Tips for Sewing with Burlap (Plus Project Ideas!)

Recently I designed a doll clothes pattern that includes a sun hat and market tote, which I really wanted to try making out burlap. Burlap is a fabric I had never sewn before! So there was some trial and error involved, but by the time I was finished with the pattern, I had written down several tips and tricks for sewing with burlap, so I’m going to share those with you today. I’ll include things like what needle to use, how to finish those raw edges so they don’t unravel, plus the thing I did very WRONG when I first started, ha!

AND, since doll hats and bags hardly take any fabric and I have quite a chunk of nice burlap left over, I set out to find more projects I can make with burlap, so I’ll post those burlap sewing project ideas here too.

Let’s get started!

Tips for Sewing with Burlap

Get the Right Burlap!

The most important thing I learned is that not all burlap is created equal. Since I didn’t need large quantities and my local fabric stores don’t sell burlap yardage, I thought the burlap sold on spools in the ribbon department would work just find. Right? WRONG. The burlap that comes in finished widths and is sold as a ribbon does not work the same as burlap yardage. The weave is much looser, which makes it impossible for the project to hold its shape when sewing the pieces together.

That ribbon stuff is great for things like wedding bows and table runners, but for something like my doll hats that need to keep their shape, it was a no go. I ordered the real stuff on Amazon instead. It was inexpensive for a large piece, and I could immediately see the difference. This burlap was not only a denser weave, it was a less fuzzy “fabric” in general. Much better. Plus it comes in fun colors!

You can see the difference! The first doll hat I made was a flat mess, haha! The one out of the nicer burlap worked beautifully, though.

What About Using Burlap Coffee Bags?

So, I actually have a burlap coffee sack from Kona Joe’s in Hawaii. We turned it into a cool cork board several years ago, so I didn’t sew anything with it, but I did inspect it for this post and mine is definitely a looser weave than the burlap yardage I bought. So, while you can do some really awesome things with burlap coffee bags, I don’t think I’d attempt to sew something out of it that requires it to hold a certain shape.

Cut the burlap with your paper scissors.

I used my Fiskars paper scissors for all the cutting so I wouldn’t dull my nice sewing shears. Burlap just isn’t really fabric, it’s more like straw. I didn’t want to risk dings or nicks and definitely didn’t want to have to get my scissors sharpened for the sake of some doll accessories. The paper scissors worked great and saved my nice shears.

Which Needle & What Settings?

You shouldn’t need anything special to sew with burlap. I used a size 90 needle, which is what I would use for thicker home dec fabrics. And my machine settings were normal.

HOWEVER,

Burlap Makes a Mess!

Keep the vacuum handy because burlap sheds a lot when you’re cutting it and it sheds into your machine too. Be sure and use your lint brush to clean your machine out and when you’re all done with your burlap project, take the throat plate off and give it a good clean out. And of course, change your needle when you start a fresh project because that needle is probably toast.

There was also some information circulating a few years ago that the burlap fibers can be dangerous for crafters who use a ton of it all the time. The fibers are ingested and can cause respiratory issues, so that’s something to be aware of if you’re sensitive in that way. A shop mask might help if you feel like it might affect you.

How to Finish Burlap Edges to Prevent Raveling

Burlap is definitely a ravely fabric, which honestly, is part of its appeal. It can get out of hand if you don’t do something to stop it, though, so there are a few ways to help prevent it from unraveling into nothingness. You can of course hem it by turning it under twice and stitching to encase the raw edge. However, if you want to keep the raw edge, but prevent too much of a mess, like I did for my doll hat, you can just sew a row of straight stitching around the edge. This is what I did and it worked great. I sewed all the way around the raw edge at 1/4”.

For the inside seams, I used double stitched seams and this worked awesome! I simply sewed a seam, then stitched again 1/8” inside of it, then trimmed it close. In some cases, I top stitched it instead. Both methods worked to keep the seams from being bulky and both prevented any raveling from happening inside the hat.

Things to Make with Burlap

Doll Clothes! Haha. I mean, how cute is the Market Day Dress, Hat, & Tote bag??

Table runners. Burlap adds such nice texture and gives off very earthy, natural vibes, which is why it’s a popular choice for Spring especially. It’s also inexpensive and easy to finish. It can be imperfect and still look beautiful!

Burlap Flowers. Have you seen these?? So cool.

Wedding decor. I’m sure you’ve seen the huge trend of burlap in wedding decor. Did you know burlap comes in lots of colors? So it’s easy to personalize too. Use it for table runners, wrap bouquets and vases in it. make burlap bows for the chairs. So many things you can do with burlap for weddings.

I’ve seen very cute Easter decor made from burlap , such as Spring wreaths and bunny garland. I think I must be in a Spring and Easter mood because this is what I’m thinking about doing with mine.

Burlap totes would make great farmers market bags, reuseable grocery sacks, or beach/pool bags. Burlap is a very sturdy material that gets softer with age and use, so bags are a perfect use.

Cover a pin board with a burlap coffee sack like we did with ours! It hangs in my sewing studio now, but it’s also been in our dining room. It holds a special memory for us, so it’s fun to have used it in a way that we would see it often.

Another use for burlap coffee bags is to cover chairs with it. We visited a coffee shop out of town recently that had covered all their chairs with burlap coffee bags and then covered that with clear vinyl, making them easy to clean and durable (not to mention less itchy). I loved it, what I great idea.

Gift bags and goodie bags would be great made from colorful burlap for party favors or gifts! If I have some leftover after making my bunny garland, I think I’ll sew up several very simple gift bag shapes that can be tied closed with pretty ribbon.

Burlap makes great sachets because its loose weave allows the scent to drift out nicely. Fill it with potpourri or stuffing with baby powder or essential oils. And you can sew them in whatever shapes you like!

Embroidery. Burlap really lends itself to embroidery projects since it has built in squares. I’ve also used burlap to teach the youngest children to begin hand sewing. I put it in an embroidery hoop and give them a yarn needle with yarn attached. They can then learn the up and down movement of embroidery while making fun designs.

What are your ideas for sewing with burlap? Have you made anything cool out of burlap ribbon, or yardage, or coffee sacks? I’d love to hear about it!

Until next time,

Nikki