Tutorial: Anime-Style Newsboy Hat

Emily Joice — Wed, 18 Feb 2026 17:23:21 +0000

This tutorial will walk you through how to sew an anime-style lined newsboy hat. You can use this for any anime character that has a cute, puffy hat design. Print out the free pattern below and follow along with the step-by-step instructions.

Supplies Needed:

1/2 yard fabric or scraps
1/2 yard lining fabric or scraps
Buckram or heavy interfacing

This page contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases.

Sewing Pattern PDF

(all of my patterns include 1/2″ seam allowance)

Step 1

sew the panels together in groups of three

With right sides together, sew the hat panels in two groups of three.

Step 2

sew the two sides of the hat together

Line up the two sides of the hat with right sides together, and sew along the center line.

Step 3

apply buckram to the brim

You can also use a heavy weight interfacing if you prefer.

Step 4

sew the brim together

With right sides together, sew the two brim pieces along the curved edge.

Step 5

turn the brim to the right side

Turn the brim to the right side and top stitch for a clean finish

Step 6

sew the brim to the hat

Center the brim on one of the panels and sew it around the hat opening.

Step 7

sew the lining together

Repeat steps 1 and 2 for the lining.

Step 8

sew the lining to the hat

Place the hat inside the lining and sew around the perimeter. Leave a gap in the stitches so that you can turn it to the right side.

Step 9

turn the hat to the right side

Step 10

close the gap and topstitch the edge

Sew the gap in the lining closed and topstitch all the way around the edge of the hat to give it a clean finish.

Finished!

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Tutorial: How to Make a Carrot Pillow

Emily Joice — Tue, 17 Feb 2026 18:21:26 +0000

Do you need a carrot pillow for your cosplay? Or maybe you just want a cute pillow to make with fabric scraps. Print the free carrot sewing pattern below and follow along with the step-by-step tutorial.

This page contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases.

Supplies Needed:

Orange Fabric Scraps
Green Fabric Scraps
Something for stuffing the pillow (I use fabric scraps, but you can use Fiber Fill or something similar for a less lumpy pillow)

(all of my patterns include 1/2″ seam allowance)

sewing Pattern pDF

Step 1

Arrange Your Orange Fabric Scraps

Collect orange fabric scraps from your recent sewing projects. Start playing around with the scraps and lay them out in a collage. The overall shape of the scrap layout doesn’t matter right now, but it should be big enough for your pillow pattern to to fit on top of.

Once you’re satisfied with the scrap layout, cut straight edges on all of your fabric pieces where they will be sewn together. Also, be sure to keep in mind that there will be some overlap of the pieces due to seam allowance.

Step 2

Sew Your Orange scraps together

One by one sew your scrap pieces together. I usually start with smaller pieces and then add on any larger pieces.

Step 3

Cut out the carrot pillow pattern from your scraps

Place your pattern piece on top of your scrap layout and cut it out. Cut two so that you have one for both sides of the pillow

Step 4

Repeat steps 1-3 for the carrot top

Arrange the green scraps, sew them together, and cut out the pieces for the top of the carrot.

Step 5

sew the carrot to the carrot top

With right sides together, sew your carrot to your carrot top.

Step 6

sew the two carrot pillow sides together

With right sides together, sew around the perimeter of the carrot. Leave a small gap in the top so you can flip it to the right side.

Step 7

Clip corners and Curves

Clip very close to the stitching on all corners, and clip the curved tip of the carrot.

Step 8

Turn the pillow right side out

Use a long pointy tool (I used a loop turner) to help get all the edges turned out. You can also press the pillow seam flat at this point.

Step 9

Stuff the pillow

You can use what ever you want to stuff your pillow. I like to use leftover fabric scraps that are too small to use for anything else as my pillow stuffing, but this does make the final pillow a little more lumpy than it otherwise would be. So, if you don’t like that, you can always use poly-fill or another type of pillow stuffing material.

Step 10

sew up the gap

Hand sew the gap closed.

Finished!

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Tutorial: How to Make a Rainbow Pillow

Emily Joice — Mon, 16 Feb 2026 18:25:29 +0000

Supplies Needed:

Fabric scraps in a rainbow of colors

(all of my patterns include 1/2″ seam allowance)

sewing Pattern pDF

Step 1

Arrange the scraps for the red colored section of your pillow

Collect your red fabric scraps. Start playing around with the scraps and lay them out in a collage. The overall shape of the scrap layout doesn’t matter right now, but it should be long enough for your pillow pattern to to fit on top of.
It’s a good idea to cut straight edges between the fabric pieces to make it easier to sew them together. Also, be sure to keep in mind that there will be some overlap of the pieces due to seam allowance.

Step 2

sew the scraps together

One by one sew your scrap pieces together. I usually start with smaller pieces and then add on any larger pieces.

Step 3

cut out your pattern piece from the scraps

Place your pattern piece on top of your scrap layout and cut it out. Here’s where things get interesting. Instead of keeping those straight lines, you can rotate your pattern piece to make some cool-looking diagonals. This is what makes the final pillow look so complex, even though you’re just cutting out a wonky rectangle.

Step 4

repeat the process for the rest of the colors

Repeat steps 1-3 for each of the colors (orange, yellow, green, blue, purple). Make your scrap collage, sew it together, and then cut out the pattern.

Step 5

Sew the slices of colors together

Line up your slices in order (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple) and sew each of them together along the long side.

Step 6

fold the pillow in half and sew the sides and bottom

With right sides together fold the pillow in half according to the fold line on the pattern (so that all the colors are showing on both sides). Then sew the sides and bottom leaving a small gap for turning the pillow.

Step 7

turn the pillow to the right side

clip the corners and turn the pillow to the right side.

Step 8

stuff the pillow

Step 9

sew up the gap

Hand sew the gap closed.

Finished!

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Tutorial: How to Make a Pillowcase With Scrap Fabric

Emily Joice — Sun, 15 Feb 2026 18:26:27 +0000

Supplies Needed:

Soft fabric scraps (I recommend medium-sized scraps just because small scraps will take a long time to sew together)

(all of my patterns include 1/2″ seam allowance)

sewing Pattern pDF

Step 1

Arrange the scraps for your pillow

Lay out your fabric scraps and start organizing them into a collage. Make sure the scrap collage is big enough for your pillow pattern to fit. Remember to overlap the fabric pieces to account for seam allowance.

Note: This is significantly easier with straight edges, so I recommend cutting straight lines and right corners on your scraps.

Step 2

sew the scraps together

One by one sew your scrap pieces together. I usually start by sewing smaller pieces into chunks, and then add on the bigger pieces.

Step 3

cut out your pattern from the scraps

Place your pillow pattern on top of your scrap layout and cut it out. Now you have a one side of your pillow.

Step 4

repeat the process for the second side of the pillow

Repeat steps 1-3 for the other side of the pillow.

Step 5

sew the front and back of the pillow together

With right sides together, sew your two pillow faces around the edge. Leave one side open.

Step 6

fold over the side of the pillow according to the dotted line

Fold over the open side of the pillow along the dotted line on the pattern (or 4 inches from the end). Sew this flap down to hem the side of the pillow. Then turn the pillow to the right side.

Finished!

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Tutorial: Easy Easter Egg Pillow

Emily Joice — Sat, 14 Feb 2026 18:27:23 +0000

This page contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases.

Supplies Needed:

Scraps of fabric in multiple colors and sizes
Lace or other decorative trim
Something for stuffing (I use leftover fabric scraps)

sewing Pattern pDF

Step 1

sew the pieces of the egg together

Sew the egg pieces together in order (it can help to line them up first). Repeat for both the front and back of the egg pillow, and then press your seams open.

Step 2

add the lace or trim

Measure your lace or trim along the top and bottom of the egg design. To sew the lace, you want a line of stitching along the top edge and bottom edge of each lace strip.

You can also use any type of trim you want to use. I try to shop for trims second hand and this is what I happened to find. So, if you find a different trim that you like, feel free to use that instead.

Step 3

sew the front and back of the egg together

With right sides of fabric together sew the front and back of the pillow. Leave a gap in the bottom of the pillow.

Step 4

clip the curves and trim the seam

Clip the curve all the way around the egg, and then trim the seam allowance to 1/4 inch.

Step 5

Turn the pillow right side out

Use a long tool to help get all the edges turned out. You can also press the pillow seam flat at this point.

Step 6

Stuff the pillow

Step 7

sew up the gap

You can hand sew this closed if you want a seamless finish, or machine sew it closed with matching thread for a quicker option. It just depends how perfect you want your final pillow to look.

Finished!

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Tutorial: Cute Penguin Pillow

Emily Joice — Fri, 13 Feb 2026 18:28:14 +0000

Supplies Needed:

1/2 yard of black fabric
scrap of white fabric
small scrap of orange fabric
Something for stuffing

sewing Pattern pDF

(all of my patterns include 1/2″ seam allowance)

Step 1

reinforce the upper corner of the front white piece

Stitch along the seam line at the top corner of the white piece to reinforce it.

Step 2

Clip to the stitching

Step 3

Sew the front white to the front black piece

With right sides together, flip the front pieces around to sew them together. For the upper point, you will need to spread the slashed corner on the white piece. You will also need to ease the fabric pieces together around the curve at the top, being careful not to create puckers in the fabric.

Step 4

prep the eye pieces

Fold over the edges of the eye pieces and baste them in place.

Step 5

prep the beak

Fold over the seam allowance on the orange beak piece and baste it in place. After basting, you will need to clip off the overhanging fabric.

Step 6

sew the face on the penguin

Use the pattern as a guide to place the eyes and beak of the penguin face. Then edgestitch the pieces in place. After sewing, you can remove the basting stitches from the previous steps.

Step 7

sew the front and back of the pillow together

With right sides together, sew the front and back of the pillow. Be sure to leave a gap in the bottom so you can turn the pillow to the right side.

Step 8

trim the seam and turn to the right side

Clipping the seam with pinking shears can help get a more rounded edge. Then turn the pillow right-side out.

Step 9

stuff the pillow

You can use what you want to stuff your pillow. I like to use leftover fabric scraps that are too small to use for anything else as my pillow stuffing, but this does make the final pillow a little more lumpy than it otherwise would be. So, if you don’t like that, you can always use poly-fill or another type of pillow stuffing material.

Step 10

sew up the gap

Once you’re finished stuffing, be sure to sew up the gap by hand sewing.

Finished!

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Tutorial: Pumpkin Pillow (with free pattern)

Emily Joice — Thu, 12 Feb 2026 18:29:12 +0000

This page contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases.

Supplies Needed:

Orange scraps of fabric
2 yards of black piping
Little scraps or some kind of stuffing

sewing Pattern pDF

(all of my patterns include 1/2″ seam allowance)

Step 1

baste the black piping to the side pumpkin pieces

Add the black piping to all of the far-side and center-side pumpkin pieces along the inner curves.

Step 2

sew the pumpkin pieces together, sandwiching the piping

Do this for the front and back of the pillow.

Step 3

Sew the pumpkin stem

with right sides together, sew the stem pieces.

Step 4

turn the stem right side out

Trim the seam, clip the curves and turn the stem to the right side.

Step 5

Baste the stem to the top of the pumpkin pillow

Step 6

sew the front and back of the pillow together

With right sides together, sew your two pillow faces around the edge. Be sure to leave a gap on the bottom of the pillow so that you can turn it right side out.

Step 7

Trim the seam allowance and turn the pillow to the right side

Trimming the seam allowance with pinking shears can help to get a smoother curve around the sides of the pumpkin.

Step 8

stuff the pillow

Step 9

sew up the gap

Hand sew the gap closed to finish up the pillow.

Finished!

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Tutorial: Easy Corset Style Belt (with free pattern)

Emily Joice — Wed, 11 Feb 2026 18:33:23 +0000

I only started sewing a few years ago, and I’ve always found corsets to be a bit intimidating. But a corset belt? I just wanted to try and see if I could do it, and I could not be happier with the result. It was actually a lot easier than I expected too!

Based on my experiment, this tutorial will teach you how to create a corset-style belt that laces up in the front. You can draw out your own pattern based on the pictures if you want, but I’m also providing a free PDF with the design I used. Just be sure to lengthen/shorted according to the size of your own waist.

sewing Pattern pDF

This page contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases.

Supplies Needed:

1/4 yard of fabric (or large scraps)
Mid-weight interfacing (I used Pellon 950f)
A leather hole punch
1/4″ grommets
a grommet squasher

Step 1

Make your Corset pattern

You can make your own corset pattern if you want to. Feel free to use the one pictured as a reference. I’ve also digitized the pattern that I created, so feel free to print it and use the shorten and lengthen lines to make it fit your waist. The final waist measurement should be slightly less than your waist measurement, to account for the lace up area in the front of the belt.

Step 2

Cut 2 fabric pieces and 2 interfacing on the fold

I like to use fabric scraps to make what ever accessories I can. So this is leftover from a pair of pants I made a while ago. You should only need about 1/4 yard of fabric. Cut these on the fold and make sure you cut 2.

Step 3

apply interfacing to the corset

Make sure to follow the instructions of your fusible interfacing and apply it to both sides of the fabric belt pieces.

Step 4

sew the corset belt together leaving a gap in the middle

With right sides together, sew the two belt pieces. Make sure to leave a gap in the middle so that you can turn it in the next step.

Step 5

clip corners and curves and turn belt right-side out

Use scissors to clip all corners and curves before turning out to the right side. I find it useful to have some kind of pointy tool available to poke out the points of the belt.

Step 6

press belt and sew up the gap

One turned, press the belt flat. Then sew up the gap in the back. You can hand sew and use an invisible stitch, but I’m usually too lazy and just sew it up by edgestitching with a matching thread.

Step 7

punch holes in the belt

Measure the spacing between holes (about an inch) and drawn them onto the fabric using tailor’s chalk or an erasable marker. Using a leather punching tool, poke holes on the marks you made.

Step 8

Insert grommet and squash it in place

Insert the grommet piece through the hole, them place the flat washer on the reverse side of the fabric. There are many ways to apply grommets, but I have found that the easiest way for me is to use one of these big grommet squasher. It doesn’t require as much grip strength as other tools I’ve used in the past. You place it face down on the bottom and squash in place.

Step 9

repeat for all holes

Repeat for all of the grommets.

Finished!

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Tutorial: How to Make a Braided Belt With T-shirt Scraps

Emily Joice — Tue, 10 Feb 2026 18:34:18 +0000

Learn how to make a quick braided belt using leftover fabric scraps. You can use as many strands as you like for this braid, but in my instructions I’ll go over how to braid 5 strands together. Have fun with your unique creation.

Check out more DIY belt tutorials

This page contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases.

Supplies Needed:

Scraps of knit fabric
2 D-rings (or any type of buckle)
Matching thread
Optional: Loop turner

Step 1

Cut the knit fabric into strips

For this braid, I cut 5 long strips of fabric. Make sure they are long enough to fit around your waist at least twice. You can make them longer and trim them at the end.

Also, make sure you’re using knit fabric for this (such as jersey). While you can braid woven fabric, it tends to wrinkle and crinkle, so you need to be more precise when folding the braids. Knit fabrics are more bendable and flexible.

Step 2

Optional: sew your strips into tubes

If you’re using fabric that has a clear right and wrong side, it’s a good idea to sew them into tubes before braiding. This will prevent the wrong side from showing up in the final braid. However, if you have a fabric that’s the same color or design on both sides, this step does not matter as much.

Step 3

Turn the tubes right-side out

Using a loop turner (or what ever tool you find easiest to use) turn your fabric strips to the right side. You do not have to press the tubes after turning them (but you can if you want to).

Step 4

Sew the ends together

Fan them out a little when sewing together rather than stacking them all on top of each other. This will make it a little easier to start the braid cleanly.

Step 5

braid the strands together

To braid 5 strands together start with the strand on the far left. Bring that strand over one and under one so that now it’s sitting in the middle. Then move the strand on the far right. Move that strand over one and under one. Go to the far left strand and move it over one and under one. Then back to the far right, and so on.

Continue with this pattern until you have finished the entire braid.

Step 6

Sew the end and trim strands to match

When you get to the end, sew across all of the strands. Then trim them so that they match in length.

Step 7

Wrap one end around two D-rings

Wrap the cut end around two D-rings and hand-sew it in place.

Finished!

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Tutorial: How to Make a Belt With Fabric Scraps

Emily Joice — Mon, 09 Feb 2026 23:04:43 +0000

I love making accessories with leftover fabric scraps. Not only does this reduce the amount of waste from my sewing hobby, but it also means I end up with a lot of truly unique creations. So buckle in and get ready to make your own belt, with a buckle, eyelets and all (I promise it’s not as hard as it looks!).

Check out more DIY belt tutorials

This page contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases.

Supplies Needed:

1 Buckle with a prong
Fabric scraps
Paper, pencil, and ruler
Mid-weight interfacing
Belting or webbing (get a width that matches the with of your belt buckle)
An awl and/or a fabric hole puncher (it is also called a leather hole punch)
1/4″ grommets
A grommet squasher (I prefer this big presser, but you can also get smaller handheld ones)

Step 1

Make a rectangle pattern for your belt

The length of your belt should be approximately the size of your waist plus 6 inches to account for overlap.

The width will be determined by the size of your buckle. Measure the inside of your buckle and double that number. So since if your buckle is 1 inch, then your pattern needs to be 2 inches wide

Don’t forget to add seam allowance! I added 1/2 inch around the entire belt.

Step 2

arrange your fabric scraps

Lay out your fabric scraps to determine how you want them to look on the final belt. It’s a good idea to square off the edges to make sewing them together easier.

Step 3

sew your scraps together

Sew the scraps together and press the seams open. Make sure it’s long enough for your belt pattern.

Step 4

cut out your belt pattern

Step 5

cut out and apply interfacing

Cut out interfacing with the same belt pattern then fuse it to the back of your belt.

Step 6

fold the belt in half and sew the length

When I do this, I like to fold one end of the belt back to ensure the raw edges don’t become a problem later on.

Step 7

press the seam to the back of the belt

Pressing the seam open to the back will keep it from showing at all on the front of the belt and it will make it easier to insert the belting.

Step 8

sew a point on the end of the belt

Draw in a point on one end of the belt (the side you did not fold in earlier). Sew the point and clip the fabric. Then trim the belting to match the point on the belt.

Step 9

Push the point in and insert belting to turn fabric over the belt

This part can be a little tricky. I find it helps to first push in the pointy side of the fabric. Then insert the belting and push the point further into the belt. As you do this the fabric will flip over and turn onto the webbing as you turn it right side out. Be sure to press the the belt to flatten it before moving on.

Step 10

measure the distance between grommet holes

Mark your grommet holes about 1.5 inches away from each other. You can make as many as you want.

Step 11

punch holes in the belt

Use a leather hole punch to make holes in the places you marked. This can be be a little annoying and you might have to wiggle it around a little to punch all the way through. It your belting is giving you trouble, an awl can also be used to help get the holes started.

Step 12

insert grommets and squash in place

Add the grommet through facing the front of the belt. The little, flat washer goes on the back of the belt. Now you need to squash the two together. There are many ways of doing this, but my favorite is using one of these grommet squasher machines (pictured below). You insert the belt with the grommet face down on the little platform on the bottom, then just push it down to press the grommet in place. It doesn’t require as much grip strength as other methods I’ve seen.

Step 13

pull fabric back and cut belting

Now we need to attach the belt to the buckle. To start with, we need to trim the belting away from the part that will wrap around the buckle (so it won’t be too bulky). Pull back the fabric and trim the webbing to you have about 1.5 inches of just fabric at the end of the belt.

Step 14

Poke a hole in the belt

Using an awl (or sharp, pointy tool) poke a hole in the belt at the edge of the belting so that the hole does NOT go through the belting. Make sure it is centered along the width belt.

Step 15

insert the prong through the hole and fold the fabric around the belt

Make sure when inserting the prong that the belt is facing the correct direction. The prong should sit flat on the front of the belt. Then fold over the fabric on the back of the belt and hand sew it closed. Go over the hand-sewn edges twice to give it extra security and make sure the belt buckle won’t come loose.

Finished!

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