Five Jolly Bar Projects You Can Sew In A Day

We might be biased, but Jolly Bars® are our favorite precut, and they’re exclusive to Fat Quarter Shop. This 5″ x 10″ rectangle of fabric is versatile and economical, which lends itself well to both quilts and smaller projects. That means, when you have a Jolly Bar in your stash, you have enough fabric to make several one-day projects for gifting (or to keep for yourself). To celebrate Jolly Bar Day, we’re gifting you this roundup of five Jolly Bar projects you can finish making well before it’s time for your midnight snack. Make sure to read to the end for a FREE Downloadable PDF all about the piecing potential of your Jolly Bars.

Looking for even more Jolly Bar fun today? We have a very special Saturday Livestream to celebrate! Tune in to our YouTube channel to sew along with Kimberly, and you can see all of the great Jolly Bar Jig quilts that our quilty friends made below. Now, break out a Jolly Bar and keep reading for the sweetest Jolly Bar projects—good luck picking just a few to do!

You can find all of these great quilters and their sweet Jolly Bar creations by following them at the links below!

• Becky Thompson, Power Tools With Thread, (@powertoolswiththread)
• Cassie, (@sewshequilts4love)
• Kathleen McMusing, (@kathleenmcmusing)
• Kelly Aulson, Pickin’ Stitches, (@pickinstitches)
• Marisa Wilhelmi, (@marisawilhelmidesigns)
• Susan, The Felted Pear, (@thefeltedpear)

1. Turn a Jolly Bar Block Into a Pillow

A throw pillow is always a great gift, plus it’s an easy way to add a splash of color to your own home any time of year! Last summer, we were testing some ideas for Jolly Bar Day, and we sewed up the Jolly Bar Jazz block into a pillow using Sunwashed by Corey Yoder. Sadly, this collection is sold out, but we think it will look even cuter in her Cali & Co. Collection for this summer! See the videos below for all the instructions you need for this cozy quilting project.

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2. Crochet Pin Cushion

Calling all crochet enthusiasts for this next one! Jazz up a simple square stuffed pin cushion by adding a crochet granny square cover—we promise it’s simpler than it looks. To make the cushion, cut a 4.5″ x 4.5″ square from two Jolly Bar Rectangles, sew them right sides together, leaving a 1.5″ gap at the bottom, clip the corners, turn it right sides out, stuff it, and whip stitch the opening closed.

Then, for the cover, follow Lori Holt’s Granny Square tutorial to make two granny squares. Then, block your finished granny squares, and once they are dry, use a single crochet to attach the two pieces, making sure to insert your pin cushion before closing the final edge. Below are all the supplies you will need, as well as video tutorials for crocheting and blocking your pin cushion cover!

• Lori Holt Chunky Crochet Thread
  • We used these three colors for ours:
    • Chamomile Chunky Thread
    • Thyme Chunky Thread
    • Tea Rose Chunky Thread
• Lori Holt 100% Cute Crochet Hooks (Size 6)
• Lori Holt 100% Cute Yarn Needles
• Foam Blocking Board
• Pins
• Finely Ground Walnut Filling Shells

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3. Strippy Zipper Pouch

The Strippy Zipper Pouch is a Fat Quarter Shop exclusive from June Tailor, and our stitchy staffers can’t seam to make enough of them! This bag is a quilt-as-you-go project with the pattern printed directly on the interfacing. For Jolly Bar Day, we made one using the Sandalwood Jolly Bar by 3 Sisters for Moda Fabrics. With 42 cuts to pick from, what will your Strippy Zipper Pouch look like? Watch the video below to see Kimberly make one and get her tips and tricks along the way.

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4. Jolly Bar Table Runner

Do you feel up for a challenge? If so, let us introduce you to the one-hour Jolly Bar Challenge! Race against the clock and follow along with Kimberly to make a tablerunner in just one hour. You can download the 1-Hour Jolly Bar Tablerunner Pattern for FREE and get to sewing faster than you can finish your favorite candy bar.

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5. Travel Tissue Pouch

With a quick 1/4″ seam and some creative cutting, many Layer Cake projects can be adapted for Jolly Bars! Spring is in the air, making a travel tissue pouch a must-sew this season. The FREE Downloadable PDF Cutting Guide starts with a 10″ x 10″ square. Below the video, we show how piecing together two Jolly Bars on the long edge can give you the same cuts with a pop of piecing that adds a ton of style in a flash!

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Jolly Bar Day Sale

In honor of this quilty holiday, we have a Jolly Bar Day Sale for you! Use coupon code JBDAY25 to save 25% off all regularly priced Jolly Bars®. Excludes sale items, reservations, and membership fees. One use per customer. Other exclusions may apply. Offer can’t be retroactively applied to previous orders. Expires May 11, 2025, at 11:59 PM CST, or while supplies last.

Share with #JollyBarDay

We hope we’ve given you some inspiration to unwrap a Jolly Bar and get sewing this weekend. Share your projects with us on social media with #JollyBarDay and tag us in your photos so we can see and share your work!

Happy Quilting and Making!

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