Great Alternative Uses for Towels and Sheets

Sunshine Drapery sliding glass doors window treatment

We purchase towels and sheets when we need them, as our old ones wear out or when house guests are coming for a visit. It makes us feel good to have new linens in our closets, on our beds and in our bathrooms. And these items can be a bit pricey if we go for high quality. I recently spent well over $100 on a new sheet set for my bed! Over the years, however, I have come to see sheets and towels in another light, and now have several new uses for them, which I have put to use all over my home.

Towels

I have always regretted that some of my beautiful furniture did not come with arm covers. I worried that the constant rubbing on the arms would of course wear the fabric more quickly than that of the remainder of the piece. One day it hit me! If I could find hand towels in the right colors, I could actually make arm covers quite easily. And that I did! Actually, the arm covers added great style to my room. For a plaid chair, I found coordinating striped towels that were a perfect accent; for solid pieces, I added splashes of color in plaids. All in all, this easy addition served two purposes – protection for my furniture and great accents to my rooms.
I also have a window in my bathroom on which, over the years, I have used a variety of treatments – shutters, translucent covering with a valance, and shades of various types. Once I got new towels, however, I got a great idea. I purchased a couple more and turned them into bathroom curtains – what better material for a bathroom curtains? I love them. And, when I change out my towels again, I’ll make new curtains too!

Sheets

Sheets used to be plain and neutral in color – mostly white, occasionally beige, and of basic materials. A full revolution hit this industry, however, when manufacturers and consumers decided that bed linens could be decorative, charming, fun and certainly of more fabric variety. With that revolution came, as well, the notion that other decorative uses for sheets could be found.

Instead of attempting to match window treatments to sheets, the sheets themselves can be used as curtains – with or without lining, dependent upon other window coverings one may have. They can also be used as curtains and/or valances in other rooms of the home – kitchens, family rooms, etc. There are stripes, plaids, prints, and exceptional geometric designs, all in a variety of fabrics. I even used a heavy sheet material to make covers for throw pillows in my family room.
Heavy sheet material can make great dining room/eating area chair covers as well as tablecloths or table runners. And, to match the chair covers, a little stiffening material in between two layers of sheet can result in great placemats – washable too!
Other uses for great sheets include shower curtains, framed as pictures or as inside linings for glass cabinets. You will probably think of many more – get creative! Any major retailer of linens will have a huge variety of towels and sheets – online sources are great too! Thinking “outside the box” regarding the great patterns and colors can transform parts of your décor!