iadhikari

I hadn't thought of pet beds! I have three cats who like to take over the dog's bed, so maybe I can gradually save up enough scraps to make a bed for one of the cats. I like the idea of keeping a pillowcase handy, because maybe when it's full, I can sew up the end to make the pet bed.
Thanks for all the suggestions!
Ila

KenmoreGal2

Ha! If you sew as much as me, you'll fill a pillowcase in no time. And I don't sew that much, maybe an hour a day.....

I gave my last pet beds on Jun 24 and I have enough for 2 more already. Those scraps and thread bits really add up!

Prism99

It's probably just as well. I have on occasion seen remarks online from ornithologists who beg people not to put fabric scraps outside for the birds. They say the fabric holds on to moisture from rain too long, which in turn causes the young birds in the nest to catch pneumonia (or whatever it is that birds catch). Natural weeds, grasses, and twigs in contrast shed rain water rapidly and allow the nest to dry out fast. I'm thinking that chemicals in unwashed fabric are also likely to be bad for birds. Anyway, just in general, it's probably not a good idea to offer fabric scraps to birds.

Onebyone

Fabric for birds is a no no. I make throw away pet beds for the shelter.

quiltingbuddy

Good to know, I have a pretty large batch of those type of scraps right now that I'm wondering what to do with. I'm now thinking about using some old fabric that I don't really care for and making a pet bed. My friend is trying to catch some stray kittens that have started coming around her yard. This would be perfect for her. Thanks!!!

brandeesmom

I put all of my smaller scraps in my "crumbs" bucket and then use these to make crumb blocks.

Marley46

Please don't put threads out where birds can get tangled in them. They get around their legs and can eventually cut their legs off!!

Z

Art teachers like them for collage work.

Quilter Grandma

Some ladies in my guild use them to stuff pin cushions, small homemade dolls or animal beds as already mentioned. I'm sure every quilter has this delima.

moonrise

Ditto on NOT giving fabric scraps to birds. They pick at the fabric while they're building their nests, causing it to fray, and the loose threads can easily get tangled around the birds' legs. This cuts off the circulation, and the leg will eventually die and fall off. I have seen this happen firsthand, with some nesting material I bought specifically for birds. I didn't realize it, but it had a few strands of thread-like material mixed in with the twigs and other nest-building materials. The thread got wrapped around one of my baby finch's legs, and it went unnoticed until it was too late to save its leg. I felt horrible, and I'm still upset with the supplier who sold me the nesting material.

Edit: Small birds, such as finches, have legs that are no bigger than toothpicks, so cutting the fabric into small pieces doesn't really help. A thread as short as 3/4" - 1" could get tangled around their legs.