Board-game nights have made a proper comeback. A typical modern set comes with dozens of small pieces—tokens, cards, dice, player pawns—and most games use plastic bags or cardboard inserts that fall apart after a handful of plays. Pre-loved fabric scraps are perfect for this. A few offcuts from a larger garment project can become a full set of storage boxes, and they’ll outlast any game insert.

Why scrap fabric works for game storage

Board games live in homes where they’re opened, packed away, moved to friends’ houses and unpacked again. Commercial storage solutions are often flimsy. What you need is sturdy, flexible, and washable—exactly what pre-loved denim, canvas or linen scraps provide. A piece the size of a tea towel can become a drawstring dice bag. Larger pieces can line or form a compartmented tidy. Because you’re using scraps, the project is cheap, and a bit of colour-mixing or pattern clashing in your finished pieces is actually part of the appeal.

Project 1: Simple drawstring dice bag

A drawstring bag is the easiest place to start. You’ll use two pieces of fabric roughly 20cm square each.

  1. Choose your fabric. Two layers of pre-loved cotton, linen or linen-cotton blend work well. Denim is durable but thick; one layer might be enough.
  2. Cut two rectangles. Aim for roughly 18cm × 20cm. They don’t need to be exact. Mark the top edge (20cm edge) with a pencil or chalk.
  3. Place them right sides together (the printed or nicer side facing inward) and pin three sides, leaving the top open.
  4. Sew three sides with a 1cm seam allowance. Trim the corners at a diagonal to reduce bulk.
  5. Turn it right side out through the opening at the top, pushing the corners out with a needle or chopstick.
  6. Press flat with an iron, folding the raw edges of the opening inward by 1cm.
  7. Make the drawstring channel. Sew a line 3cm down from the top edge all the way around the bag. This creates a tunnel for your drawstring.
  8. Add the drawstring. A length of cord, ribbon or even a strip of the same fabric cut to about 60cm long. Attach a safety pin to one end and thread it through the tunnel.
  9. Knot the ends. Tie them together inside so the whole thing cinches.

One bag takes about 20 minutes once you’ve cut the fabric.

Project 2: Bingo-card or card-game pouch

A flat pouch is perfect for storing bingo cards, playing cards, or instruction sheets. Use the same method as the dice bag but with a rectangular shape and no drawstring channel.

Cut two pieces roughly 25cm × 18cm. Sew three sides, turn right side out, and sew the fourth side closed with a ladder stitch (tiny stitches that run inside the fold of the fabric so they’re almost invisible). If you want, sew a button to the back and create a small loop from fabric or ribbon on the front to act as a closure.

Project 3: Multi-compartment board-game tidy

For a larger project, turn a medium piece of pre-loved fabric into a compact tidy with multiple pockets. This works best with a heavier fabric like denim or canvas.

What you need:

  • One piece of sturdy fabric roughly 40cm × 50cm (the main body)
  • Scrap pieces in contrasting colours (for pockets and straps)
  • Interfacing or fusible webbing (optional, but makes pockets hold their shape)

Method:

  1. Fold the main fabric in half widthwise, with right sides together. Sew both sides closed, leaving the top edge open.
  2. Turn right side out and press flat.
  3. Cut 4–5 pocket pieces from your scraps, roughly 12cm × 15cm each.
  4. Fold each pocket piece in half and sew three sides, leaving one short edge open. Turn right side out and press. Sew the open edge closed with a ladder stitch.
  5. Arrange the pockets on the inside of the tidy (optional: use fabric glue to position them first) and stitch them to the main body with a simple straight line or a decorative edge stitch.
  6. Make two handles from fabric strips or ribbon, roughly 2cm wide and 30cm long. Fold, press, sew closed.
  7. Pin the handles to the inside of the tidy near the top and sew them securely. These are your carrying straps.

This project takes a couple of hours, but you end up with something that will last for years and actually looks good on a shelf.

Tips for success

  • Prewash your scrap fabric before you start. It prevents shrinkage and colour bleed later.
  • Use thread that matches or contrasts intentionally. Thread that clashes is actually quite charming on a handmade object.
  • Mark your seam allowance with a pencil on your fabric before you start. Consistent 1cm seams make a huge difference to how professional it looks.
  • A simple running stitch by hand is fine if you don’t have a machine. It’s slower but meditative.

Board games deserve storage that’s as thoughtfully made as they are. Pre-loved fabric scraps become something genuinely useful.

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