If you’re taking your old curtains down, and you have no plans of hanging them back up again, don’t think of disposing them before you consider these other great options to repurpose or recycle them.
There are many reasons you may want to replace or swap out your window panels. Whether it’s because you simply want to change up the look in the room, or perhaps because your pets or kids have damaged them in some way, they have the potential to become something different but still great.
If you are handy with a sewing machine or a knitting needle, these projects should all be fairly simple to complete. If you’re less crafty, there are also a couple options that don’t require any sewing skills at all. We’ll start with those.
1. Move 'Em!
So you’re done with your curtains in your living room or your bedroom, but they’re still in great shape. The easiest way to recycle them is to move them to another room. This is especially easy if you tend to use the same colors in your decor throughout your home.
2. Use Them for Art
Supposing the back of the panels is white, you can cut the panels to standard frame sizes, and pull out some paint. Allow your kids or your pets to create one-of-a-kind masterpieces you can display in your home. Or stream an old Bob Ross episode and practice painting something nice yourself.
3. Make Superhero Capes
Halloween is coming up, but there’s no need to buy a superhero cape in a costume store. Break out the fabric scissors and cut your old window panel down to the desired size, then tie it loosely around the neck or use safety pins to attach it to a coat or shirt.
4. DIY Fabric Garland
Have you seen this trend of tying strips of fabric onto a string or line to create decorative garland? It’s very popular on Etsy. This could be done for a special event or for your everyday decor. Cut your panels into strips of about 8 to 12 inches in length and about 1 or 2 inches long. Mix and match these strips with fabric from your old t-shirts or any fabric remnants you can collect in your home or from friends.
The rest of our ideas for upcycling your window panels will require at least minor sewing skills. These may not be the easiest options for beginners.
5. DIY Decorative Pillows
Depending on the size of the pillows you want and the size of your panels, you should be able to create a handful of accent pillows. Stick to square or rectangle shapes for ease, rather than circular or oval shapes.
Close up three sides of the pillows and stuff it with whatever filling you like, such as foam, feathers, cotton, or a blend. Or, cover an existing pillow. Once it is stuffed to your liking, close them up and throw them on your sofa or bed to enjoy your stylish curtains in a whole new way.
6. DIY Table Cloth
This could be a great option if you panels have sustained some damage, such as from your cat scratching at them or your child writing on them. Obviously in this case it wouldn’t work well for a formal dining room table setting, but an outdoor patio table cloth, or for covering a plastic table at a function where you can easily cover any spots with items on the table. All you have to do is take them down and line them up, cut to the size you need and sew the edges together.
7. Make New Clothes
If you’re very skilled at sewing, and if your panels are still in good shape, you could turn our panels into a shirt, dress, coat, skirt, pants or any other type of clothing you can come up with.
Don’t throw away your old panels when you are done with them! Instead, use the ideas above to repurpose them into something you can continue to use and enjoy with your family, all while keeping them out of the landfill.
Have any other ideas? Share them in the comments section below!
