Don't Toss Quilt Scraps: There's A Charming Way To Use Them To Decorate Your Front Door

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If you're a dedicated quilter, you likely have stacks and stacks of fat quarters, charm packs, and jelly rolls left over from previous quilting projects. Plenty of quilters have found themselves in a similar situation, so it's little surprise that a cute and clever craft project made its way to social media recently. In a TikTok video, user @kenz_kaye quilted a large fabric bow. To replicate this yourself, you'll need either a fat quarter bundle or several mini charm packs, helping you clear out your fabric stash without waste. Since you'll need thick batting to give the bow its shape, the project is also a good way to put any leftover batting to good use.

As for where you can use the finished bow, well, you've got plenty of options. For example, many quilters have been hanging theirs from their front doors. They do work with an accompanying wreath, but bows can replace wreaths altogether when it comes to decorating the door. If you'd rather keep the bow indoors, it can dress up a mantle or hang from your stairs' banister. The giant bow can also adorn a present that's too big to wrap with paper, like a piece of furniture or car.

While the quilted bow is a great way to use up fabric scraps and precuts in an established quilter's stash, it's also a perfect way for beginners to get going with quilting, since it doesn't involve any tricky points, seams, or piecing to do. Grab some of your favorite fabric and get ready to quilt.

To assemble your fabric bow, you'll need to sew and quilt three pieces: the bow top, the tails and a band to wrap around the center. Patterns for making the bow pieces are available, like this one from Brooklyn Dawn Quilt Company, but you don't have to use one, especially if you're an experienced quilter. If you have assembled strip sets leftover from past projects, this is the perfect time to put them to use. Otherwise, assemble the pieces by sewing together 2.5-inch squares or strips.

Along with quilting fabric, you'll also need quilt batting and, if you want the finished bow to have a lot of structure, interfacing. Once you've assembled your strip sets, clip or pin them to the batting, then quilt, in whichever pattern you'd like. Going in a straight line is the simplest, but you can also quilt in swirls or any other design.

To assemble the bow, fold the top portion, creating several pleats in the center. Fold the tails in half lengthwise, then in half down the center. Wrap the band around the top and tail pieces, securing it in place with Velcro, a snap closure, or magnet closure. Now the bow is ready to hang, acting as a cuter way to decorate your front door, or as an adornment for a mantle in your home.

Along with serving as a way to upgrade your front door with one simple addition, the quilted fabric bow is versatile. You can play around with the size of the bow, making it smaller or larger, and experiment with where you use it. A smaller bow can adorn a tote bag, for instance, or you can string several smaller bows together to create a garland.

While patchwork is cute, if you aren't a quilter and don't really want to go to the hassle of sewing together lots of little strips or squares, you can use a single piece of fabric to make your bow. Or, make a reversible bow using a patchwork front backed with a single piece of fabric. Play around with other components, too, like the center band. Rather than sewing a small patchwork band, try using a thick ribbon to tie the bow together. Finally, for the bow tails, cut a V-shape notch into the bottom or cut them at an angle to create a different look that suits your personal preferences.