If you want to have a positive impact on the environment, it’s important to take seriously the following mantra: reduce, re-use and recycle.
We can all do something about reducing the consumption of products we don’t really need to purchase. Start by using your own coffee mug and from there you can start re-examining your other spending habits. Meanwhile, most municipalities now have robust recycling programs—and while this does save energy and landfill space, while reducing pollution and preserving the natural environment—there is one environmental practice that we often overlook: re-using that which we already own.
Unfortunately, many people don’t think twice about tossing aside commonly used items — such as old sheets. Yet these can be used over again in myriad ways.
Top 31 Ways To ReUse Sheets
1.) Cut up To Make Rag Rugs How To Make Video
2.) Halloween Costumes: Don’t forget those ghost costumes and other get-up for kids (of all ages).
3.) Furniture Covers: Cover up old furniture to protect from dust and dirt in attics, garages and basements, or use on moving day.
4.) Indoor Tents: Kids love building indoor tents or forts, especially when their friends are visiting.
5.) Garment Protectors: Used sheets are great for covering up those out-of-season clothes or rarely used suits and dresses.
6.) Sleeping Bag Liners: Sew the old sheet together into a removable, washable liner to fit your sleeping bag.
7.) House Painting: Use old sheets as a drop cloth to cover up your furniture and your floors.
8.) Baby Wipes: For handmade cloth baby wipes, use cotton or flannel sheets. Cut them into 9-by-9-inch squares and then serge or zigzag the edges.
9.) Doll Clothes: Be creative and sew your old sheets into clothes for the kids’ dolls. They will love it!
10.) Rags: Old sheets are great for dusting or cleaning. Would you seriously buy something new for this task?
11.) Table Cloths: These work well for outdoor/park picnic tables.
13.) Christmas Tree Covers: Wrap up that Yuletide tree in an old sheet to prevent the needles from falling on the floor.
14.) Tote Bags: Sew old sheets into simple bags and use them for laundry or for carrying shoes in a suitcase, even make your own reusable grocery bags. How to make a Tote Bag
15.) Artist Poncho: Cut a hole for the head, add a waist belt and wear the sheet as a painting poncho while working your masterpiece or doing messy crafts.
16.) Pillow Cases: This is a great way to re-purpose your old sheets. Copy one of your pillowcases as a pattern. One large sheet yields six standard pillowcases. For a finishing touch, add some trim.
17.) Pet Bedding: Use the sheets to line the bottom of your pet’s bed, or drop them off at the local Humane Society.
18.) Curtains: This is far more affordable than custom curtains. You will need to sew on tabs or affixing hooks and adjust for length.
19.) Aprons: Sheet aprons? Why not?
20.) Quilts: Used sheets work great as backing for a quilt or use instead of batting..
21.) Berry Catchers: If you need to quickly harvest that mulberry tree, shake the tree branches onto an old sheet spread out on the ground. No need for climbing! This works on any type of hedge or tree trimming. Just lay old sheets down and use to catch your trimmings.
22.) Plant Cover: Protect your rose bushes, tomato plants and other garden vegetables from hail or an unexpected deep freeze by draping over them lightly with an old sheet.
23.) Donate, the Goodwill resells unsaleable fabrics for uses in everything from insulation to carpeting. Homeless shelters should be happy to take old sheets off your hands
24.) Use for Set Designs or Puppet theaters, old sheets can make good background for set designs.
25.) Use for sewing for testing new patterns.
26.) Babys Diapers?
27.) Bandages– In the Civil war, this old sheets and bedding were primary sources of bandagesI have actually used as bandages when have run out of bandaids. Can you for slings..
28.)Banners, make that sign just with spray paint.
29.) Resew into napkins, placemats.
30.) Ironing Board covers-
31.) Do you Wax? This is a perfect way to reuse old sheets in your beauty treatments.
Just remember that while recycling is a great idea, it still requires some energy. And depending on local policies, discarding your old sheets may mean that they are still headed straight for the landfill. On the other hand, re-using them is the best environmental option.
About the Author: when Matt isn’t covering the best organic modern beds from Unison in Chicago, IL, he is fully immersed in the blogosphere providing his readers with eco-friendly tips that they can take advantage of!