You may ask yourself, what to do with my old pillow?
Recycling your old pillows is better than throwing them out if you are serious about reducing landfill waste.
Take a hard look at your old pillows before tossing them in the bin. Are they still beneficial? If you’ve only had them for 2-3 years, odds are they are. So why dump them when you can upcycle and repurpose them?
Here are some clever tips for salvaging old pillows and finding a new purpose for them.
Floor Pillows
Make a new floor cushion out of the materials from your old pillow. Floor cushions give your area a unique feel.
Use the cushions as play mats to provide a more relaxing playing experience for children. Because you won’t be sleeping on these cushions, you can use the stuffing from an old pillow.
Here’s how to do it:
Take a fabric of your choice, and use your old pillow to take measurements. Cut the fabric into two pieces, and sew all three sides, leaving one hole to add filling inside.
You can also use glue to seal the sides. Add the old pillow stuffing and sew the remaining side too. Fluff it up, and your floor pillow is ready.
Cage Cushions
If you have guinea pigs, hamsters, or birds, you can use the pillow stuffing to line their cage. Fill your pet’s cage with old pillow stuffing to make it comfy and toasty.
When it gets dirty, you’ll have to throw it out, but it does give you another use. However, avoid using inorganic materials because they can hurt your pet.
Here’s how to do it:
Pick up your old pillow and see if it fits inside the cage. You have to make sure it covers the cage’s base, leaving no room for air.
If it doesn’t work, remove the extra filling and try again. You can also use pillow stuffing to create a carpet for the cage.
Package Security
Your old pillows can be beneficial when moving or packing items for shipping. Rather than buying plastic wrap, pack fragile objects in an old cushion.
They can also be placed between pieces of furniture to prevent them from colliding. Use your large or bulky pillows, remove the stuffing, and cram them into any vacant corners.
Here’s how to do it:
For this method, you can use the old pillow with its cover. Keep your old pillows between antique furniture pieces to avoid friction and dents. Use the inside filling to pack your crockery set or other fragile items.
Bean Bags
You can add an old pillow to a sagging bean bag chair. If the entire pillow does not fit, simply use the stuffing. Pillow stuffing, especially microbeads, works well as beanbag filler.
Here’s how to do it:
Fill your old pillows inside your bean bag or use pillow filling if the entire pillow doesn’t fit. You can also make a new beanbag out of old pillowcases by filling them with your old pillow stuffing.
Cozy Blankets
Weighted blankets are beneficial for people who suffer from sleep disruption. However, they can be pretty costly. Don’t be concerned.
You can simply create your weighted blanket for a quarter of the price if you already have an old poly-fil pillow.
Here’s how to do it:
Take a blanket cover of your choice of design or pattern. Take out the stuffing from your old pillow and insert it into the blanket cover.
Make sure to distribute the pillow stuffing evenly. Sew the opening to keep the filling inside. Use blankets if you don’t have a blanket cover and repeat the same procedure.
Oven Mitts
You can always repurpose your old pillows into oven mitts if they’re too small for a ground rug or floor cushion. Because most pillow fillings are thermally efficient, they’ll make good padding for oven mittens.
Here’s how to do it:
Pick a fabric of your choice; use natural fibers like cotton, leather, and silicon since they are heat-resistant and don’t melt. Use regular gloves to take measurements and cut out two pieces. Take out the stuffing of your old pillow and stuff it inside the mitts after sewing all the sides.
Winter Jackets
If you’re artistic enough, transform your old pillows into puffy jackets. Jackets made of polypill and down pillow filling are pretty puffy. It’s even better if you have a wool-filled cushion because it offers better insulation.
Check out this video for a step-by-step tutorial on how to make a winter jacket with old pillow filling.
Draft Blockers
Convert old pillows into DIY draft protectors to get rid of draughty windows and doors. You can also cover a pillow in a trash bag or other water-impermeable material and place it on the top of the chimney to prevent draughts.
Here’s how to do it:
Measure the width of the window or door. Cut two fabric pieces to size. Remember to add 1/2 inch to the shaped edges. Stitch 1/2 inch from the fabric edge across the pillow’s upper, side, and lower edges.
Leave one side for filling. Stuff the pillow’s open side. Hand-sew or turn under the pillow’s edges to secure the stuffing. Put the pillow against the window or door to block drafts.
Plush Animals and Toys
Handmade stuffed toys are usually a fantastic idea for saving money on presents for children. You can use new fabric or recycle old clothes and pillow covers for the casing.
Here’s how to do it:
To begin, cut a small slit in the toy. Then stuff the plush toy with the required amount of filling from the pillow. Close it up with a fast stitch.
Compost
You can compost old-fashioned feather pillows. Feathers and Downs are organic fillers that disintegrate quickly and feed your plants with nutrients.
Here’s how to do it:
Simply combine them with other compost components in a pit. You’ll get your organic fertilizer in no time.
Knee Pads
If you enjoy gardening, you must be tired of how much attention it requires. Gardening knee pads allow you to ease your legs and alleviate pain while gardening. It also provides safety for dancers and stunt performers.
Here’s how to do it:
Instead of spending money on a new knee pad, repurpose an old pillow by wrapping it in a durable pillowcase.
If you’re feeling creative, you can sew a cover out of outdoor-safe material to make it more enduring. Place the cushion in a plastic zip-lock bag to keep the moisture out.
Throw Pillows
Another way to upcycle your old pillow is to transform it into a throw pillow. This method also saves money because there’s no need to buy throw pillows.
Here’s how to do it:
Pick a printed fabric you prefer and sew a gorgeous new cover using basic needlework. Yes, it’s that simple!
Pet Bed
If your pets, like cats or dogs, are always carrying around your slippers or sleeping on your bed, they will most likely find your scent soothing.
Reusing an old cushion as a pet pillow is a simple way to keep the pillow around while also making your pet happy.
Here’s how to do it:
Put the long edges of two pillows together. Overlap the pillows by four to six inches. Using either a sewing machine or a needle and thread, sew the cushions together at the overlap.
Washing Sponge
We have a solution for you if you have an old memory foam pillow that you don’t use anymore. Use foam filler to make sponges for washing your car.
You can use these sponges to clean anything you like, from dirty vehicles to your balcony floor. The filling inside can hold a lot of liquid and is particularly good at absorbing oil.
Here’s how to do it:
Cut open your old memory foam pillow and take out the filling. Cut it into smaller pieces using scissors.
Fake Snow
Instead of directly throwing your pillow stuffing, use its cotton for Christmas decorations. When it’s Christmas, add the pillow filling like snow to make a winter wonderland.
Here’s how to do it:
Take out your pillow stuffing. Spread it on top of the Christmas tree and around the house for a holiday touch. You can also use the pillow filling to stuff the gift boxes; it’s a fantastic way to keep fragile items safe.
Floor Rugs
If your pillow stuffing is beyond repair, simply remove them and rag the covers. You can even split them into pieces and weave ragged rugs out of them. This will help you clean your floors since it quickly absorbs water.
Here’s how to do it:
Take a pair of scissors and cut your pillowcase into long strips. Tie them together with the help of a rope to use as floor rugs.
Donation
Several regional animal shelters accept donations of old pillows. However, before donating them, you must carefully wash them.
You can also reuse them by using our ideas and later, gift them to people who need them. It may not seem like much, but it can be lifesaving for someone living on a cold sidewalk.
Read: How To Wash Pillows by Hand and in a Washing Machine: Complete Guide
Conclusion
We hope you liked our ideas for repurposing old pillows and found some inspiration. Before they end up in landfills, you should be able to easily find at least one use for your old pillows. In fact, some of the repurposed things will last you for years.
Check Out These Sites If You Consider Buying a New Pillow:
- Amazon
- Etsy
- Walmart
- The Home Depot
I’m a certified massage therapist who is passionate about the science of sleep and how pillows affect the human body, especially the upper and lower back area. Currently, I am exploring how and where pillows can be best utilized in our daily life – both when lying down and sitting. Other than that, I’m a side sleeper who has a thing for memory foam pillows.
