Don't Throw Out Old Bed Sheets: 14 Ways To Repurpose Them

You can't put a price on quality sleep, so we should always appreciate those items that help us get the best nighttime experience possible, from the mattress to the linens. Letting go of something that gave you so many nights of sound rest can be hard, but with bedsheets only lasting about two to three years, it's a swap we all have to make sooner rather than later. But your favorite set of sheets doesn't have to stop serving your needs just because it's unfit for the mattress. On the contrary, it may be a perfect solution for numerous unexpected needs around the house, potentially giving it several more years of use.

With so much fabric in a single piece, one bedsheet can cover several repurposing projects. It's no problem if there are stains, rips, or other damage that are forcing its retirement from the bed; as long as you have some usable area, there's a way to give it a new use, whether it's as grand as a tote bag or as small and simple as a cleaning cloth. In fact, all the clever reuses may be enough to make you seek out a set of old sheets to repurpose during your next trip to the thrift store!

If you're like many eco-conscious consumers nowadays, the number of plastic bags they give you at stores can be very alarming. Reusable shopping bags save the planet while saving you time dealing with hard-to-recycle plastic varieties. They're just easy to forget before heading out the door. The solution? Make totes from that old bedsheet so you can keep extras in the car! Make it easy by simply cutting a panel and folding and sewing the sides. When you want a challenge, though, cut the sheet into strips and try your hand at a crocheted masterpiece.

Some may find it lazy to sweep a mess under the rug, but there's no denying it can help a room's look in a flash. The same concept applies to the bed, an enormous footprint offering a space to cover miscellaneous bedroom items. You just need to make your underbed storage more discreet, cleaning it up with a simple bed skirt. Measure your box spring, and cut strips from a bedsheet to cover its sides, ends, and corners. Fold and sew the hem to smooth the edge, and pin it in place for a classic, attractive addition to tidy up your room.

For jet-setting DIYers, a suitcase cover is almost too perfect a project to pass up. A cover ensures your luggage will last, protecting it from scratches, stains, and attacks from the elements. With a fashionable design, it'll also earn you some style points as it turns heads at the airport. Form a cover from your old bed sheet, cutting out sections to fit the wheels, handles, and locks for easy operation even when the case is covered up.

DIY an original basket with a retired bedsheet to give your home some stylish storage. You can make these accents on the cheap by giving an old bed sheet new life with a Dollar Tree basket storage DIY, but they're also easy to fashion out of items as basic as a shoebox. Rather than trash your old cardboard box, fit it with an attractive sheet cover to turn it into essential decor. If you have any strips left over, you can even run strips from side to side to create dividers in your basket for better organization.

Out of the bedroom and into the dining room could be the perfect arc for your old repurposed bedsheet. One sheet can be enough to outfit an entire dining table's worth of placemats, giving you a unique, harmonious decoration to make mealtime more special (and cleaner). Use a double layering to give them some volume, adding a decorative stitch to bring the design together. If you have some sheet remaining, fashion a table runner to complete the table arrangement. The cloth mats are easy to fold and store, and you can toss them in the wash when necessary.

The funky designs that grace so many bedsheets translate perfectly to quirky attire for cooking and cleaning around the house. Test your sewing skills with a fun apron project. You'll have to take some time getting the proper body measurements for the best fit, but when done right, a fresh apron can revolutionize your routine. Your clothes will have protection from stains, and you can outfit them with as many pockets as needed to hold your tools and devices to make life as easy as possible during chore time.

When the holidays or birthdays roll around, an old bedsheet can come out to solve any and all of your gift-wrapping needs. Whip up custom gift bags or simply use the sheet to wrap boxes, adding another layer of personalization to a meaningful present. Paint on different designs, prints, or stencils, and tie it off with a colorful ribbon to complete a stylish presentation.

Tired of that old, worn-out ironing board cover? The solution might be an old, worn-out bedsheet! When you need a change from your damaged and drab cover, a sheet offers a similarly light protective surface with a fresh pattern to revamp your board. Trace the board's shape onto your sheet, allowing for a bit of excess around the edge so you can wrap it under the lip. Put it around your board, and sew it into place for a simple but permanent hold, or go the extra mile and add an adjustable drawstring for easy removal.

When you're looking for a place to repurpose a bed sheet, the ideal spot may be right under your feet. Consider how to turn your old sheets into a braided rag rug for a comfortable and cozy addition to hard floor areas around the home. Cut the sheets into strips 1 or 2 inches wide, and combine them into a long run. Sort them into creative patterns for intriguing colors and texture, crocheting them together into a gorgeous design.

Unleash your inner Picasso by reusing that old bedsheet as a blank canvas for one-of-a-kind wall art. The right textures, colors, and patterns make for easy transformations into tapestries or quilted pieces. But even if you don't have much natural artistic talent, you can enjoy stoking your creativity by wrapping a sheet around a simple wood frame and trying abstract art with colors fitting your home's design scheme. By holding it down with liberal amounts of glue, you can set wavy textures in the sheet to accompany the paint colors, casting shadows in intriguing directions.

Homes lose heat through their doors, but you can have some control over how much air yours lets out or in. A draft stopper is like a long pillow that fits tightly against the door gap, stopping unwanted airflow from ruining the indoor climate. Just measure the door and cut a section of bedsheet long enough to span it. Wrap it into a tube, and sew it closed. Then, stuff it with soft fill before adding a zipper or other resealable clasp to keep your home's temperature a little more tolerable.

The shopping bag DIY isn't the only way a repurposed bed sheet can save you money and help the planet. Rather than face the recurring cost of paper towels to tackle your daily cleaning tasks, cut that old bed sheet down into a roll's worth of reusable sheets. Cut a template to make equal-sized towels, and hem the edges if desired.

Pets and kids running around the house and over everything in it should inspire extra steps to protect your belongings, including your furniture. For a cheap and easy fix, pull that old, unused king-sized bedsheet out of the closet. Cut it to size if needed, and drape it over your sofa, loveseat, or chair as a slipcover. Even out the ends so it lies symmetrically across the furniture, and tuck it into the cushion creases for daily protection against spills, crumbs, and dirty paws. Keep a couple handy to swap out as they become dirty and need washing.

Everyone needs potholders, no matter how much or how little cooking they do. Take the opportunity when filling out your kitchen supplies to turn this into a family-friendly craft project. An old bedsheet can make a unique outer design, while some basic batting layers will give it insulation and bulk. Add a hanging tab and decorative stitches along the center to complete the design.