Upcycled Life: Fabric scrap bowls

Use your fabric scraps to create a colorful and lightweight bowl.

To start, cover the outside of a bowl with aluminum foil or plastic wrap so that the fabric will release from the bowl when dry. This will be your mold for layering fabric scraps onto.

Cut fabric scraps into strips or triangular pieces, this way they will form to the curve of the bowl with fewer ridges.

For the first layer place the scraps with the side of the fabric you want to see on the inside of the bowl, called the “right side” facing down on the mold. Layer the scraps overlapping while brushing Mod Podge between the layers.

Add another layer of scraps using the same method. This layer will not show in the final product but will give the bowl more strength and shape. Depending on the thickness of your scraps and how stiff you want the final bowl, and a third and fourth layer.

For the final layer, place the scraps with the right side up so that the side you want to see is facing out.

After the bowl has completely dried, peel the bowl off of mold. If there are any loose edges of fabric, add a final coating of Mod Podge to secure those areas. Trim the top edge with scissors to even out the rim of the bowl.

Note that these are not food safe, but make great decorative bowls for storage and organizing.

Katie Patterson Larson is the director and founder of Art Salvage, a creative reuse center in Spokane. Art Salvage keeps usable materials out of the waste stream and makes them accessible and affordable to everyone. For more information, visit artsalvagespokane.com.