Sewing for Charity, Anyone?: Giving back with your hobby.

sewing for charity

Sewing for Charity, Anyone?

One of the nicest things about sewing is that it gives us a great chance to show people who are in need that we care about them. All of us may have already sewn something for our family and friends, but not many of us have sewn something for charity.

Indeed, sewing for people who are in need is one of the most wonderful ways for us to share our love of sewing and to show those who are not as lucky as we are that we care about them. Finding a bit of extra fabric should not be that difficult so the next step is to choose the item that you will be stitching and which charitable organization you are planning to help.

We did an article a while ago talking about MJ from MJ's Lost Cause which was ultimately a great success with 720 handmade totes donated and delivered to very needy chemo patients.  We wanted to share with the group some other very worthy causes or ideas where you can practice the sewing that you love while helping someone really in need.

Read More HERE

Sew a pillowcase

For instance, here's an idea.  Pretty much anybody can make a pillowcase, so this is a sewing project that you can easily do.  I'm also sure that there is a hospital, orphanage or aged-care facility near your neighborhood that will be more than happy to receive your cheerful home sewn pillowcases. In fact, the website AllPeopleQuilt.com is challenging sewers all over the world to donate a million pillowcases to any charitable organization. You can have your donation counted by simply sending them an email with your name and the number of pillowcases you have donated to a charitable organization of your own choice. Think about the people who will be sleeping better because of your gift to them.

If you're looking for a quick and easy way to make a pillowcase.  Please check out the step-by-step instructions in this video:

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Sew a simple dress with a free dress pattern

Another interesting project is sponsored by Hope 4 Women International and it is called Dress a Girl Around the World program. Simply make dresses for girls by using minimal fabric and you can give pride and dignity to unfortunate girls from many parts of the world that may have nothing to wear. You will be surprised to learn that there are still many areas in the world where basic clothing is considered a luxury.  To help you out here's a long list of completely free dress patterns at our partner site Sewing4Free.com.

FREE Patterns HERE

Sew a chemo hat

Sewing chemo hats and turbans is another simple and quick charity project that you can easily do.  These items can be donated to radiation treatment centers in your area to be distributed to their patients for free.  For a tutorial on how to make a chemo hat, see the tutorial linked below.

chemo headwear patternMore HERE

You can also try sewing hospital bed saddlebags for people living in a hospice. These saddlebags are very helpful to those who are bedridden or are tied to a wheelchair because it will provide them a place to put their personal stuff so that they are within their easy reach.  Make a check with the local hospice and hospital in and check if this is an item they could use and then you can get your project going. These simple items can give them comfort and the nice idea that there is someone who cares for them.

These are just a few of the possibilities where you can use your sewing for charity and I am sure there are many ideas and organizations out there that could use your sewing skills for their causes. Once you get in touch with them and other relevant institutions in your area, you will certainly find the project that is closest to your heart. Sewing for charity is something that anyone of us can do and this is a sewing project where satisfaction is guaranteed from both sides of the fence. And now is a good time as any to start!

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Margaret Teske
Margaret Teske

I am not the greatest writer so please check out the two websites listed here. Thanks for looking
https://www.youtube.com/c/SewPowerful
Sewing purses sent to Zambia Africa so the girls there can attend school all month long. Website and YouTube channel for additional info. I am not the greatest writer so please check out the two websites listed here. Thanks for looking

Juanita
Juanita
Reply to  Margaret Teske

This is a wonderful group. I sew purses for them and actually went to Zambia last year to participate in the purse distribution. Check out their website and get the free purse pattern.

Cara
Cara

My quilt and craft group makes quilts for the children’s hospital and for the oncology unit of a local hospital. We also make quilts for z words of Valour (Australia). We make wheelchair quilts and knitted blankets for the local aged care home. We provide knitted blankets for Wraps with Love (providing warmth for the homeless).

Amy
Amy

I made 2 dozen face masks for home health nurses in my small town. Used left over scraps from other projects.

Susan
Susan

I donated 3 wheelchair quilts to the DAR to give to veterans. While I am practicing quilting skills, I can give back to those who fought for our freedom.

eliane matos
eliane matos

olá não consigo imprimir sera q alguem pode me enviar agradeço muito estou precisando muito

Carol
Carol

I am involved in a local quilt group. We do quilts for “Lutheran World Relief.” I am active in a side group that makes kits for “Days for Girls” which is an international organization which makes and distributes menstrual kits in impoverished areas to provide the means for girls to remain in school and complete their education.

Debbie
Debbie

I have just finished 37 catheter bags and 25 wheelchair bags for the veterans at Waco veterans hospital! Working on stocking for Christmas!

Hilary Hopkins
Hilary Hopkins

I want to make fun hospital gowns for children to be used in the UK, loads of patterns out there but don’t know where to send the finished garments to! Any ideas?

Tracey
Tracey
Reply to  Hilary Hopkins

Have a look at pyjamafaries.org 🙂

Sonya Bankester
Sonya Bankester

In 2010, group of ladies at my church decided to put action to their words. Instead of just reading about home mission work, they started making lap quilts for the local VA home, we have several retired and active duty members in our congregation that go to the VA home for Veterans Day and help give out the “Valor Quilts”. There are several assisted living and nursing homes in our county, that we visit every other year. In 2012, we started a Childrens Summer Sewing Program, teaching children to sew and make a quilt for the center/person of their choice. In December 2015, we visited the children’s home a county over and decided to make them a “quilt of their on”, because most of the children come from broken families and homes. We felt the quilts donated to them would be something they could keep. We are a non-profit group, all of our fabric, etc. have been donated by friends, friends of friends, local stores going out of business. Only thing we purchase ourselves is our machines, needles, thread and our potluck food. Then we invite anyone to join us for the “best-lunch-in-town”.

Carolyn Wehmeyer
Carolyn Wehmeyer

Once a month I go to the local nursing home/rehab facility and do repairs and small alterations for the residents and the staff. This started with my mom, who had the mostly worn out sweater I kept patching, it was a comfort garment for her. I hope by repairing garments for the resident I can bring them comfort.

Sandy
Sandy

I make cat beds for our local animal shelter. Lots of polarfleece blankets are donated but they are too big for the cat cages. So, I cut them down and make the beds, a lot of the time supplementing from my fabric stash. I started in 2014 and as of the end of 2017 I have made 2,159 cat beds. It is an ongoing project because each cat, 9 months or older, gets to take one of their beds when adopted so they have something familiar in their new, forever home.

Dorian cushing
Dorian cushing
Reply to  Sandy

Sandy I love your idea I have been buying fleece and it’s so expensive but I’d do anything for the shelter kitties, where did u find a good bed pattern all the ones I see are too big for the cages thank you Dorian

Carol
Carol

I have sewn for years for a program that is government sponsored. Nurse and Family Partnership. A nurse is assigned to a young mother to mentor her through her pregnancy. When the baby is born, the mother receives a gift sewn with love from us (a receiving blanket, tote, bib, and burp cloth). The mother stays with that mom and baby for 2 years. It is to stop child abuse before it begins. I love sewing for this group. It inspires my creativity.

Josie Mendez
Josie Mendez
Reply to  Carol

Please send me info how I can donate to this program.

Gina A.
Gina A.

I started sewing purses for http://www.SewPowerful.org about 15 months ago. Love it! The purses are shipped to Zambia and are given along with reusable feminine hygiene products to girls so they can stay in school. The program employs local women to make the hygiene products as well as school uniforms. Each purse I make can change a girl’s life. I encourage you to check them out.

Karen
Karen
Reply to  Gina A.

Thank you Gina. I was hoping someone had posted this info. I was looking for it.

Brenda Holmes
Brenda Holmes

I regularly sew for charity, with a friend, for Cats Protection. The hold sales twice a year, so we make things to be sold, as well as making cat toys and comfy quilts and beds for the resident cats. We also have a table at other local craft fairs about three times a year.
While we love doing this and spend most of our money on supplies, we find it difficult to price to sell, yet cover our costs. At times it can be very demoralising when the cats would get more money if we just donated the moey we spend on fabric etc.

Elena Elms
Elena Elms

I sewed hundreds of chemo caps for my local hospital, and made several dresses for a ministry to Appalachia, but the founder retired that charity. Last Fall I learned about Sew Powerful, What a great cause! The purses are quick and fun to sew, and let you use your creativity, using up leftover pieces of fabrics. In January I became a Monkey Lady, sewing sock monkeys for the local children’s hospital, where Monkey Ladies have been sewing since the 1950s. Now I have to figure out how to divide my time between Sew Powerful Purses (all machine sewing) and monkeys (90% hand sewing)

Sarah
Sarah

Days for Girls is a wonderful organization that creates menstrual hygiene kits for girls in countries who have to miss school every month. Eventually their only option is to drop out of school and get married – even at 14 or 15. The Days for Girls kits has a number of sewn components, and I love that my sewing expertise gets to help girls stay in school. Check out their website at https://www.daysforgirls.org/ to find a team or chapter near you – or start up a new team. It’s a very rewarding group.

pj
pj

I have been trying to clean up my sewing room, and have a lot of pieces of fabric I just can’t throw away! Most stores around us these days ask you to bring your own bags. There is enough in my left over stash to make bags, sometimes by putting from different projects together. I decided to take all theses leftovers, make bags – try to flog them to the different groups I go to (yoga etc). Ask for donations and send it to the food bank. Seems like a good fit. I am trying to make these a little different, not just regular bags, maybe with embroidery or something to make them better than the ones you get at the grocery stores. Of course these are also washable (just ask any cashier about the ones they sometimes see, ugh).