How to Decorate With Antique Quilts

Antique quilts have stories to tell when you use them to decorate your home. Your grandmother's first school dress, a family christening gown and an old scout uniform weave the history of your family in a brightly colored quilt. Or, maybe your quilts came from the antiques store, and you can only guess at the history they store. Regardless, antique quilts remain popular and create dramatic decor in any room.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Hang an antique quilt on a wall for a powerful decorating statement. Simply sew a fabric sleeve on the back side of the top of the quilt. Insert a rod or dowel through the sleeve, add hooks to the wall, and your quilt is ready to hang. Unless you have a large wall space, use a smaller size quilt for this.

2. Fold and stack quilts that have damaged spots. Store in open cabinets or on top of a cupboard. They'll add bursts of color to your room decor.

3. Use quilts on beds, but don't expect them to adhere to today's measurements for bed linens. Quilt makers from long ago stopped quilting when they ran out of fabric, plus beds were smaller back then. You can still fold an antique quilt to decorate the foot of a bed.

4. Decorate all types of decor with antique quilts. Even if you like to decorate in a modern style, a vintage quilt can be a nice and unexpectedly homey addition to a home.

5. Make pillows and stuffed animals out of antique quilt pieces that are so damaged you can't display the entire quilt. A quilted cat or bunny is a sweet addition to a nursery. You can even use discarded quilt pieces to braid rugs.

6. Keep extremely valuable quilts away from direct sunlight, which is the greatest threat to antique fabric. You might bring out these quilts to decorate your home for special occasions.

Tips & Warnings

• Consult an antique textiles expert before washing or dry cleaning an old quilt. You don't want your antique treasure to fall apart.

Resources

• American Quilter offers information on antique textiles experts.