9 Creative Ways To Repurpose Old Sleeping Bags Around The House & Garden

When camping season winds down and cooler days are on the way, you might start to think about packing away your camping gear for the winter. But, before you do so, it's worth giving all your gear the once-over to see if anything needs repairing or replacing. And with sleeping bags seeing more use than many other items in your camping kit, you might decide it's time to retire yours and invest in a new one. Of course, a sleeping bag is the camping item you can actually toss in the washing machine on laundry day but sometimes washing simply isn't enough. If your sleeping bag is ripped, faded or just not as comfortable as it once was, it might be time to think about upgrading. But, before you throw your current sleeping bag in the trash bin, why not look at some of the many ways to repurpose one for using around both your home and garden?

With Americans throwing away 292.4 million tons of waste a year, finding eco-friendly ways to repurpose items is a small step to contributing less to landfill. Sure, your sleeping bag might have rips and general wear and tear — it might even smell a bit musty — but that doesn't mean you need to throw it away. Give it a quick wash and try one of our many creative ideas. From making aprons through kids' crafting projects and dog beds, there's sure to be something that will appeal.

Cats and dogs love a cozy surface to sleep on, and the downy feel of a sleeping bag could be perfect. Fold the bag into the shape you want to start with, sewing this into place with some thick quilting thread. Knowing how often you need to clean your dog beds in particular, we'd also advise making a cover with a zipper or snaps so you can just take this off every few weeks to wash off dirt and fur. The softness and warmth the sleeping bag provides are sure to be a big hit with your pets.

Delicate plants need protection over winter from the harsh elements and fabric is the best material to cover your plants with to protect from frost. But it can be challenging to find the right material. Put anything too heavy on your plants and it will damage them, and something that's too light will simply blow away. Enter the humble old sleeping bag — the material is light enough to not squash your plants but the overall bag is dense enough to stay put, particularly with a zipper weighing things down. 

This is one for the sewers out there. You'll need a pattern to follow and a sewing machine to get through the thicker fabric. The material of a sleeping bag is already puffy and you'll finish up with a warm gardening coat. There are several video tutorials out there, but we think this video from withwendy simplifies the whole process really well. Once you've made it, do take care to learn how to wash your cozy puffer jacket without ruining it – you don't want all your crafting expertise to go to waste.

Sturdy old sleeping bags make an equally sturdy apron that will be ideal for protecting your clothing when you're cooking or gardening. The material is lightweight enough not to constrict movement when you're moving about and doing things, but is hardy enough to protect from spills, splashes and dirt. This is a project that's best undertaken with vintage or canvas sleeping bags rather than the modern puffy style of sleeping bag. Vintage and canvas sleeping bags are tough and durable — ideal for withstanding messes.

Looking for an art project or some crafts to do with your kids around the house? Why not repurpose sleeping bags into different forms of DIY art? There are plenty of DIY home decor ideas out there, ranging from simple images all the way up to large craft projects such as this beautiful Chinese dragon. Sleeping bags provide a surprising amount of material, and they're easy to cut up, making them the perfect material for children to work with.  

Kids are messy. There's nothing wrong with that at all, but it can be a challenge to keep your home clean when they want to indulge in messy play. Play mats can help to protect your floors but rather than spending money on one, why not cut down your old sleeping bag for this purpose? Not only will this keep your house cleaner and provide plenty of padding for your kids, it's also easy to roll up and take out and about with you for picnics and napping.

Sleeping bags aren't always waterproof but they are generally water resistant, as well as being made of tough materials designed to withstand outdoor camping trips. This means they can be repurposed easily as outdoor cushions. Either cut to double your required size and fold over before sewing with heavy quilting thread, or alternatively, use these squares to fill outdoor cushion covers for a durable outdoor seating arrangement. Remember to keep your outdoor cushions in tip top shape by cleaning regularly and bringing them inside during extreme weather.

Again, this is one for the DIY sewing fans out there. If you are a crafty person, you could use your sleeping bag to make a soft floor play mat for your kids. This works particularly well if you've got a multicolored sleeping bag, as you can cut up squares to make a fun design. Simply stitch cut out squares together and add a backing to make things more secure. The completed play mat can also make a fantastic picnic blanket, thanks to its natural insulation.

It's hard to resist letting your pets onto your couches and chances are that you won't have much say in the matter, anyway. But if you don't have a couch with the most pet-friendly material, then you'll probably be looking at ways to protect it from scratches, fur, and dirt. An old sleeping bag can easily be repurposed as a pet bed for the sofa, either by laying it on top as a cover or cutting and sewing it to the perfect size for your pet.