curtains for fabric. Cutting up used clothes for material is great. Used clothing can come from your closet, thrift stores, yard sales. Hand me downs from family and friends. You might get buttons, zippers and other items. In my case. Cutting up clothes is helpful with my anxiety. I am a new subscriber. Looking forward to your videos.

Another hint I have heard before is looking at thrift stores for handbags that have adjustable, removable long straps. They are already made n both the carabiner clips on the straps can be added to a handmade crossbody bag.

I have found some useful stuff at harbor freight. Like drop cloths great for zip bags and pillows,and one of those things to draw big circles for patterns ( compass) this thing is amazing for those circl projects,ottomans ect . Also a tall container that has three shelves and they all spin ( mechanics use it to put like screws and stuff ) I put all my sew accessories in it. Cheaper there than the ones at hobby lobby. Thanks for all you information.