What Shall I Do With My Old Custom Draperies?

Finding new uses for old draperies can extend your decorating budget.

Once you tire of custom draperies, finding something to do with the material can be a bit of a challenge. Because they are custom, chances are they won't fit another window in your home or in anyone else's house. There are several uses for the material of custom draperies that can prolong their life and their usefulness, while extending your decorating budget.

Throw Pillow Covers

Throw pillow covers can be made with nearly any type of custom drapery fabric, and with large drapes, you can create several custom covers. Measure your pillows or pillow forms, and then add 2 inches to each side. Cut two squares out of the drapery fabric and lay on top of one another, with the outside side touching. Stitch around three sides and turn the pillow covers right side out. Stuff in the pillow or pillow form and finish stitching the fourth edge to create your custom pillow cover.

Tote Bags

Tote bags are always useful, and since drapery fabric is typically quite durable, you can easily make several new bags out of one set of drapes. Just measure the size bag you would like, and cut two squares of fabric and hem all the edges. Turn the fabric so the right side is facing out. Stitch on three sides to create your bag. Then, cut two strips of fabric to make a handle. Once again, hem all the edges and then stitch the ends of each handle to the bag.

Quilts

Old custom draperies can also be recycled into quilting patterns. This works particularly well if you have drapes made of satin, velvet, cotton, silk or polyester. Thicker, tweed-like drapes may not work as well for this project. Cut the draperies into 12-inch squares and stack them. If your drapes have backing, you may also need to cut this off before you cut the fabric into squares. These squares can then be used to create patterns for your next quilt.

Table Cloths/Napkins

Large old custom draperies can be made into table cloths or even cloth napkins. Measure out your table and then add 4 inches to each side for a square or rectangle table. For round tables, add an extra 4 to 5 inches all the way around. Launder or dry clean the drapes first, then cut the drapery fabric to this measurement and hem all the edges. If you have any material left over, you can create matching napkins. Just cut 12-inch squares and hem the edges.

References

• Colorado State University: Stretching Decorating Dollars
• Haute: Got Old Draperies? Give Them a New Purpose