Today I have another sewing project, and one that is going to help with your sewing makes. See how to make a DIY sewing ham to add quality to your me-made wardrobe.

Sewing your clothes is such a rewarding hobby to have. Turning a piece of fabric into something wearable is just something else. But, to add an extra notch to making clothing, sometimes we need a helping hand with sewing accessories. Luckily, I have you covered in this week’s post with this DIY sewing ham, also known as a tailor’s ham.

Now, I have made lots of clothing items over the last year, however, I have yet to invest in this piece of sewing equipment to help press the seams, and make them pop. Today that changes, and I am going to walk you through how to make your DIY sewing ham and how to use one in your next sewing project.

What is a Sewing Ham?

A sewing ham or tailor’s ham is a small accessory that helps to press newly sewn seams in garments. It is a curved pillow that is tightly stuffed to help press curved areas of clothing, in a similar shape to a ham joint. This includes curved seams of the bust area, shoulders, and darts to name a few. This helps the clothing items fit and lay as they should, allowing the fit body contours better.

Sawdust is the traditional filling, however, it can be stuffed with fabric scraps and other pillow stuffing. The outer material is usually durable, with one side being heavy cotton and the other side of wool material.

So now that we have got to know what a sewing or tailor’s ham is, let’s get onto making one of our own. They are really easy to put together, and there are lots of free templates available on the internet. I will list down a few that I found, as well as the one that I used as my base for the project.

DIY Sewing Ham

To make the DIY sewing ham you will need the following items. I used the free tailor’s ham pattern by Jennifer Lauren handmade. There are other templates available, for example, Twig and Tales sewing ham.
Some items in this list are affiliate links and will be marked with an asterisk(*).

• Sewing Ham template
• 100% Cotton fabric
• Wool fabric
• Sawdust/wood shaving or filling of choice.
• Sewing machine
• Hand sewing needle and thread
• Scissors or rotary cutter*
• Sewing pins*

Step 1 – Cut out fabric

The first thing to do in this project is to prepare and cut out your material. You will need two outer layer pieces, one in 100% cotton and one in wool fabric. You will also need two layers for the lining part of the DIY sewing ham, again ideally in cotton or heavy-duty material like calico or muslin. This part will hold the stuffing and stop it from coming through the outer layers.

To do this, print off and assemble your chosen sewing ham pattern and pin it to your chosen fabric. Cut this out as above, and you should have four parts to your sewing ham ready to go.

Step 2 – Layer Fabric and Sew

Now, we need to assemble the sewing ham and pin it before sewing.
Start by placing the cotton fabric down with the right side up, then place the wool fabric piece down, right side down. The right sides of each fabric should therefore be touching. Next, it is time to create a little sandwich, a ham sandwich as I like to call it.

Place one of the cotton lining pieces on top of the wool piece. I didn’t take note of the right sides for this, as it is going to be hidden inside; however, if you want to, place the piece right side down onto the wool piece. Then hold all three layers and flip it over, placing the remaining cotton lining piece on top of the cotton outer piece, again place this right side down if you like.

Then pin around the ham, leaving a gap at the bottom edge. I like to mark the start and end of the gap with double pins.

Head to the sewing machine and sew a 1.5cm seam allowance around the edge, leaving the gap unsewn. Start at one side, remembering to backstitch and then stop at the other, again backstitching. This will strengthen the gap part for turning the right side out and stuffing.

Step 3 – Turn right side out

After sewing the DIY sewing ham is taking shape. Before turning the right side out, the seam allowance needs to be trimmed. Start by cutting down the seam allowance along to the bottom edge. Continue by trimming the seam allowance around the remaining edges. If you have pinking shears, I would advise using them, as not only does it help trim the seam allowance, but it creates notches in the fabric. This will save you the time of having to cut the notches in yourself. If you don’t have pinking shears, then add in notches after trimming the seam allowance, around the curved edges of the sewing ham.

Next, it is time to turn the sewing ham right side out. Place your hand through the gap and bring the fabric to the right side out, making sure to push out all of the curves. Then it is time to stuff the ham.

Step 4 – Add stuffing

There are a few stuffing ideas that you can use to stuff the sewing ham. As said previously, the sawdust/wood shavings are the traditional option and the one I am using. I am lucky that my dad carries out a bit of woodworking, so I was able to take the wood shavings off his hands. If you want to use this method, then you can use the sawdust/wood shavings that you find in the pet aisle of the supermarket.
You can also choose to use fabric scraps or pillow stuffing, but the wood method is the best for the bounce-back of the shape of the ham after use.

Start by packing in the chosen stuffing adding this in so that it is tightly packed. You want it to be as stuffed as you possibly can (without busting the seams). Keep going until the ham is fully stuffed. I used disposable gloves to add in the wood shavings as it was quite messy. I would advise completing this outdoors, as there is a bit of mess and overspill when stuffing.

Step 5 – Close the Gap

Once the DIY sewing ham is stuffed it is time to close up the gap and make the ham usable. Now, you can do this on the sewing machine, however, the stitching will be showing. If you want to close the gap and make it sit in line with the rest of the seam allowance, then we need to do this by hand.

Thread a hand sewing needle with thread, creating a knot in the end. Then, take this and place it behind one side of the gap on the inside. This will hide the knot. Make sure it is fully inside the seam allowance. Start by sewing a horizontal stitch coming from the back to front to back on the same side as you have placed the knot. Then sew another horizontal stitch on the opposite side of the gap. Repeat this style, alternating the stitches from side to side. This should create a ‘ladder’ effect across the gap. Gently pull the leading thread (in the needle), and you will see the gap begin to close up.

Continue in this method until you reach the end of the gap, again pulling the thread to close the gap. Then knot the end of the thread but create a loop. To do this, place the needle down and back out of the gap, threading the needle through the loop created, and pulling it tightly. Do this several times and then create a knot to make sure it is secure.

Then the DIY sewing ham is complete and ready to use on your newly sewn garments.

What do you think of this sewing accessory? Have you made or used a sewing ham before? Let me know in the comments below!

DIY Sewing Ham – Video

Here is the video version of this post. It may be easier to follow along with some of the techniques too. Don’t forget to like the video if you have enjoyed it, and why not subscribe to my channel to keep up with all of my creative and crafty antics on YouTube.

DIY Sewing Ham – Save it!

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