Upcycled Handmade Valentine Napkins
Upcycled handmade Valentine napkins are a simple sewing project, made with repurposed fabric and a playful lip appliqué. This project creates a set of reusable cloth napkins that add a personal, handmade touch to a Valentine’s Day table.
Yield: 2 napkins
Equipment
- Craft scissors
- Fabric scissors
- Sewing machine
- Sewing pins
- hand sewing needle
- Iron and ironing board
Materials
- FREE lip appliqué pattern linked in instructions below
- 4 13"x13" pieces upcycled fabric cotton, linen, muslin
- 2 4"x7" pieces upcycled fabric printed or solid for lip appliqué
- sewing thread to match napkin
- embroidery thread to match appliqué
Instructions
- Use the pattern to cut the lip appliqué: Use the FREE lip appliqué pattern to cut the lip appliqué from the fabric.
- Pin the appliqué to the napkin panel: Pin the appliqué to the right side of the napkin panel, positioning it well in from the edges.
- Hand sew the lip appliqué: Hand sew the appliqué in place using matching embroidery thread.
- Pin the panels right sides together: Place one appliqué panel and one plain panel right sides together and pin around the edges.
- Sew the seam: Sew around the panels with a ½″ seam allowance, leaving an opening for turning.
- Trim the corners: Trim the corners carefully without cutting into the seam allowance.
- Turn and shape: Turn the napkin right side out and push out the corners to shape them.
- Press and finish the edge: Press the napkin flat, then sew around the edge using the presser foot as a guide.
Notes
- Position carefully: Place the appliqué comfortably in from the edges so it remains visually balanced after sewing.
- Allow natural puckering: Slight puckering around the appliqué is normal with hand stitching and adds character.
- Press before finishing: Pressing thoroughly before topstitching gives the napkins a clean, finished look.
- Use fabric scraps: Smaller pieces of upcycled fabric work perfectly for the appliqué.
