Make Good Use of Those Bed Sheets 

From time to time we all trade out old bed sheets for new ones. This leaves something of a problem as to what to do with the old ones. In the spirit of being more environmentally responsible or just plain creative, there are a number of things you can do that you may have never considered.

Here are ten suggestions for some of the more interesting things you can do with your old bed sheets. 

Keep in Your Vehicle

Bed sheets are big pieces of fabric. In the event that you have a break-down on the road and need to change a flat tire, you can keep your clothes cleaner by laying it down on the ground where you're working.

It could also come in handy for a variety of other emergencies on the road. It can serve as an emergency blanket and can be cut into bandages if necessary. 

Customized Napkins

You can make some great custom napkins with your old bed sheets. In an effort to be more environmentally responsible, stop using paper towels and disposable napkins at mealtimes.

You can use these sheets to make many cloth napkins that can be reused.

Kate Pruitt writes on Design Sponge about an easy way to make them.

Outdoor Tablecloth

Old bed sheets make great outdoor tablecloths for camping trips or picnics. Picnic tables are not the cleanest surfaces and disposable tablecloths are not very environmentally friendly.

Use these old sheets to cover picnic tables or just lay on the ground for an old fashioned picnic. 

Make Shopping Bags

The shopping world is headed toward the use of reusable shopping bags. People bring their own bags to the store instead of using plastic or paper bags.

There's some potential to use the fabric of old bed sheets to create some pretty awesome shopping bags.

Erika Kern gives some detailed instructions on how it works in her article on CraftStylish. 

Crafting Poncho 

Parents will really appreciate this one! Painting and other craft projects can sometimes get very messy. You can cut a hole in the center of a sheet and make a poncho that protects their clothes from the mess.  

Rags for Cleaning

This is one of the more common sense uses and shouldn't be underestimated.

Cutting up old sheets and using them as cleaning rags is a good use for them. They are easily washed and they work great for dusting.

If you have to throw them away it's no big deal, so feel free to use and abuse them with your most difficult stains and cleaning chemicals. 

Rice Heating Pad

You can make a great natural heating pad using your old sheets!

Cut the sheet into a smaller square and fold it in half. Sew two of the three open sides and fill the sack with rice. Once full, sew the remaining side and you're done.

For more descriptive instructions, Katie Wells wrote about the process on Wellness Mama. 

Dog Chew Toy

Dogs love to chew. There's nothing better than having them chew old and inconsequential bed sheets. Just cut them into strips and begin braiding them together. Tie a big knot in each end and then you've got a great chew toy for your pooch. 

Fabric Gift Wrap

Wrapping paper is incredibly wasteful. Fabric gift wrapping is an environmentally friendly option that looks super cool. Sustainable Baby Steps outlines how to make it happen.

Put these sheets to good use and create a really cool conversation topic on the next holiday. 

Forts! 

We can't talk about bed sheets and not mention the potential for making some really cool forts! Keep a stack of your old sheets for the kids to get super creative making their best indoor or outdoor tents and forts.

It's pretty cool to see how creative kids can be, so give them the tools to let their imaginations fly.  

Now that you have some great ideas as to what to do with your old sheets, consider visiting Lifestyle Marketplace to get new bedding and sheets that will look and feel great.