The greatest thing about serging is that it is fast and easy. Here are 10 projects you can easily make in under an hour. All of these projects would make excellent gifts but they are so useful and fun to make you will want to make them for yourself, too.
1. Napkins- Save a tree and add elegance to any dinner table by serging up a stack of these, finished in a couple of minutes each by using the rolled hem.
2. Handkerchiefs- Made in the same way as napkins, but use soft flannel, or try re-purposing old t- shirts, pajama pants, or anything else soft you might have in your scrap basket.
3. Tablecloths- I made a festive party tablecloth by cutting a red sheet to fit my table and then sergering all four sides with rainbow variegated thread.
4. Baby Blankets- If you use 2 layers of flannel, these are so much nicer than what they sell in the stores. This is probably the simplest, easiest baby gift you can make, but each one you make will be well used and loved.
5. Pillowcases- With one yard of fabric and about 10 minutes you can have custom bedclothes far more fabulous than what you will ever find for sale in the shops.
6. Designer Children's Clothes- YOU are the designer. You could make a dress for a little girl from a vintage pillowcase in half an hour. I made a T-shirt for my son using the good pieces from a stained pocket tee that originally belonged to his dad. I used royal blue thread and set the seams on the outside, quickly fused an applique cut from patterned fabric, and added the original pocket at the hip. This has become baby's favorite shirt because of the pocket, and we have received many compliments on the creative, exposed seams. Sergering the seams on children's clothes makes them more long lasting and hard wearing.
7. Patchwork, with a difference- This is another creative designing opportunity. Try making simple patchwork with the serger, and have some of the seams on the front side of the work. Quilts and bags made in this way are stunning and original.
8. Purse accessories- After you make your patchwork purse, fill it with a glasses case, wallet, checkbook cover, and more. You could probably complete the whole set within an hour.
9. Cloth baby diapers and wipes- There are lots of ways to make cloth diapers, but the easiest way is to make "flatfolds" by sergering layers of flannel together in a rectangle, which you will fold into thirds in the same way as you would a "prefold." You can easily find out the standard sizes of prefold through Google, though making your own means you can custom fit diapers for your child. I love to use wooly nylon in my loopers when serging diapers.
10. Curtains- These are greatly simplified by the serger; you can do rolled hemming on three sides in under 5 minutes. You can even attach and gather a ruffle in one fast pass through your machine. Combine these with easy serger patchwork, and you can make something custom and truly special to match any decor.
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