8:30AM
Recycling old sheets... creative ideas wanted!
Thursday, August 11, 2011 at 8:30AM I buy the same type of sheets all the time… white, 400 thread count. I’m hard on sheets, I wash them on the sanitary cycle which gets super hot, bleach them, and line dry them in the sun. I usually get about two years out of a set before the hems begin to fray, or a bare spot appears then rips.
Trying to be thrifty here, I’d like to find some creative ways to recycle them. What type of sewing would work well on 400 thread count fabric? You know, things like drawer sachets… etc.
Your creative ideas wanted!
Reader Comments (11)
For a "light" summer quilt, use an old sheet instead of batting.
That's what my grandmother would have done. She would even use a REAL, old quilt, as batting. I think she was the Queen of Recycling, even before it became stylish to recycle! LOL
If the sheet's not spotted or yellowed with age, I've used them as "plain" blocks in my quilts.... Just another suggestion.
Rosa
You could dye them, strip them into strips, and braid them into small kitchen rugs. They look really cute.
Embroidery projects...........
Dye and paint them..........
Quilting Arts...........
Shabby Chic
I'm in the process of making linen slipcovers for all my furniture so I use my old sheets for the seat part under the cushions. I also use my old sheets for making pillow covers for my new bed pillows. Why pay a fortune for a pillow cover when it's so easy to make. I make them exactly the same size, put a zipper in, and then they protect my pillows. Those guys are $10.+ at places like BBB for high thread count ones. They look pretty and don't get in the way of the regular pillowcases. I save every part as good sheets are pricey. I use the remnants for crazy quilt blocks. Those make great notebook covers and so much prettier than plastic covers. PS< slipcovers are proving to be such a delight to do using the 830. What a great investment we made. I can't imagine ever needing or wanting another machine. This guy does it all. I'm saving a ton making my slipcovers. My down chairs are from Quatrine and they wanted $1400. for the slipcovers just for that chair. That made the decision easy to learn how myself. I just bought a new couch that goes w/it and I ordered 20 yds. of Rachel Ashwells white cotton denim to make slipcovers for it. I'm saving a lot of money and saving the furniture, too. I'm in the country and this drought has stirred up LOTS of dust and dirt. We're dry as a bone. Now I can wash the covers and not worry about the furniture getting so dirty. Just a few suggestions, although not w/out work.
I have a wonderful use for sheets, 40 years ago my Mother made me a quilt using 2 " Happy Days Fonzie " flat sheets. She put a layer of batting between them, tied the quilt, and zig zag machine stitching around the outside edges. This quilt is still my absolute favorite, warm in winter and cool in the summer.
Use as lining for curtains.
Or, you can use as muslins for garment patterns. I know that's not the perfect fabric for it's better than wasting fashion fabric. Can you tell I am back to garment sewing now? I am determined to get to know my My Label software!
If there is enough good sheet left you could make baby sheets to give to a local shelter, pregnancy center, church etc. You might contact local churches to see if they are in need of the still good parts of the sheets. A local Mennonite church close to where I live makes what they call "rags" to be sent to other countries. I don't know what these are but I'm sure other churches make similar items.
CJ, It really depends on how worn the sheets are. If very worn, it's probably not worth the effort or time--whatever you make will not last very long. It's like old jeans--the minute they get all soft they will tear--oops that's the way people buy them now. Diane in CT
They make great ironing board covers as well.
make pillows of fabric that is in your stash that you will never use and then stuff them with the cut-up sheets and donate them to the animal shelters for the dogs and cats to use. (no paper in them). A 12" to 14: pillow is a good size. Several friends and I do this.. you can also put in scraps of batting and scraps of fabtic.
I think you can make curtains out of these sheets. You just need to buy some additional designs like colorful stitch and threads.