If you frequent upholstery fabric stores like I do, you will often find upholstery samples out on their remnant tables. Prices can range from free to $2-$5 per sample. Right before the holidays last year, we were given several bags of off-cuts and upholstery samples by our local upholstery fabric store. I am used to coming up with ideas for off-cuts, but the quantity of samples really had me stumped. I ultimately came up with a few ideas you can easily adapt for your own purposes.
Pouffe slipcover
How (and why) I make pouffe slipcovers can be found here. I made this one from a complete packet of Covington’s “Ashley” design in six colorways. I first selected one for the top – in this case it was the only one with dark trellis lines. I then selected the pink one to make the welting cord since it seemed like another outlier. I pieced the other four samples together (navy, teal, green, and yellow), matching the pattern, and it was a perfect fit for my existing pouffe.
Bulletin board
I cut one very large Waverly “Vintage Essence” sample down to the dimensions of an old bulletin board we had in the basement. (The cork was chipped and stained, so we couldn’t in good conscience donate it.) After painting the frame with some leftover Benjamin Moore Rhubarb, I stapled the fabric sample to the bulletin board. Finally, I glued some leftover gimp around the edges to cover my staples.
Drawer liners
Here I repurposed some old drawers as shelves in our craft room. First I removed the hardware, filled the holes, and painted the drawers in Benjamin Moore Deep Royal to match our craft room dresser. Then I took another of the large Waverly samples, cut it in half horizontally, trimmed it to fit the drawers, and stapled it around the edges. I could have glued some gimp over the staples like I did with the bulletin board, but I skipped this step since I didn’t have any appropriate leftovers, and it wasn’t really necessary for my purposes.
Another idea, if you had a full packet of larger samples, is to line a complete set of conventional drawers, using a different colorway for each drawer. Depending on the composition of your drawer bottoms (and how permanent you want the installation to be), you could attach the fabric with glue, Mod Podge, or staples, or just leave it loose.
Zipper bags
I mentioned earlier that we got a ton of free samples right before the holidays. We used ten of them to make simple zipper bags. We bought ten zippers in wild colors at the fabric store, then paired each zipper with one of the samples. (There are many blog posts about making zipper bags so I won’t go into it further here.) We wrapped each completed bag in tissue, put them in a large gift bag, and passed it around at our holiday gathering. Each guest went home with a completely unique zipper bag!
Unique pillow covers
Samples of lightweight upholstery fabric often come in fairly large sizes, usually ranging from 20” to 27” square. This large size makes many samples perfect for making a one-of-a-kind pillow cover or a set of coordinating but not exactly matching covers. (You can follow how I make a pillow cover here.) We change many of our pillow covers seasonally; for example, the winter pillows I’ve made for our living room came from a packet of Bombay velvet samples by Radiate Textiles in four colorways. They harmonize beautifully. If I have the same design in two different colorways, I will sometimes use the two samples for the front and back of the pillow. I have also made quite a few covers with completely different samples on each side.
If I am using a sample for a pillow cover, I nearly always wash it first, regardless of the manufacturer’s laundry guidelines. I think it’s worth risking my small financial investment to know how the fabric will perform in real life. I wash samples in the machine on delicate and hang dry. Only once have I had a sample shrink, and I have never had one bleed. The large size of many of these samples means I can make just about any size pillow cover, from a 16” diameter circle to a 24” square.
Table scarves, placemats, and runners
I have a very large vintage sample (a full running yard of 54” wide fabric; a gift from one of my aunts) which I have often used as a tablecloth. Today’s samples are not as generous, but if the pattern can be squared off, you could use it in the center of your dining table. Or you could simply place one on an end table or chest of drawers. With a full packet of samples in different colorways you could make a set of coordinating placemats, or piece them together as a runner. Above, I created a simple dresser scarf out of sample pieces left over from some lumbar pillow covers I made. If it shrinks when I wash it next time, no problem!
Unique home décor
We had an unsightly and unfinished wall in our workshop space, but the wall board used by the previous homeowners to create a small closet couldn’t be painted. For years we used shelves to hide the wall, but once we moved the serger to that wall, the shelves had to go. Meanwhile, in my bag of free samples I had several stamped “SAMPLE” on the back which I was reluctant to use for gifts or other purposes. Up on the wall they went! I simply stapled them up, overlapping a little, and trying to vary the light and dark samples. Once again, I could have covered my staples with gimp, but I didn’t have enough on hand, so I skipped that step. I’ve since hung some art on the wall, which covers most of the staples.
I hope this gives you some ideas to use upholstery samples in your home. It’s an inexpensive way to introduce small doses of beautiful and versatile textiles to your décor, and to keep some small bits of fabric from the landfill.