Everyone has those old pillowcases lying around the house, right? Whether you store them away in a cupboard, stuff them underneath your bed or stack them in an old suitcase somewhere – they’re often just sitting there collecting dust and not doing anything. Instead of keeping these pieces of fabric locked away, why not upcycle them and give new life to something that has essentially become forgotten? In this post, you will get a look at some fun ways to put those trusty ol’ pillowcases to use again!
Contents
Make A Laundry Bag
This is a fantastic and straightforward method to repurpose old pillowcases. For your next trip to the laundromat, use two old pillowcases to make a laundry bag. First, inside out one of them, and place it inside the other. Make sure the side seams and bottom corners are aligned correctly.
Attach the top edges of both pillowcases by sewing them together in a zigzag stitch. Leave about a 3/4″ gap on one side of the top seam so you can insert the cording around it. Use a safety pin to thread the cording through the bag to make a drawstring. Tie both ends of each side of the cording together before knotting them to keep them from slipping out of the bag.
Make A Washcloth
Another simple way to repurpose an old pillowcase is by turning it into a washcloth. To begin, turn the pillowcase inside out to hide the seams inside the cloth. Cut off the top hemmed edge of your washed pillowcase at an angle or straight across, depending on how thick you would like your final product to be.
Make sure that each end is square-shaped so that they will not fray. After cutting off both ends, cut down three vertical sides of your fabric piece to create a square piece of fabric. Turn your square piece right-side out and sew along one of the cut sides to form a tube with your square piece of fabric. Ensure that you do not sew both ends shut, or it won’t be easy to turn back inside out.
Make A Potholder
Another cute way to reuse an old pillowcase is by making a potholder. To begin, turn an old pillowcase inside out and fold down about 2″ of fabric along one side. Ensure that your resulting strip of cloth is two layers thick before pinning it to itself, so it does not shift during the next step. Sew along the pinned area using a straight stitch with small stitches for reinforcement.
Next, cut off the bottom corners of your newly formed pocket so that they are rounded instead of square-shaped or pointed on top like they originally were. Turn your potholder right-side-out, and you are finished.
Make A Pillow Case Dress For Kids
This idea requires only one old pillowcase that will serve as the body of your child’s new dress. To begin, cut off the top hemmed edge like you did when making a potholder, so it is two layers thick without any raw edges sticking out at this point. You will then need to turn this piece inside out and sew the two open edges closed, making sure to leave a gap at the top.
Insert elastic string or ribbon through this gap and pull it to the end so that it is evenly distributed along your pillow case’s new neckline. Sew up this gap and the newly formed armholes to keep those ends from coming undone later on.
Make An Apron
This is the most difficult project on the list, but it can be another great use for all of those small pillowcases that are too short to make much use. You will need an old pillowcase, or two if you would like, for this repurposing project as well. The first step is to cut off the top hemmed edge to have the same dimensions as the other projects above.
Fold down about 4″ of fabric along one side and sew along the pinned edge with a straight stitch. Make sure your new piece is only one layer thick at this point because you will need to turn it inside out soon. Next, measure 18-24″ up from where you are sewing on your folded side and cut off another section of length 1/2 “-2/3” wide. This section will serve as the waistband of your apron.
To close off what is now the top edge of your apron, fold down about 1″ of fabric along this new raw end and sew it to itself using a straight stitch with small stitches for reinforcement. Next, measure 36-42″ up from where you are sewing on your folded side and cut off another piece of length that is 1/2 “-2/3” wide like you did before. This section will serve as your bib; make sure to keep this measurement in mind while completing the next step because it should be large enough to accommodate all of the items you plan on putting in it.
To close off what is now the bottom edge of your apron, fold down about 1″ of fabric along this new raw end and sew it to itself using a straight stitch with small stitches for reinforcement. You are finished!
Bring New Life To Your Old Pillowcases!
Upcycling old pillowcases is a great way to give them new life and show your creativity. It can be as simple as simply sewing the pillowcase into a wash rag or something more creative such as making it a personal cooking apron. There are limitless possibilities for how you might use these old pieces of fabric to create something beautiful. No matter what project you choose, the end result will be something unique and personal. So go out there and get inspired to upcycle! You never know where it may take you.