I always enjoy when people find uses in our everyday world for repurposing, recycling, and reusing, especially when it comes to the home. Today, my Guest Blogger gives tips for making cushions from clothing you don’t wear anymore.

Both the environment and the economy have affected the way in which we furnish our homes in recent years. We have all become much more aware of our responsibility to preserve the planet for future generations whilst at the same time having a very tight budget because of the global recession. Luckily these two things can be accomplished by the recycling of our old household textiles into new soft furnishings. Here are my tips for making yourself some new cushion covers that won’t break the bank.

Create cushions easily from clothing you don’t wear anymore

I’m sure that we all have a number of old jumpers that we don’t wear but can’t bear to throw away. Make the most of them by turning them in to cozy cushion covers. It much easier if you can find a cushion pad that is the same width as the jumper you plan to use as this will save a lot of sewing. Make sure that the jumper buttons are fastened up before you start sewing. Turn the jumper inside out and cut off the arms (save them for later!). Sew up the arm holes so that you have a straight edge running from the bottom of the jumper to the shoulders. Next mark a point just above each arm hole and cut horizontally along what should be the shoulder line. This will leave you with a nice square shaped cover. Sew across this top edge and the bottom edge to finish. The buttons on the front of the jumper can then be undone and the cushion pad inserted. The cushion will look great in your living room during winter and give your contemporary furniture a softer feel. If your jumper doesn’t have buttons down the front then you could insert a zip along the bottom edge of your cushion.

Reuse your sweaters and jumpers for pillow cushions

Remember the arms that we saved from the jumper? Why not use them to make yourself a draught excluder. Simply turn them inside out, stitch up one end and stuff it with wadding or old cloth remnants. To finish stitch up the other end and voila! Your home will be warmer and look great too! If your jumper was a roll neck then you could turn the neck piece into a hot water bottle cover. The possibilities are endless and you could make any number of fab home accessories from your old clothes or other textiles.

Interior decor from items you already have!

Image courtesy of Just So

Vicky Dean is a freelance crafts and interiors writer who loves contemporary furniture and homemade designs.

For more green living ideas on Stagetecture, click here.