You spend most of your time sleeping so it’s only natural to get the best bed sheets available. You spend a good amount of money to make sure they’re soft, comfortable, and long-lasting.
However, like most of the things you have at home, bed sheets are bound to get old. And once they reach that point, it’s easy to think that you can just throw them out and just buy new ones.
Well, here’s the thing. There’s actually a lot of ways you can repurpose your bed sheets. From making new dresses to using them as duvet covers, this list has great ideas you can use to save your sheets from the dump.
1. Give new life to an old piece of furniture
Cut up pieces of your old sheets, and use Mod Podge to adhere them to furniture or your walls. You can even try different patterns for each drawer on a dresser, as detailed here.
Why throw away an old, beautifully patterned sheet when you can make something useful out of it. Create a beautiful maxi dress from old bed sheets by following this video tutorial.
Make an adorable apron from your old sheets. All you need is scissors and a needle and threat. Watch the tutorial video to learn how to do this great project.
If your cabinets are overrun with plastic shopping bags, you can use your old sheets to make a plastic bag holder. Check out the video to find out how to complete this useful project.
Make your hangers look nicer by covering them with fabric. In addition, the hangers should hold your clothing better this way. You can find a tutorial here.
If the weather is going to drop unexpectedly, you can use your old sheets to cover your plants so they stay warm. The material should hold in the heat from the soil below and keep your larger plants from freezing. Use a cold gardening frame for the best results.
Fold a sheet in half and sew around the sides to create this sleeping bag liner that is perfect for when you go camping or anywhere else you want a barrier between you and the bed. Check out how to make this DIY project here.
Cut up your sheets, and use the pieces as reusable cleaning rags instead of wasting paper towels. This works really well with more absorbent materials, such as cotton or even bamboo.
Brighten your bathroom by using a colorful bed sheet to add some color. With a little sewing, you can craft your colored bed sheet into a colorful shower curtain. You can find the tutorial here.
Turn a favorite old bed sheet into a beautiful, pleated bed skirt. Not only will the skirt probably go along with your current decor, but it is also simple to make. You can find the directions here.
Get even more use out of your old bed sheets by turning them into a pair of pajama bottoms. You can find the tutorial for how to craft a pair of pajama bottoms out of an old bed sheet here.
If you don’t want to waste plastic bags, you can make shopping bags from your old sheets to create reusable shopping bags. Find out how to repurpose your old sheets into shopping bags in the following video.
You can repurpose your old bed sheets into pillowcases. For this project, cut equal sizes of your sheets to the size you want your pillow to be, sew around the edges, and turn them inside out to create brand new pillowcases. You can find the tutorial here.
You can use an old, white sheet as a movie screen and host movie nights if you have a projector. Hang it from somewhere overhead and let it hang down, but first make sure it doesn’t have any holes in it.
You can also make some beautiful curtains from your fitted sheets in just minutes. The following video shows you how to make curtains using your old bed sheets.
Cut your old bed sheets up into small strips and hang them up around your yard in the spring. Birds will take the fabric and weave it into their nests, making them more colorful.
Liven up the wall of your nursery or other room by adding a little color using old bed sheets. Find out how to create this wonderful DIY wall hoop art here.
Use a little elastic, an old bed sheet, and your sewing skills to extend the life of your sheets by turning them into fitted sheets. You can find an easy-to-follow how-to guide here.
Turn any beautiful, old bed sheet fabric into a chic bangle for your wrist. Simply take a plastic bangle and cover it with the fabric from your old sheets, as shown here.
Spice up an old bag or DIY handbag project by using your old bed sheets as an inside liner. All it takes is a little determination and sewing know-how, though this tutorial might help.
Repurpose your old bed sheets as a fabric gift wrap. Top off the gift with a matching bow or ribbon. Check out this DIY hack to find out how to spruce up your gifts using your old bed sheets.
An old sheet makes a great ground cover in a pinch while on a picnic. Just fold the old sheet and place it in your car trunk. Then, if you find yourself on an impromptu picnic with nothing to cover the ground, simply pull out the old sheet and use it.
While your old sheets might seem useless to you, many others who are less fortunate would jump at the chance to own them. So, instead of throwing them in the trash, donate your old sheets to a local charity.
Protect the backseat of your car by taking an old sheet and placing it over the seat, safeguarding it from spills and other messes. Preferably, you want to use a fitted sheet, but a regular sheet works as well.
You can take an old sheet and repurpose it as bedding for your pets. Simply wrap any cushioning you have in your pet’s bed in the sheet, or use it to line the floor of a cage.
Take an unfaded sheet and cover a bulletin board to make a colorful cover. In addition to looking snazzy, you can still pin items to the bulletin board through the material. Check out how to do this project in more detail here.
An old sheet makes a great way to get rid of the leaves in your yard. Simply rake the leaves and place them on the sheet spread out on the ground, gather the corners of the sheet and drag the leaves to where you want.
You can take an old sheet and turn it into an ironing board cover. This tutorial walks you through the steps for making an ironing board cover using an old sheet.
To really get some use out of your old bed sheets, cut them up into small pieces and place them into the compost pile. The cotton material should easily degrade in five to six months.
Save your old bed sheets, and the next time you paint you’ll have some readymade drop cloths for your floors and furniture. When you finish painting, just throw the old bed sheets in the trash for easy disposal or wash them for reuse.
Similar to using ModPodge to cover boring dresser drawers, you can transform bland and boring shelving into something a bit more bright and cheery. Once again, ModPodge makes this craft super easy to do.
We’ve shared with you how to make a teepee or a fort for the kiddos using some old bedsheets, but these adorable outdoor tents take the cake. You’ll just need a hula hoop, some old sheets, and a few extra supplies. Head over to the Alanna George blog to find out how to make your own.
Do you have some old floral sheets that just don’t quite fit your decor? If the design is pretty enough, you can make a beautiful Spring outfit with them. The lightweight material of the sheet is perfect for those warm Spring. Trevor Loves Mommy can show you how.
If you don’t have enough space for a laundry hamper in your room, fashion a fabric laundry bag to keep in your closet instead. Once it’s full, just haul the bag to the washing machine or the laundry mat! The Momtastic blog has the tutorial for you.
Tote bags are so handy and convenient for many things–grocery shopping, a weekend getaway, a day trip to the beach, the list goes on! Get creative with your old sheets and sew your own–it’s actually much easier than you think. Watch the video tutorial below.
46. Make cloth napkins
With some basic sewing skills, you can transform your favorite bedsheets into cloth napkins that you can use for years to come. Head over to Design Sponge for the step-by-step instructions.
Heating pads are wonderful for aches and pains or when you’re feeling under the weather. But, they can be expensive if you buy them from the store. Make your own by cutting two identical rectangles from a sheet and sewing three sides together. Fill the pouch with rice or dry beans then sew shut. Simply microwave when needed. You can even add some essential oils for a lovely scent when heated.
