Things to Sew and Sell: 15 Easy Ideas for Extra Income (Free Patterns!)
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If you’re looking for things to sew and sell, you’re in the right place. The best-selling handmade items have three things in common: they’re quick to make, they use minimal fabric (hello, scrap stash!), and people actually need them.
Below are 15 proven things to sew and sell — each with a link to a free pattern or tutorial so you can start today without spending a penny on patterns.
One important note before you start: always check the pattern’s license before selling finished items. Most free patterns allow it, but some are for personal use only. When in doubt, email the designer — most are happy to say yes, and some just ask for credit.
1. Zipper Pouches
The classic handmade seller. Makeup bags, pencil cases, travel pouches — everyone needs them, and they sew up in under an hour from fabric scraps.
Free pattern: Lined Zipper Pouch Tutorial – Bethany Lynne Makes More options: 21 Free Zip Bag Patterns – The Polka Dot Chair Typical selling price: £8–£20
2. Tote Bags
Reusable totes sell year-round — for groceries, books, beach days, and teacher gifts. Sturdy canvas versions and cute quilted ones both do well.
Free pattern: 17 Free Tote Bag Patterns – SewCanShe Typical selling price: £15–£35
3. Scrunchies
The ultimate scrap-buster. They take 15 minutes, cost pennies to make, and sell in multipacks. Try a version with a hidden zipper pocket to stand out from the crowd.
Free pattern: Scrunchie with a Hidden Zipper Pocket – AllSewPetite Typical selling price: £4–£6 each, or 3 for £10
4. Baby Bibs
New parents can never have enough bibs, and handmade ones in cute prints make irresistible baby shower gifts. Bibs with a food-catching pocket sell especially well.
Free pattern: Free Baby Bib Pattern (with optional pocket) – Heather Handmade More sizes: Baby Bib Pattern in Four Sizes – Coral + Co. Typical selling price: £6–£12
5. Microwave Bowl Cozies
A craft fair bestseller. People buy them for themselves, then come back to buy sets as gifts. Important: use 100% cotton fabric, thread, and batting so they’re microwave-safe — never polyester.
Free pattern: Bowl Cozy Tutorial – Create Whimsy Reversible version: Easy Reversible Bowl Cozy – Sew Crafty Me Typical selling price: £8–£12 each
6. Pot Holders
Quick, practical, and perfect for using up pretty fabric scraps. Sell them in coordinating sets of two with a matching bowl cozy for a higher-priced bundle.
Free pattern: Easy Pot Holders – Sew Simple Home Typical selling price: £6–£10 per pair
7. Key Fobs / Wristlet Keychains
Tiny scraps, tiny sewing time, healthy profit margin. These make great impulse buys at markets and low-cost add-ons in your online shop.
Free pattern: Key Fob Tutorial – Heather Handmade Typical selling price: £4–£8
8. Reusable Makeup Remover Pads
Eco-friendly products are booming. Sew flannel or cotton rounds, bundle them in sets of 7–10, and add a little mesh wash bag to upsell.
Free tutorial: Reusable Cotton Rounds – Heather Handmade Typical selling price: £10–£15 per set
9. Dog Bandanas
Pet owners spend happily on their fur babies. Bandanas use a fat quarter or less, and seasonal prints (Halloween! Christmas!) fly off the table at markets.
Free pattern: Free Dog Bandana Pattern – Heather Handmade Snap-closure version: DIY Dog Bandana – Be Brave and Bloom Typical selling price: £6–£12
10. Envelope Pillow Covers
Home decor lovers swap pillow covers every season, and the envelope style means no zipper to wrestle with. Offer trendy fabrics in standard 18″×18″ and 20″×20″ sizes.
Free pattern: Envelope Back Pillowcase – Spruce & Fjell Typical selling price: £15–£28
11. Reusable Produce & Grocery Bags
Another eco-friendly winner. Lightweight mesh or cotton produce bags sell well in sets, and sturdy market totes pair perfectly with them.
Free patterns: Kitchen Sewing Patterns (produce bags & grocery totes) – SewCanShe Typical selling price: £10–£16 per set
12. Aprons
Full aprons, half aprons, kids’ aprons — they’re a giftable classic. A one-yard apron pattern keeps your fabric cost low and your margin healthy.
Free pattern: One-Yard Apron & More Kitchen Patterns – SewCanShe Typical selling price: £20–£35
13. Fabric Headbands
Fast to sew, easy to ship, and great for bundling with scrunchies. Make them in adult and child sizes for matching “mommy & me” sets.
Free pattern: Easy Headband Tutorial – Sew Simple Home Typical selling price: £6–£10
14. Fabric Coasters
A perfect first product: simple squares, pretty fabric, fast turnaround. Sell in sets of four tied with twine for a giftable look.
Free pattern: Folded Fabric Coasters – SewCanShe Typical selling price: £10–£15 per set of 4
15. Mug Cozies
A cozy little add-on item that bundles beautifully with coasters or bowl cozies for gift sets — especially in autumn and winter.
Free pattern: Mug Cozy Tutorial – Heather Handmade Typical selling price: £6–£10
Tips for Making Money from Things You Sew and Sell
Start with 2–3 products, not all 15. Pick items you enjoy making — you’ll be sewing a lot of them. A focused shop also looks more professional than a scattered one.
Price for profit, not just materials. A common formula: (materials + your hourly time) × 2 for wholesale, × 3–4 for retail. Don’t undercharge — handmade buyers expect to pay more than mass-produced prices.
Bundle for bigger sales. A bowl cozy + pot holder + mug cozy “kitchen gift set” sells for more than the three items separately.
Lean into seasons. Holiday-print bandanas, autumn bowl cozies, and spring totes consistently outsell year-round versions. Start sewing seasonal stock 6–8 weeks early.
Check commercial use licenses. Worth repeating: confirm each pattern allows selling finished items before you list them.
Start with the right kit. If you’re still building your toolbox, see What I’d Buy If I Was Starting to Sew Today for my full beginner kit with realistic UK prices.
Where to sell: Etsy, local craft fairs and markets, Facebook Marketplace, Instagram, and — once you have traffic — your own website, where you keep 100% of the sale.
Tools & Supplies You’ll Need
Here’s everything used across these 15 projects. You don’t need it all at once — the Essentials list covers most of the projects, and you can add the specialist bits as you go.
The Essentials (used in nearly every project)
- Sewing machine
- Quality fabric scissors or shears
- Rotary cutter and self-healing cutting mat
- Clear acrylic quilting ruler
- Pins and sewing clips (clips are brilliant for thick layers and laminated fabrics)
- All-purpose polyester thread in neutral colours
- Seam ripper
- Iron and ironing mat (pressing is half of sewing!)
- Fabric marking pen or tailor’s chalk
- Hand sewing needles
- Tape measure
- Turning tool or chopstick (for poking out corners on pouches, cozies, and coasters)
Machine Feet & Notions
- Zipper foot (zipper pouches, scrunchies with pockets, cushion zips)
- Nylon zippers in assorted sizes (pouches and pencil cases)
- Invisible zippers (the hidden-pocket scrunchie)
- Flat elastic, 5mm–1cm wide (scrunchies and headbands)
- Velcro / hook-and-loop tape (baby bibs and dog bandanas)
- Plastic snaps and snap pliers, or sew-on snaps (bibs and bandanas)
- Key fob hardware kit with pliers (key fobs)
- Magnetic snaps (tote bag closures)
- D-rings and swivel clips (bag straps and wristlets)
Stabilisers, Batting & Insulation
- Fusible interfacing, medium weight (pouches, totes, key fobs)
- Fusible fleece (quilted totes and pillow covers)
- 100% cotton batting (bowl cozies and mug cozies — must be pure cotton with cotton thread to be microwave-safe)
- Insulated heat-resistant batting like Insul-Bright (pot holders — never use this in microwave items, as it contains metal)
Fabrics & Trims
- Quilting cotton (the workhorse for almost everything)
- Cotton canvas (sturdy totes and aprons)
- Flannel (reusable makeup pads, cosy dog bandanas)
- Cotton towelling or terry (backing for makeup pads)
- Laminated cotton or oilcloth (wipe-clean baby bibs)
- Mesh fabric (reusable produce bags)
- Cotton webbing (tote straps)
- Bias binding (bib edges and pot holder trim)
- Drawstring cord (produce bags)
Happy sewing — and happy selling! Which one will you make first?
