Sewing to Save Money

Does sewing clothing, home decor or other items actually save you money? This is not an uncommon question on the Mommysavers boards. The answer is always this: it depends.

Recently, I realized that my daughter needed a winter hat. I wasn’t happy with any we found, so we ended up picking out yarn and having a friend crochet one for us. Cost: less than $3, and there was still enough yarn leftover for another hat.

Not too long after that I realized she also needed a summer hat for India. I swung by Jo-Ann and picked up some fabric with my 40% off coupon, and made her a little bucket hat. Cost: $3.27.

I couldn’t have found either of these hats for as cheap as I made them. Not to mention we were able to pick out the exact fabric we wanted. But often it costs more to make an item yourself. Here are some guidelines to consider when deciding whether it is worth your time and money to make an item yourself.

• Is this an item you would enjoy making?
• Do you want something more personal than can be found in stores?
• Do you already have the materials, or can you get them on sale or with a 40% off coupon?
• Is it worth your time investment?

You can almost always save money by sewing if you:

• Do your own repairs, alterations and mending
• Sew formal dresses
• Do home decor projects (simple curtains, tablecloths etc)
• Make the exact Halloween costume your child wants
• Invest in patterns that you will reuse over and over again
• Use free patterns or tutorials from online
• Pay attention to sales and use 40% off coupons

And of course, if it’s something you enjoy making, or you want to make something personalized, or a gift, then it is worth the expense and time, if you can spare it.

Here are some related discussions in the forum.
Do you still save money by sewing?
I am not sure how sewing saves money

Free Toddler Bucket Hat pattern and tutorial found at Sew Much Ado and enlarged 3/8″ in diameter and width for 4T size.