How to Make Fabric Bowls (Similar to Paper Mache but with Fabric Scraps)

It’s fabric paper mache! Use up those leftover fabric scraps for cute housewares that are also totally functional.

On a day that I just really needed a creative project, I made a handful of fabric bowls with just a couple of supplies and some leftover fabric scraps. And loved how they turned out, so I shared them on Instagram and then you loved how they turned out too. So, I turned it into a blog post and here we are!

What I love most about these DIY fabric bowls is that they’re so easy to make, but also look pretty unique, if I do say so myself.

When you look at them, they seem like they’d be soft to the touch (especially the ones with visible fabric layers. But they’re actually hard to the touch and function great at bowls for office supplies, jewelry, makeup, etc. Basically anything that’s not food-related is fair game with these.

So, today I’m sharing the tutorial for DIY fabric paper mache bowls.

How to Make Fabric Bowls with Fabric Scraps

This process is similar to how you would make paper mache bowls, but with fabric scraps. The results are very unique and textural – much different looking than paper mache imo. But just as easy, so why not give this a try instead.

Materials Needed

• balloons (these are my exact ones – I use for other crafting too bc I like the colors)
• mod podge
• paint brush
• fabric scraps
• scissors

Fabric Paper Mache Bowls (Instructions)

Step 1: Blow up balloons. One balloon per bowl.

Don’t blow them up too big, unless you want to make huge bowls. You can reference the photos for the balloon size I went with.

Step 2: Collect fabric scraps and cut them down to rectangles and squares somewhere between 3 to 6 inches.

The exact dimensions don’t matter as much, just something in that range for each piece.

Step 3: Rest a balloon in a cup or container so it doesn’t roll around. And add a layer of mod podge with a paint brush to the balloon.

Step 4: Next, add the first piece of fabric on top of the mod podge. Be sure to put the fabric good side down for this particular fabric piece. It will be the inside of the bowl when finished. So choose a piece of fabric you’d like to look at for the inside.

Step 5: Add a pretty thick layer of mod podge on top of the first piece of fabric.

Then use the paint brush to further smooth out any areas of the fabric that might need it.

Step 6: Then add a second piece of fabric on top of the first. I ran mine second piece of fabric in the opposite direction of the first.

This isn’t required, but it will give your bowl a larger/ wider circumference if you do it this way. So you’ll be left with a bigger bowl than you would otherwise.

Step 7: Add another later of mod podge on top of this new layer of fabric, just like you did in step 5.

Step 8: Keep adding layers of fabric and layers of mod podge until you’ve reached a thickness that you like.

I recommend doing at least 4 layers of fabric, all the way up to 12-15 layers of fabric, depending on the fabric thickness and what you want the final bowl to look like.

I included a photo below that breaks down how many layers I have on each bowl as a guide for you. Keep in mind that some of the fabrics I used (in the 8 layer fabric bowl for example) are very thin fabrics, which result in thinner bowls.

Step 9: Wait for the bowls to harden completely. The drying times will vary based on how many layers of fabric you used and how thick the mod podge layers are.

To give you an idea of drying times, my 12 layer fabric bowl took 9 hours to fully harden. While my 4 layer fabric bowl only took four hours.

The main thing is that it feels completely dry to the touch everywhere AND when you tap on it, it sounds and feels hard / solid.

Step 10: Once your fabric bowl is completely dry and has hardened, flip it over and pop the balloon with a pair of scissors.

Remove the ballon gently from the bowl.

Step 11: Then, using a shape pair of scissors, cut the jagged edges off to form more of a bowl shape.

Once you cut off the points, you can go back and shape it a little more, with your scissors.

So the next time you’re thinking about trying paper mache, I’ll hope you’ll give these fabric bowls a try instead.

So much more unique imo, but I’d love to hear what you think. Let me know in the comments below.