How to Donate Sewing Material
Donating unwanted sewing material is a good way to reduce the size of your fabric stash---and help people in need at the same time. Many organizations, such as Care Wear Volunteers, which is dedicated to providing handmade baby items to hospitals, are centered around sewing for those in need. Nursing homes and hospitals often have sewing groups that make lap quilts for long-term patients, while many home economics and art teachers would be delighted to receive fabric donations.
- Difficulty:
- Easy
Instructions
Things You'll Need
- Boxes or bags
- Pencil and paper
- Telephone
- Phone book
- Computer with Internet connection
- Transportation
- Shipping company, such as U.S. Postal Service
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1
Package your clean sewing fabric in boxes or bags. If you plan to request a receipt for tax purposes, make an itemized list of the material you are donating.
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2
Call local schools, high school drama clubs, community theaters, nursing homes, hospitals, youth centers and churches to see if they are interested the sewing material you have to offer. Many of these organizations may be willing to pick up your donations, or you can make arrangements to deliver the items. Most churches and other nonprofit groups can give you a receipt for tax purposes.
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3
If you still have fabric to donate, search the Internet for organizations that specialize in sewing for a cause. Many groups sew quilts, bibs, baby blankets and other useful items with donated materials. Many prisons also have sewing classes and can tell you how to donate fabric by mail.
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4
Another option is dropping off your packaged fabric at a local Goodwill or Salvation Army drop box or store. Simply place your boxes or bags of sewing material in the drop box, which often can be found in the parking lot of a shopping mall or discount store. If you need a receipt, you will have to take the donations to a Goodwill or Salvation Army store unless the drop box is a volunteer-manned facility able to issue receipts to donors.
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Tips & Warnings
Once you determine the program or organization you wish to donate your sewing material to, you can weigh the box on a home scale, go to http://www.usps.com and pay for and print out a shipping label using your home computer. Use the same website to schedule a free pickup of your donation.
