Budget Saver Tip #36: Sew Your Own Stuff

I've been wanting curtains for a long time for one of the rooms in our basement, to tie in the room's colors and to beautify the space.  In a couple years of perusing through my town's limited selection of pre-made curtains, I didn't find anything that remotely fit the bill. So a little while ago I decided I would have to make my own curtains, which might save money anyway. We don't have a good fabric store in my rural town (yet), so I did an internet search for the theme and colors I was looking for--but that search was fruitless too. Then I found out my mom actually had just the fabric I wanted! She had nothing planned for it, so she gave it to me and I excitedly got busy on my first real sewing project in five years. (My sewing machine was out of commission all that time and I recently had it tuned up.)

A week later, this is what I ended up with:

And here's a closeup of the cute cabin-themed fabric:

While sewing your own clothes, draperies, etc, is no longer always the cheapest option, sometimes it still is. For example, when you can get the fabric for free (say, from Freecycle) or deeply discounted (such as at yard sales). And if you want something very specific, as in my case, sewing your own stuff can also bring much greater satisfaction because you don't have to settle for something less than what you imagined. What you make yourself can also be of better quality, as so many items you see at the store these days are made from inferior fabrics.

Not to mention, there's a certain pleasure in doing the project yourself, and a feeling of accomplishment when it turns out well. As far as self-sufficiency goes, knowing even the basics of sewing definitely brings peace of mind.