Pillowcases are one of the items in a household where you can easily collect an abundance of them, and if you aren’t careful, they’ll take over your storage spaces.
However, you shouldn’t toss them because they’re in the way. We have great pillowcase ideas so that you can put the pillowcases you have to good use.
So, if you have too many pillowcases, you need a few ‘outside of the box’ ways to use them, and I’m going to share a variety of pillowcase ideas which can be extremely useful to you in your everyday life.
Here are some ingenious ways pillowcases can be useful outside of sleeping on them:
1. No Cheesecloth? No Problem
Whether you’re making jam, cheese, or any other item which requires the ingredients to be separated, a pillowcase can come in handy.
If you’re out of cheesecloth, a pillowcase is a great substitute. I use pillowcases when I’m making wine and a variety of other scratch-made recipes.
2. Flying Dust Bunnies
When I was first married many moons ago, I learned a great deal about keeping house. It amazed me all the things which get dirty we rarely consider.
A ceiling fan was one of the biggest shocks for me. Those things collect all kinds of dust. If you want to clean your ceiling fan, slide a pillowcase over each blade and pull it off slowly. It’ll bring all the dust bunnies with it without spreading the dust all over.
3. Ditch the Corner Dust Bunnies
Another thing I learned when I first began cleaning my own home was how dust bunnies aren’t only under furniture. They create dusty cobwebs at the top of the ceiling and in corners.
Stay ahead of these dusty cobwebs by sliding a pillowcase over your broom. Run it along your ceiling and corners to remove unwanted dust without harming your walls.
4. Put a Ham in It
We make our own country ham every year. It’s one of my husband’s favorite types of meat. Country ham is great on a biscuit or served up alongside eggs.
However, it must be allowed to hang and dry out for approximately six months. I don’t use a ham sock. Instead, I put my ham in a pillowcase and have had great results.
5. Pillow Protector
When you read this heading, you probably thought, “Well, duh!” Yet, when traveling, we often use decorative pillows to sleep on while in the car or on a plane.
If you’d like to keep your decorative pillows looking good while traveling alongside you on your adventures, put it inside an old pillowcase. This should protect it and keep your favorite pillow looking great.
6. Easy Sheet Storage
Folding a fitted sheet can be a difficult task. What’s even more difficult is finding out how to store your sheets easily and in an organized fashion.
No worries because pillowcases can solve the issue. Store your matching sheet sets inside one of the pillowcases to keep your sheets organized and ready to use.
7. Fancy Napkins
Years ago, I started using linen napkins in the place of paper napkins. The reason was to save money. I couldn’t justify spending money on paper napkins when I was only going to throw them away.
Instead, I started using linen napkins I could easily wash and reuse. You can save even more money by making your own linen napkins out of pillowcases.
8. Odd Ball? No Problem
I’m not someone who wraps gifts. If you get a gift from me, it’ll most likely be in a gift bag because you can make them look pretty quickly and easily.
However, if you’re someone who likes to wrap gifts, consider using pillowcases. The next time you must wrap something with an odd shape, place it in a pillowcase and add a decorative bow.
9. DIY Garment Bag
I recently traveled to see my parents and to celebrate my big sister getting married. We drive a truck and have kids, which means we must put our clothing in the bed of the truck with the cover over it.
It’s easy to get the clothes I must hang up dirty when traveling. Avoid this by cutting a hole in the center of a pillowcase and slipping it over the hanger to protect the clothing.
10. Sweater Storage
I store my off-season clothes in a cherry trunk my grandfather made years ago. I recently switched my clothes over for the season when I realized how much room sweaters take up.
If your sweaters create storage issues for you too, fold them and place them neatly in a pillowcase. This will allow you to contain and stack them in an orderly fashion.
11. DIY Delicates Bag
I love this idea for using pillowcases because it’ll protect items which are expensive to repurchase. If you’ve washed a pair of pantyhose or a bra in your washing machine, you know how easily the hose can get a run or the bra’s clasp can become twisted.
These items aren’t cheap to replace. Therefore, place them inside a pillowcase when washing and drying them. It’ll protect them while they’re being cleaned.
12. Dirty Duds Bag
Whether you go to the gym daily, have a child with a diaper bag, or are traveling, you need a dirty duds bag.
Don’t put dirty clothing in with clean items. Instead, place them inside a pillowcase and tie it. This will keep other items from being soiled.
13. Protect Your Shoes and Purses
When I was cleaning out my closet recently, I was stunned at how much dust my purses and shoes can gather if I don’t wear them regularly.
Avoid this by placing purses and shoes which aren’t regularly used inside a pillowcase. This will keep the dust bunnies away.
14. Wash Your Cuddly Bear
My youngest loves his stuffed animals. I’m constantly coming up with new ways to store and display them when he isn’t using them.
But washing them can be quite a chore because you don’t want them to get damaged in the washing machine. Avoid this by placing the stuffed animal in a pillowcase while being washed. It’ll help protect it.
15. DIY Canvas Tote Pillowcase Ideas
Do you like to use totes to carry items from one location to another, for easy car storage, or for storing your children’s smaller toys?
Don’t spend a fortune on these totes. Instead, save a cardboard box and place a pillowcase over it. It becomes an easy DIY storage tote for basically free.
16. DIY Chair Cover
Do you have a dining room you’d love to look welcoming and formal when you have guests over? I’ll be honest; I don’t have anything this formal in my house.
But if you have a dining room with drab-looking chairs, you should put pillowcases to work. They make excellent chair covers. You don’t even have to sew them!
17. Make Your Own Art
I have a little artist in my house. My youngest takes art classes and loves to make his own creations between classes.
If you have an artist in your house too, save some money on art supplies. Use a pillowcase as an art canvas and use fabric paint. You can even frame it when they’re finished.
18. Newspaper Recycle Bin
This is a great idea for recycling newspapers and other bulky items. Instead of tossing newspapers in the garbage or in a bulky plastic bin, place the papers in a pillowcase.
It’s easy to carry, keeps your hands clean, and helps you avoid having more bins in your kitchen or office.
19. DIY Apron
I love a good apron. When I’m in the kitchen, I don’t want food or flour flying all over my clothing because it creates more work for me.
Protect your clothing by wearing an apron when baking or cooking. If you’d like to be frugal, make your own apron from a pillowcase.
20. Moving? Pillowcases Can Help
I haven’t moved much in my life, but the few times I have are enough for me to know I’m not moving again unless necessary.
If you have a move quickly approaching, pull out this feather from your pillowcase ideas hat. They are a great way to protect your fragile items or fill spaces in boxes to keep items from clanging together during the move.
21. Patch Your Pants
My grandparents used to try to instill in me the idea of repairing what’s broken instead of tossing it and buying new.
This is valuable information and a good life lesson. The next time you have a rip in a piece of clothing, don’t toss it. Use pieces of a cut-up pillowcase as a patch. It could even add a nice design to the old clothing to repurpose the item.
22. Reusable Grocery Bag
I’m all about using reusable grocery bags. It stops unnecessary waste, and the bags work well as tote bags when I’m heading out and have items in tow.
But don’t spend a fortune buying the bags at the store. Instead, make your own reusable grocery bag with these pillowcase ideas.
23. Christmas Storage
Storing Christmas decorations and other items can be difficult because most items are bulky and odd-shaped.
Make storing these items easier by stuffing anything from small décor items to wrapping paper in a pillowcase for protection and easy storage.
This is especially helpful for your seasonal wreaths, which would gather dust and become ugly if not protected.
24. DIY Dog Bed
Do you have a sweet four-legged friend who has found a place in your home and heart? Give your dog or cat a comfortable place to sleep.
You don’t need to spend a fortune on a designer pet bed. Instead, make your pet their own bed from unused pillowcases around your home.
25. Get the Memo
I have a memo board as you come down our basement steps. Two of our three bedrooms are in the basement.
This allows me to leave messages for my kids on their way up the stairs in the morning. If you’d like your own memo board, make one from excess pillowcases. Create a fabric memo board where the pillowcase will serve as the fabric to the cover the rectangular base.
26. DIY Children’s Dress
My mother-in-law’s aunt first introduced me to this idea. She would come over to our house and bring her sewing bag with her.
She spent many an afternoon making dresses from pillowcases for children in third world countries who had nothing to wear. Whether you want to make a dress for a child in your life or make them in order to donate them, it’s a great idea.
27. Dryer Sheets
Are you tired of purchasing dryer sheets? They aren’t cheap, and you toss them in the trash when you’re done.
There are multiple ways to make your own dryer sheets, but one way is to fill your pillowcases with fresh herbs and seal it. When you pull them out, the scent of the herb will have freshened your clothes. Plus, you can use them repeatedly.
28. DIY Skirt
If you’re like me, you spend most of your time and money shopping for everyone else in your household besides yourself.
When it comes time to spend money on myself, it must be inexpensive or the ‘mom guilt’ gets me. Instead of carrying the guilt, make yourself a new skirt from your pillowcases. It’s cute and frugal and brilliant pillowcase ideas!
29. Fashionable Curtains
Curtains are an easy way to add your style to any home. It makes the room feel more welcoming and helps your guests feel at home.
Don’t spend a fortune making your house feel like a home. Instead, transform your unused pillowcases into adorable curtains.
30. Laundry Hamper
Isn’t it odd how the little things you must have around your home to keep it functioning can totally bust your budget?
If you’re in the market for a new clothes hamper, don’t break the bank over it. Instead, make your own clothes hamper from a pillowcase and embroidery hoop.
31. Great for Sitting
It’s difficult to give kids a sitting area in their room because most kids are rough on furniture. Either you must spend a good deal of money to get durable furniture, or you buy them the cheaper options and it doesn’t last.
Skip spending a fortune on furniture. Instead, make them their own chair from pillowcases. It’s one of the fun pillowcase ideas and will give your kids’ rooms character.
32. DIY Chair Pockets
Whether you’re a mom on an organization mission, or you’re a teacher trying to organize a classroom, chair pockets could be the answer.
They’re easily made from pillowcases, cost little money, and are a great way to keep all your kids’ belongings organized and within reach.
You now have over 30 different pillowcase ideas. Whether they’re taking over your space, or you’re looking for an inexpensive item to get crafty with, pillowcase ideas appear to be the answer.
Put them to good use, make your life a little easier, and enjoy being creative. You may discover a few other ways other pillowcase ideas, but you won’t know until you try.
