Cut Above the Rest: A Long List of Peppermint DIY Projects
- Words by Peppermint
If you find yourself with a little bit of spare time and no idea how to fill it, keep those idle hands from the devil’s works with this long list of Peppermint DIY projects.
Peruse at your pleasure to learn more about some of the cool and creative projects we’ve put together over the years, then say goodbye to boredom and au revoir to creative indecision, we’ve got your next make sorted!
PURCHASABLE PRETTIES
Inside each issue of Peppermint, we aim to include all sorts of special stuff – thoughtful long reads, stories of people doing good in the world, resources for living, eating and shopping more sustainably, and we try a chuck in some delightful bespoke DIY projects and patterns too.
You may not be able to lay your hands on every copy of Peppermint there’s ever been, but fear not! Our specially made Peppermint DIY projects are available to purchase on our website for a nominal fee so you never have to miss a sweet make.
Peppermint Tote Bag
Keep your swag safe and close to hand with this sweet tote bag DIY. This capacious craft project comes from our very own Sewing Content Manager, Bonnie Liston. It’s a nicely oversized tote with exposed bound seams to add a bit of spice, and an internal pocket to keep your essential essentials in. With this beauty on your arm, you’ll be TOTE-ally ready for your next adventure!
This project was featured in Issue 58 and you can access it here.
Peppermint Apron
Keep your clothes clean and live the cottagecore dream with this adorable DIY apron! This sensational sewing pattern is a surprisingly simple project. Its cool cross-back design keeps your hands free whether you’re flipping pancakes, playing with paints or planting flowers, and allows for a flexible fit on lots of bodies. Plus, the pattern comes with a packet of pockets for you to personalise your creation! Will you be the artist, the chef, the gardener or something entirely new and completely you?
This project was featured in Issue 57 and you can access it here.
PEPPERMINT MINI SEWING KIT
From busted buttons to split seams, be ready for any sewing emergency with this cute and handy travel-sized sewing kit – the perfect scrap-busting project for beginners!
This project was featured in Issue 55 and you can access it here.
Peppermint Pillowcase Tops
Looking for some fun in the sun? Try these summer-ready tops made from upcycled pillowcases! Beginner-friendly, this pattern is flexible, self-draftable and designed to fit lots of bodies.
This project was featured in Issue 52 and you can access it here.
Peppermint Bucket Hat
Bucket hats are back, baby, and we’re mighty chuffed about it. Stay safe and stylish in those dastardly summer rays with your very own self-sewn and self-drafted wide-brimmed hat!
This project was featured in Issue 53 and you can access it here.
PEPPERMINT BUSH BUDDIES
Looking for another project to while away an afternoon maybe even with some little ones by your side? Look no further than our easy-to-stitch Bush Buddies! We teamed up with maker Katie Weychardt to bring you this fun, fuzzy DIY that is perfect for both beginners and more experienced sewists.
This project was featured in Issue 48 but you can access this cute DIY here.
PEPPERMINT EMBROIDERY
The slow, meditative practice of hand embroidery is not just a fun, accessible craft – it leaves you with a gorgeous piece of fabric art magicked out of a needle and thread. We asked the talented Emma Downing of Yarn Industries to design four exclusive Peppermint embroidery patterns featuring native flora and fauna – they’re perfect for the beginner or experienced embroiderer!
This project was featured in Issue 51 and in the first edition of our digital sewing magazine Sew&Tell – but you can also access the gorgeous designs here.
ONLINE GOODIES
If you dig through the Sewing & DIY category on our website, you’ll also find a bounty of free projects and tutorials we’ve created for your edification, entertainment and enjoyment. Here are just a few of our faves…
REUSABLE FABRIC CROWN
It’s an Aussie Christmas classic – pulling a cracker and donning a paper crown to wear through a long lunch that lingers into the late afternoon under the hot summer sun. But no matter how beloved they may be, it must be admitted that these flimsy paper constructions, not to mention the other disposable detritus that fills a cracker, are not the most sustainable celebrational accessory.
Why not craft a more long-lasting crown? No need to master the art of metal smithing – a little fabric and some ribbon make for a suitably celebratory circlet that can be worn by you and your loved ones year after year. They can even be used in those barren 11 months that separate Christmas times – for birthdays, fancy dress-ups or just to add that casual touch to an outfit that says, “Yes, I am a queen.”
ADVENT CALENDAR
Countdown to Christmas and craft yourself a soon-to-be treasured family heirloom with the Peppermint Christmas Tree Advent Calendar! This hangable tree counts the days to Christmas, nestling a shining star in numbered pockets on its journey to the top of the tree. You can tuck some tiny treats in the pockets to sweeten the interminable days in December for the small people in your house, add little pieces of a puzzle or a toy that will be completed at the end, or maybe place notes every night with challenges, heartfelt messages, trivia or jokes!
Papercut Art Cards
Nothing beats the meditative practice of cutting out paper and Studio Flos‘ Claire Cassidy has it down to a fine, carefully cut art. We teamed up with Claire – a multidisciplinary artist and illustrator from Sydney who is no stranger to a good snip session – to create this 100% easy, 100% cute papercut art card!
SCRUNCHIE, SCRUNCHIE HEADBAND AND MASK
We are always on the lookout for cute and clever ways to use up the very scrappiest of scraps in our fabric stash – and assuage ourselves of the guilt of contributing to Australia’s significant textile wastage. Here you’ll find a few simple scrap buster projects you can take to your pile with a smile and clear out your horde – while creating some cute accessories to boot!
ICE DYEING TEXTILES
Alright, stop, collaborate and listen. Ice is back with a super simple DIY from Romy-Krystal Cutler of Sew Like Romy who teaches us how to ice dye textiles!
ELSEWHERE ON THE NET….
If you’re still craving more Peppermint DIY projects, you’re in luck! In collaboration with our friends at Spoonflower, we’ve made some top-notch tutorials over the years. Check out our work, and the rest of their projects to boot.
DIY Knot Pillow Tutorial
Decorative pillows add personality (and plushness!) to any space. Square throw pillows, lumbar and kaleidoscope pillows are all popular styles, and, for an even more unique look, we love a good knot pillow. Turns out they’re the perfect beginner project to sew yourself. Follow along to learn how to make your very own.
Wet Bag
Ever out and about and need somewhere to tidily store a wet swimsuit, sweaty gym clothes or maybe even dirty diapers? With this wet bag tutorial, it’s all literally in the bag and solved with a handy waterproof storage solution! Made from Spoonflower’s Recycled Canvas and Polyurethane Laminate, this cute lil’ pouch will help you securely stow away even your grimiest items until they can safely hit the wash.
REUSABLE FABRIC CUTLERY WRAP
Skip the plastic forks and spoons during your next picnic date, camping trip or neighbourhood barbecue by sewing your own sustainable cutlery holder, perfect for keeping reusable utensils clean and cosy wherever you go.
Heatless Hair Curlers
Using a fat quarter of satin fabric from Spoonflower, and inspired by stacks of TikTok inspo, we sewed our own fabric hair curlers, perfect for giving your locks a new look sans heat!
Quilted Coasters
Looking to add a handmade touch to your coffee table, desk or dining room? Your answer might be these quilted coasters that are easy to make, the perfect scrap buster and machine washable!
WANT MORE SEWING AND DIY CONTENT? RIGHT THIS WAY!
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Look, I don’t want to make anyone panic but IT’S DECEMBER!!! If you’re planning to give homemade gifts, you’re going to have to act fast. …
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🌻 The Paddington 🌻
This is a much-loved staple, created for Issue 50 in 2021. We love seeing the #PeppermintPaddingtonTop continually popping up in our feeds!
How stunning is our model Elon MelaninGoddessEfon – she told us it was one of the first times she had been asked to come to a shoot with her natural hair. 🌻
We worked with South African patternmaker Sarah Steenkamp of @FrenchNavyNow_ to create this wardrobe essential – the perfect puff-sleeve blouse. Raglan sleeves make it the ultimate beginner sew, plus the gorgeous back buttons let you add your own personal twist.
Pattern via the link in bio! 🪡
Photos: @KelleySheenan
Fabric: @Spoonflower
Model: MelaninGoddessEfon
“In the 1940’s, Norwegians made and wore red pointed hats with a tassel as a form of visual protest against Nazi occupation of their country. Within two years, the Nazis made these protest hats illegal and punishable by law to wear, make, or distribute. As purveyors of traditional craft, we felt it appropriate to revisit this design.”
Crafters have often been at the heart of many protest movements, often serving as a powerful means of political expression. @NeedleAndSkein, a yarn store in Minnesota, are helping to mobilise the craftivists of the world with a ‘Melt The Ice’ knitting pattern created by @Yarn_Cult (with a crochet pattern too), as a way of peaceful protest.
The proceeds from the $5 pattern will go to local immigrant aid organisations – or you can donate without buying the pattern.
Raise those needles, folks – art and craft can change the world. 🧶
Link in bio for the pattern.
Images: @Gather_Fiber @NeedleAndSkein @a2ina2 @KyraGiggles Sandi.204 @WhatTracyMakes AllieKnitsAway Auntabwi2
#MeltTheIce #Craftivism #Knitting #CraftForChange
TWO WEEKS TO GO! 🤩
"The most important shift is moving from volume-led buying to value-led curation – choosing fewer, better products with strong ethics, considered production and meaningful stories. Retailers have real influence here: what you buy signals what you stand for. At Life Instyle, this means using the event to discover and invest in small-scale, planet-considerate brands that align with your values and your customer’s conscience. Consumers don’t need more things; they need better things, and retailers play a key role in selecting, contextualising, and championing why those products matter."
Only two more weeks until @Life_Instyle – Australia`s leading boutique retail trade show. If you own a store, don`t miss this event! Connect with designers, source exquisite – and mindful – products, and see firsthand why this is Australia’s go-to trade show for creatives and retailers alike. And it`s free! ✨️
Life Instyle – Sydney/Eora Country
14-17 February 2026
ICC, Darling Harbour
Photos: @Samsette
#LifeInstyle #SustainableShopping #SustainableShop #RetailTradeEvent
Calling all sewists! 📞
Have you made the Peppermint Waratah Wrap Dress yet? Call *1800 I NEED THIS NOW to get making!
This gorgeous green number was modelled (and made) by the fabulous Lisa of @Tricky.Pockets 🙌🏼
If you need a nudge, @ePrintOnline are offering Peppermint sewists a huge 🌟 30% off ALL A0 printing 🌟 when you purchase the Special Release Waratah Wrap Dress pattern – how generous is that?!
Head to the link in bio now 📞
*Not a real number in case that wasn`t clear 😂
#PeppermintWaratahWrapDress #PeppermintPatterns #SewingPattern #WrapDress #WrapDressPattern
8 Things to Know About January 26 - from @ClothingTheGaps:
Before you celebrate, take the time to learn the truth. January 26 is not a day of unity it’s a Day of Mourning and Survival for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
It marks the beginning of invasion, dispossession, and ongoing colonial violence. It’s time for truth-telling, not whitewashed history.
Stand in solidarity. Learn. Reflect. Act.
✊🏽 Blog written by Yorta Yorta woman Taneshia Atkinson.
🔗 Link in bio of @ClothingTheGaps to read the full blog
#ChangeTheDate #InvasionDay #SurvivalDay #AlwaysWasAlwaysWillBe #ClothingTheGaps
As the world careens towards AI seeping into our feeds, finds and even friend-zones, it`s becoming increasingly hard to ignore.
We just wanted to say that here at Peppermint, we are choosing to not print or publish AI-generated art, photos, words, videos or content.
Merriam-Webster’s human editors chose `slop` as the 2025 Word of the Year – they define it as “digital content of low quality that is produced usually in quantity by means of artificial intelligence.” The problem is, as AI increases in quality, it`s becoming more and more difficult to ascertain what`s real and what`s not.
Let`s be clear here, AI absolutely has its place in science, in climate modelling, in medical breakthroughs, in many places... but not in replacing the work of artists, writers and creatives.
Can we guarantee that everything we publish is AI-free? Honestly, not really. We know we are not using it to create content, but we are also relying on the artists, makers and contributors we work with, as well as our advertisers, to supply imagery, artwork or words created by humans. AI features are also creeping into programs and apps too, making it difficult to navigate. But we will do our best to avoid it and make a stand for the artists and creatives who have had their work stolen and used to train AI machines, and those who are now losing work as they are replaced by this energy-sapping, environment-destroying magic wand.
Could using it help our productivity and bottom line? Sure. And as a small business in a difficult landscape, that`s a hard one to turn down. We know other publishers who use AI to write stories, create recipes, produce photo shoots... but this one is important to us.
`Touch grass` was also a Merriam-Webster Word of the Year. We`ll happily stick with that as a theme, thanks very much. 🌿
