You need to make these amazing triangle fabric weights
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Make your own fabric weights with this 10 minutes tutorial! These sewing weights are perfect for skipping pins when tracing your patterns but are also cute enough to use as home decor!
Pattern weights
Fabric weights are a great alternative to pins for holding pattern pieces onto fabric when you’re tracing them off or cutting them out, especially on slippery fabric. These sewing pattern weights are cute little triangle sachets that you can use as fabric weights for sewing or as air fresheners placed around the house. Simply add a few drops of your favorite oils!
These cute triangle fabric weights are a very quick project that you can make in under an hour and require very basic sewing skills.
Cutting out patterns can be both challenging and boring, and you risk cutting it out wrong when pinning with straight pins and using scissors. Fixing it with weights and cutting with a rotary cutter is a lot easier and more accurate. You will also finish cutting a lot faster and you can pass on to the actual tailoring and sewing.
This way, you also save a lot of time and get to make more amazing sewing projects.
More beginner projects you might like:
- Chicken fabric weights
- Basic pillowcase tutorial
- Fabric yo-yo flower tutorial
- Essential oil carrier pouch tutorial
- Reusable fabric bowls
- Trio pumpkin pincushion
Silk, veils, organza and other fine and slippery fabric can be damaged by pins and shears, so it’s always better to use fabric weights while tracing the pattern and cutting. Use a rotary cutter for this kind of fabrics to make cleaner cuts.
I use these fabric weights for both purposes and also because they’re so darn cute! I like to have them laying around the house for no practical reason, really. They have a little ribbon loop so you can hook it onto something or grab it easy. You can use them in your drawers and maybe your fabric shelf too!
They can also be great holiday gifts, especially when made out of themed fabrics. Just use some pine essential oil or cinnamon extract to make them smell amazingly.
A sewist will love receiving a set of these cute weights as a gift, as we all know the struggle of laying a pattern and cutting it out neatly.
They are not very heavy, but a bunch of them will surely keep your fabric in place while cutting. And you can also use them for other crafts, like applique. They are very useful for holding down the paper pieces while tracing the designs.
You can repurpose old socks with cute designs that you didn’t still want to throw away because of the patterns. This is the time to put them to good use and give them a new life.
Larger triangle weights can also be used as phone, Kindle or iPad holders while talking to your loved ones or watching some interesting videos.
Tips and tricks to make these fabric weights:
- Batching will make it a lot quicker when you are short on time and need to make more weights;
- Gravel, dried peas, barley or dried lentils are also good fillings in case you don’t have rice on hand. Aquarium gravel is the heaviest, if you plan on making very heavy weights;
- Use up all the fabric scraps you’ve been keeping so long and didn’t find something to do with;
- Kids will also love playing with them and using them as small balls, so keep this in mind and make some for them too, if you want yours to be safe;
- Make some fun animal-shaped weights by adding beaks, rooster crests, eyes or other elements to make them a lot cuter.
These pattern weights are also a great project for beginners where they get the chance to practice sewing a triangle (which might sound scary but it’s so crazy easy!). And it’s a great scrap buster! The size on these little sachets is quite small but you can easily adjust it to fit your needs and style.
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Fabric weights
Materials:
- cotton fabric 2 pieces of 4″ x 4″
- ribbon 4″
- scissors
- ruler
- fabric marker
- rice or crushed walnuts for filling
- essential oils if you use the sachets as air freshener.
Directions:
- Place the fabric strips right sides together.
- Open one corner.
- Fold the ribbon in half and pin or stay stitch in that corner.
- Lay the strips together again and sew around 3 sides.
- Clip the corners.
- Open the open side a bit and re-arrange it so the seam hits the middle of the opening. This is how you create the triangle shape. In other words match the side seams.
- Sew the seam leaving a small opening in the center for turning and filling with rice or walnuts.
- Fill the sachets with rice or walnuts (and if you use essential oils, add some drops to the filling at this point).
- Fold the raw edges in and press.
- Hand stitch the opening with a ladder stitch.
- And you’re done! Enjoy!
I made a set of ten for a sewist Christmas gift. I cut 4” squares of plastic (cut up clean plastic bag) and stitched square with fabric right sides together, and one square of plastic sandwiching together. Then I turned right side out and was able to fill with dry playground sand. More dense than rice. Also added some Herbs de Provence for a pleasant aroma. Great to use small remnants of fabric.
Thank you so much for the weight pattern. Also, do you have any easy apron patterns. I like the ones that have the 3 pockets on the front of them. I made one when I was in high school (without a pattern) but can not remember the dimensions. Thank you so very much for all you do to help people like me….the ones who have forgotten how to sew.
Hi Cherylin. Thanks so much for your lovely comment! I have 3 apron patterns, 1 for kids, 1 full for adults & 1 half apron. Here they are https://theseamanmom.com/?s=Apron
Looks great, thanks
I can’t wait to make some of these to put every where! And to also use as weights in my sewing room! Very cute and Simple! Thank you for the inspiration!
Thank you for this, I have made some sewing weights using your tutorial. I used polli plastic to fill, approx 70-75g in each.
Aww! Thanks so much for letting me know, Louise! I’m so happy you enjoyed my tutorial! xoxo
Thanks for the nice little tutorial. I was using river stones, but I like the ribbon for easy use. Much prettier too!
I would have liked to see the tutorial, however even after clicking on “Read More”, it just brought up the same page….no tutorial.
I followed the directions. But i couldn’t get the walnuts to fit in the hole. So i re-read the materials and saw that the walnuts were supposed to be crushed. Not to hard but they looked a lot like peanut butter. Not to mention…the crushed walnuts began to stink after a month. Think i will try the rice next time.
Hi there. I’m sorry you had a bad experience with walnuts, not sure why your walnuts gone bad! Unless they are kept in a humid environment or the package has been opened already for a while, walnuts are expected to last for several months.
This said tutorial. To me that means you show us how to make them. Did I miss the link.
You have missed that part, yes! If you scroll down the post, after the last paragraph on that first page you will be able to see a big sign saying “Click to continue reading” which will send you to the second page where the tutorial is.
I have tried several times to access the tutorial video by scrolling down the page and clicking on where it says to keep reading, but there is no video.
Hi Anne. You are commenting on the Triangle fabric weights hich has no video tutorial. Not sure why you were under the impression this tutorial has a video.
I saw this cute idea this morning, and using leftover 4″ squares, made. one in just a few minutes. wonderful.
Thanks so much Becky, you just made my day! xoxo
I used to have one of these but I used it to remind myself to get on my knees and pray. I would put it on my pillow when I got up and had to move it to the floor so I might as well get on my knees to prayer. Yours is much more adorable. Thanks for sharing on Let’s Get Real Friday Link Up.
Karen, what an absolutely beautiful thing a PRAYER cushion I love our Lord He means everything to me. Shelley God Bless…
I really must make some weights instead of using my sticky tape holder and scissors. Featured today, Petro.
I love these weights! Mine are nowhere near as pretty. I’ve got a Craft Gossip post scheduled for tomorrow morning that features your tutorial:
http://sewing.craftgossip.com/?p=88495