Using an Old Blanket to Re-case Old Pillows or Make New Pillows


New Pillows

We all have old things lying around; things that hold too much sentimental value to be thrown away, things that we don\’t know how to dispose off. Although there is a growing awareness amongst every community, many people still do not know that the energy used to dispose off waste is comparable to the energy used to produce them in the first place. If you have old blankets and pillows lying around the house, why not try re-casing them so that they become usable again? Not only are such projects environmentally-friendly, they also help you save money as you will not need to purchase new things.

Steps

  1. Before you start on this project, make sure you wash and sun your old blanket out first to get rid of all the dirt and bacteria. A good way to disinfect your old blanket is to wrap it up in a plastic bag and pop it into the freezer. Once your blanket is clean, you can now start on the project.
  2. Lay one of your pillow cases flat on a surface and measure its width and length. Take off one to two inches from your measurements and you have your measurements for your pillow.
  3. Your pillows will need twice the length of your previous measurement, and the exact width. Remember to deduct one to two inches off.
  4. Cut strips of cloth from your old blanket with the above measurements. You may add in an inch on each side for sewing space.
  5. Fold the strip of cloth into half lengthwise. Make sure that you fold it inside out.
  6. Sew the two lengths an inch in. Leave the width open.
  7. Once you have a sack, turn it right side out.
  8. If you are making a new pillow, you can stuff it with pillow stuffing which can be purchased easily from any departmental store. If you are simply re-casing old pillows, you will still have to purchase pillow stuffing. The main reason for re-casing pillows is because they look soiled and stained. If the outside looks soiled and stained, chances are that you are going to have to replace some of the stuffing inside. Therefore, you will need at least a spare bag of pillow stuffing. Alternatively, you can remove all the stuffing from several pillows to make a lesser number of pillows.
  9. Once you have stuffed the pillow to your desired volume, fold the width edges in about an inch and sew the pillow up. You may want to do a double stitching to make sure the case does not burst.
  10. You now have brand new-looking pillows.

Image Credit:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/emmajane/2306887508/