make out of nothing

make something out of nothing 

1. Lit. to create something of value from nearly worthless parts. My uncle—he sells sand—made a fortune out of nothing. My model airplane won the contest even though I made it out of scrap.

2. Fig. to make an issue of something of little importance. Relax, John, you're making a big problem out of nothing. You have no evidence. You're making a case out of nothing.

See also: make, nothing, out