Use Bed Linens to Redecorate Any Room in the House
You don’t even need to run out and buy new sheets and comforters. Use what you have to make your living room, den, dining room or kitchen fresh all over again.
Sheets can be made into table cloths, napkins, curtains, table runners, potholders and rugs. A set of sheets is all it takes, and it’s all easy, straight seam sewing. You can even do it by hand while watching TV.
Table cloth? Measure and cut, leaving an extra inch all the way around for a hem. Hem on a sewing machine or by hand. Use the leftover scraps for napkins by cutting 12 or 13 inch squares and hemming them. Or make triangles! Who said napkins had to be square?
Curtains are just big rectangles, hemmed and hung. Measure your window and add six inches in length for top and bottom hems. Cut two pieces, and hem the sides first, then turn the top over a half inch, sew it down, then turn under and sew, leaving plenty of room for the curtain rod – usually three inches. Hem the bottom and you’re done.
A set of sheets (top and bottom), even twin size, should give you enough material to make all this and more.
What about the living room? Cover the couch with a comforter or sheet! Mix and match covers for chairs and hem a few pieces to cover table tops, wrap throw pillows, or put on shelves for accents.
To cover an upholstered chair or couch, first position the sheet or comforter to make it fit good. If yours has loose pillows, put the sheet under them, and wrap the pillows with another sheet. If you don’t have loose pillows, a stick, a couple of rulers, or a length of just about anything sturdy, narrow and long, can be pushed into the angle between seat and back to hold the cover in place. They sell rods for this, but they aren’t necessary.
At the corners of the back and behind the couch or chair, wrap the sheet or comforter as if you were wrapping a gift, then use safety pins to fasten it. Don’t pin the sheet to the furniture, as it could damage the upholstery, but pin it to itself. With a little practice, the corner wraps will be smooth and stay snug. Do the arms the same way, and take up any slack in the back or side where it won’t be seen.
You can use a pillow case intended for a bed pillow to encase a throw pillow. Just fold the excess to the inside and tack it in place with needle and thread if necessary.
Comforters make good curtains because they’re heavy enough to keep out the heat, cold and light, yet lightweight enough to hang at a window without special anchoring. They’ll fit large windows, and they’re easy to cut down to fit smaller ones. Take courage in hand and try it with an old one if you don’t feel confident to cut into a good one. Fit them the same as kitchen curtains.
Make a throw rug to match your new decor with yet another sheet. Fold it in half, then in half again and again, until you have the size you want. Sew a seam about two inches from the edge all the way around it. At this point, you can sew decorative seams like quilting, or add embellishments. Think flat braid, applique, fabric paint or patches of sewn on embroidery. Buttons probably wouldn’t work because they would tend to catch on toes and shoes and would be soon torn off.
Alternatively and depending on how much time and desire you have, you can tear a sheet into strips and braid, knit or crochet a rug to match your throws, pillows, curtains…
If you give your imagination a little freedom, you may be able to redo your entire living room and kitchen for under $200.00!
