As I slide out of my indigo firm single bed, I am struck by the feeling of fresh linen. Ahh, fresh sheets, is there any better feeling? Fresh sheets have long been my favorite way to treat myself. When I was promoted, new sheets. When we sign the papers on our new home, new sheets, sometimes I don’t even need an excuse, new sheets. I see a design, and my bank account deflates.
As my new linen obsession grew stronger, I started to feel guilty about the mountain of old (barely) sheets that were amassing under my ensemble. I would rotate them, but there’s only so many bed sheets I can change in a week without getting grumpy. So, what to do with all these bed sheets? I dared not throw them out. I was ready to live a hoarder’s life until a friend suggested I repurpose them.
What?
Repurposing bed sheets had never entered my mind, but like a bolt from the blue, it hit me. I knew what I had to do, and the rest is history. Learn from me now as I go through my favorite ways to repurpose old bed sheets.
- Dog chew toy
Ouch, turning fancy bed sheets into a chew toy? Well, of course, you don’t have to use sheets that are still functional. Old ragged bed sheets are best. To create a chew toy your dog will go nuts over, cut a bed sheet into long thin strips, then twist them all together into a single strand, and tie the ends off. Easy! A DIY toy your dog will love.
- Pyjama Pants
Technically, if you were handy with a sewing machine, you could create all types of garments from old bed sheets. I am a novice in the way of sewing, but following a very simple pattern I downloaded, I was able to turn an old favorite bed sheet into a cozy pair of PJs.
- Curtains
While bed sheets aren’t designed to block the sun’s rays, old sheets are a perfect fill-in curtain. This little hack requires no modification of the sheet so that you can reuse the sheet again.
Covered hangers
I love this one. Using strips of old bed sheets in your favorite pattern or design to pad clothes hangers. Cheap, ugly plastic hangers can be easily dressed up by wrapping thin strips of bed sheet around them. This is a fun project that can be done from the couch and requires no real skill or effort. Oh yeah, and your clothes won’t slip off the hangers anymore, bonus!
- Gift wrap
I initially did this a joke, but it proved so popular it’s now a regular fixture of family Christmas. Cut your old bed sheets into the required shapes and use the sheets exactly like you would wrapping paper. The best part is, the wrapping won’t rip, tear, or be thrown away after a single use. We haven’t bought wrapping paper in nearly two years, thanks to this novelty trick.
- Car boot liner
No modification required, just chuck your old bed sheet in the boot area of your car for instant interior protection. Having a sheet or two in your car is always handy; in case of emergencies, you can use it as shelter, a fire extinguisher, or even a rag for engine repairs.
If you’re a new linen addict like me, it’s hard not to feel guilty about the number of sheets that you have amassed, never fear, there are hundreds of ways to reuse and recycle your old bed sheets. I have touched upon just a fraction of different ideas, so get out there and get creative.
