Image via: In Color Order
I have such a love of vintage sheets–as do many many other people! And with good reason. The patterns are so joyous and perfect for the sweet spring going into summer weather. And they bring back such wonderful memories as a child of good nights nuzzling those colorful sheets. But why should these wonderful floral sheets only be appreciated when you are asleep? That’s why I love all of the great ways crafty people are incorporating vintage floral sheets into their sewing.
I wanted to share with you my top ten crafty vintage sheet projects that I’ve been storing on my Pinterest boards that I find worthy enough to take a pair of scissors to my beloved collection of vintage sheets I’ve been hoarding over the past few years.
There are many grand little banners that one can make with vintage sheets, but my favorite is this pretty little bow banner made by crafting queen, Rachel Denbow. I bow down at her crafty and cutely shod feet.
This amazing little apron can be made in ten minutes with a vintage pillowcase. Whoohoo!!! Tutorial from Betz White.
These lovely little bags are perfect for sachets or for giving little presents! From Vintage Sheets.
I think this might be one of my favorite ways to use vintage napkins. What great idea and what a great easy Christmas present too! Image from Flickr user Sparkle Candace.
Are these not the most adorable things you’ve ever seen? Just think how many sweet little blocks you could make with a whole sheet! Another amazing gift idea. From Spearmint Baby.
Staying on the baby train for one more stop—would you look at these sweet little bibbity boppity bibs? They’ll make you even more excited to feed your widdle one. From Crafty Blossom.
How can you not want to wear this skirt? Perfect for summer and so much less work than a whole dress! Lisa Clarke from Polka Dot Cottage created this gem and has a great tutorial so you can make it too!!! I’d kinda like to see it in a striped sheet!
I love this idea of using vintage sheets to cover shelves adding a nice bit of cozy to any room! So charming.And you don’t even need a sewing machine.
Who says your Christmas stocking should be red and green? Wouldn’t you rather have this happy frilly little fellow? I’m sure Santa would remember it out of all the other ones! Image from flickr user marywasadj.
There are so many marvelous vintage sheet quilts out there and delicious interpretations that I almost get dizzy thinking of all of the great ways one can use vintage sheets in quilts. Image from Little Miss Shabby.
Do you have a stash of vintage sheets? What are your plans for them?
I can’t even tell you how smiley this post makes me…I actually still have some the sheets in that first pile…no doubt from my own parents and inlaws…somehow they just made it into my linen closet…the apron is the coolest! Thanks for the post!
I was smiley too! I love seeing vintage sheets get another life.
Dottie! Fantastic post, lady!!!!!!! You know I am such a sheet hoarder, and the idea of cutting them up sends me into shock! You’ve totally opened my eyes with all these lovely projects!!!!!! I love the idea of taking all these sweet patterns out to really be seen and used in your day to day life instead of just laying on ’em in a dark room!!! That floral skirt is TO DIE, and I’m pretty certain napkin making is in my very near future. So perfect for the season!!!!!!!!!
ps — excellent photo display/color/font choice on this post and don’t think I didn’t notice it! XO
Jenny, your comment made my day! I can only imagine the vintage goodies you must have in your linen closet. Hoo boy! And I do hope you do the napkins. I’m kinda crushing on that idea myself. So easy and would get used so much!
And thank you for the compliments on photo work! The post took me three hours because of it. Oof!
xo
Love these suggestions, especially the napkins.
I need to get me some vintage sheets!
Oh yeah you go! Think of those amazing dining room chairs you just got! Reupholstering them in a jaunty vintage sheet would be amazing!
Love this! What amazing ideas!!
It’s def feels sad to cut up sheets, but at the same time if it allows you to enjoy the sun shiney fabrics even more, then why the heck not?
My one and only big sewing project was making a little A-line mini dress out of some old Star Wars sheets….I love that dress to this day! (although, ahem, it doesn’t really fit any more. Sigh.)
I loove that little mini dress of yours! And I’m even more impressed that you made it yourself!
And the other grand thing about it is the price! Soo much cheaper than fabric off the bolt and usually a whole lot softer too!!!
i die.
You’ve solved my problem by giving me another one. Sure I’ll cut up my vintage sheets now BUT FOR WHICH PROJECT?! 😉
Truly Great!!!
😉
I adore all of these ideas!!! Now if I could just figure out how to use my sewing machine 🙂
I have a stash of vintage sheets and love sewing with them, I’ve just made a gorgeously delicious quilt with them, but still have boxes and boxes full – thanks for the ideas.
Thanks for including my skirt in this great list! I’m hosting a vintage sheet swap right now, and this post is something I think the participants need to see 🙂 I added it to my Pinterest board. I try not to pin items that don’t explicitly have a “pin it” button on them, but this was too good to pass up 🙂 If pinning is not ok with you, let me know and I will take it right down!
Pin way Lisa! We love it. And thank you for the super cool idea!
Very fun!! I love those vintage prints but have never really known what to do with them. I used one as the back for a quilt once, but besides that…
The coolest thing about the vintage sheets that I have used is-they are poly/cotton. DH and I prefer 100% cotton for sleeping. Sooo, all those poly/cotton sheets and pillow cases I rescued from my mom’s linen closet clean out were free. Most of these were made into patio chair pillows. Old bed pillows were sewn into halves then I permanently sewed the pillow cases closed . The whole pillow can go into the wash. Poly/cotton fabric will last longer, resist fading, and those ’60s florals remind me of my long ago youth. I’ve serged the edges of sheets to the exact size of picnic tables, complete with the umbrella hole in the middle. These lovely ideas of yours go way beyond just putting on an edge. You go girl.
I do have a stash! After hoarding them for what seems like forever, I finally used a couple of the larger vintage pillowcases and made baby blankies out of them. I used the pillowcase on one side, and some cotton on the other. I’m really happy with the way they turned out! I really like the quality of the no-iron muslin; it keeps things soft and snuggly. 🙂
I love these ideas!! Thanks so much.
I do not even sew, but have a great love of all things vintage. I am staying with my mother, who is now 70, and I do not believe she has disposed of a single thing in her entire 70 years, including all that belonged to several “sets” of grandparents. My grandmother sewed everything and I recall her making us “prairie” dresses, as we loved “Little House on the Prairier” when we were young, which I believe she made from old sheets, as well. Viewing this lovely “Pin” creates a desire to sew and see life brought to these items that once lived many lives before us. Bravo! How wonderful, thank you! I am smiling at beautiful memories, and your lovely handiworks! I want to be like you when I “grow up”, which may not happen until I am 70, as I am past 50 now and have not yet started to sew but I am inspired!
Gorgeous stuff, but where am i supposed to find old sheets in good condition?
Hi Lara
There are many places to get older/vintage sheets…but of course it requires a little leg work. Garage sales and estate sales, as well as thrift shops are great places to source older sheets. Some might be faded, but if you are crafting with them, fading is more forgiving. Etsy and eBay are our other go-to sources for vintage sheets in more pristine condition. We’ve found deadstock (aka “still unopened in package”) sheets! Good luck!
Love this blog. So happy I found it. I have mad some great curtains with sheets on my blog. Can’t wait to share ideas : )
My grandma gave me a bunch of her old bed sheets and I’ve been making clothes pin bags, head bands, clothes pin aprons, phone pillows, camera straps, crochet hook cases etc. I love their patterns and colors
Another great idea for old sheets is to donate them to your local animal shelter. I have donated to two different shelters in Northeast Ohio and they were very thankful for the donations!
I actually owned most those patterns and I still see them today at thrift stores. We got most of them at the grocery store as a bonus for purchasing groceries like they now do for pots and pans occasionally. I had 7 kids and everybody had their own special sheets. we lived in a Victorian house and had very tall windows, those sheet were perfect for curtains, folding over the tops of the sheets made a nice valance and then an additional sheet made a bedspread. we also used the extra parts of the sheet sets to make throw pillows, lampshade coves etc. everybody had a very unique room!!! remember it all well!
I love all of these ideas! i have several vintage sheets that i just need to do something with! thanks for the inspiration 🙂 http://www.handmadeintheheartland.com