Sewing with a coffee sack: Headboard for the bed!

I love sewing with coffee sacks because the results look so cool and "industrial". In this tutorial, I'll show you how to easily make a headboard for your bed using coffee sacks.

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What is big, empty, brightly printed, and travels all around the world?

That's right! If you follow me on Instagram, you've probably already seen that I love sewing beautiful things for your home out of coffee sacks. Why? Because it's a fabric that you can finally sew something really rugged for men out of. Most fabrics in the shops that are intended for men still feel far too washed out to my boys at home. Whether it's maps, mustaches, or hipster prints: Men want it more masculine. So they shall have it. After we recently moved, we had two new guest rooms to furnish. And since my husband is a passionate (and very talented) furniture maker, what could be better than making the guest beds ourselves? We decided on a very simple design for the headboards. Of course, homemade. Because not only we, but also family and friends love coffee in every form, we had the idea: Why not design something out of a coffee sack? So we did it (and I'll show you HOW I did it in the tutorial further down in the post). The result speaks for itself, I think. I love the flair that coffee sacks bring to living spaces: They have traveled all around the world by ship, by plane, and by road. All the way to me. So I could sew something cool out of them. Just in case (tee-hee...), I now always have a few extra coffee sacks in reserve. The next man's birthday is bound to come... ;)

Sewing with coffee sacks - What can you sew out of coffee sacks?

You can make beautiful (and very durable) things out of coffee sacks. They are perfect as material for

Storage bags

Bags

Cushions

Mug Rugs

Outdoor furniture - for example as cushion covers

Chair covers

Table mats

Drawstring bags

Backpacks

Hot pads

Rugs (simply sew several sacks together, finish around with fabric strips, and place an anti-slip mat from Ikea underneath!)

Bean bags

and much more

Bags sewn from coffee sacks retain their shape beautifully if you iron a medium-weight interfacing onto the wrong side. Here, Vlieseline H250 is a good option, for example. Generally, I would recommend anthracite-colored fusible interfacing^*, as the white can otherwise show through depending on the coarseness of the material.

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I sewed a headboard for the bed out of this great material. In this tutorial, I'll show you how it works.

Tips for sewing with coffee sacks: What do I need to consider?

First of all, coffee sacks are usually offered unwashed. They usually have a strong characteristic smell, but this fades after washing. You can wash the coffee sacks on a 40-degree mixed wash. The prints on the coffee sacks may occasionally become a little paler when washed. My tip: Iron the prints well before washing. This stabilizes the color. My coffee sacks have completely kept their beautiful prints as a result. After washing, simply lay the sacks over the washing line and let them dry. �

Sewing a bag out of coffee sack

It is recommended to reinforce the coffee sack before processing it. Dark Vlieseline S320^* works very well. You can also glue the coffee sack fabric to faux leather with washable textile glue^* before processing. This makes it super easy to work with!

Sewing with coffee sack fabric - how do you do it?

You can sew coffee sack fabric like any other fabric. However, you need to bear in mind that the seams can become bulky. Here, a compensation plate can help you, for example. Learn more in my separate blog post: Everything about sewing bulky and thick areas. �

What needle can I use to sew coffee sacks?

I use a size 100 universal needle. But jeans and leather needles are also good for sewing coffee sack fabric.

Where can I order coffee sacks?

I bought my coffee sacks^* on Amazon. There are various quantities available there. The combination of prints is usually random. ^*

What thread do I use to sew coffee sacks?

I use All-purpose thread^* in beige or natural tones.

What stitch can I use to sew coffee sacks?

Because coffee sack fabric is so robust, I sew it with a longer straight stitch. Zigzag stitches work great too.  Of course, it is also possible to sew coffee sack fabric with an overlocker. My tip: Be sure to remove the bulky seams beforehand!

What else do I need to consider?

The seams of coffee sacks can be very bulky and thick. It is often better to cut them off before processing the fabric. That is not always completely easy either. What helps? A sturdy universal scissors (for example my universal scissors^* from Fiskars). But coffee sack fabric is actually best cut with an electric scissors. That is my preferred method. My electric scissors^* have different attachments. I only use the attachment for soft materials for fine fabrics. When I process coffee sack fabric, I choose the universal cutting head. By the way, I think the scissors are ideal for jersey and sweatshirt fabric. This is because I don't have to move the fabric at all when cutting. I simply trace around the contour of the cut piece once. It is lightning fast (and very gentle on the wrist).

Sewing a headboard for the bed out of coffee sack - here's how!

You need these materials:

• 6 mm thick chipboard, 50 - 60 cm high, in the desired length
• 2 coffee sacks^*
• Patchwork interfacing^*
• Scissors (see above)
• Sewing machine
• Electric tacker^*
• for attaching: drill, wall plugs, screws

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Cut off the bulky seams at the opening of the coffee sacks. Lay the coffee sacks on top of each other with the beautiful sides facing up and join them with a straight seam. I set the stitch length to 4.5 - 5, depending on how coarsely the fabric is woven. Turn the seam allowances apart and stitch them flat from the wrong side with a zigzag stitch. Now the seam lies beautifully flat: Lay the fabric flat with the beautiful side facing down. Then place the interfacing on top. On top of that goes the chipboard, in whose upper corners you can drill two holes for hanging beforehand. Stretch the coffee sacks tightly around the chipboard and tack them securely. Make sure to press the tacker firmly. This is how it should look from the right now: Now you screw the headboard to the wall. I leave a distance of approx. 5 cm  to the bed frame. This makes it easier to change the sheet later. You can find a tutorial for the cute Heart Cushion with Ruffles here on the blog. Happy simple sewing, your Sabine