I saw a post about recycling cloth towels by cutting them in to 12 inch squares and using them as cleaning rags. I thought "why not be creative and quilt those squares into new bath towels, beach towels or picnic blankets?" You can cut the quilt pieces to any size you wish and not only would the finished products be unique but also would have an extra life before becoming cleaning rags.
By Deeli from Richland, WA
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Wow! This is a great idea! I have tons of rags made from old towels. Your idea would make a perfect beach blanket. Now, why didn't I think of that? Thanks.
Excellent idea, had to close up my mothers house last year and I never thought of it had about 3 boxes of towels in all states of use. But the One thing I did with the ones that quite a bit of wear left in them, was donate to the local shelter.
Good idea! And if you backed it with one of those quilted or unquilted flannel backed plastic tablecloths that are found so often in Thrifty Shops, (plastic side out), you would avoid all that litter that sticks to the terry cloth. The flannel-backed cloth can be washed in the washer just as well as the terry-cloth, but I'd line dry rather than putting it in the dryer.
Thanks for the good idea. I can use just so many recycled old towels as hot pads in the kitchen.
I put several thicknesses of the old terrycloth towels together and sew around 3 sides, then turn inside out and hand stitch the 4th side making them nice and neat for setting hot pans or casserole dishes on to cool. You can make them any size you like and they work great. Completely washable too.
I really like the idea of something a little more useful since we live less than 20 minutes from the ocean. Beach pads would be wonderful.
Thanks Deeli.
Pookarina
Our bath towels tend to wear out around the edges, while the centers are still pretty plush. When I retire one (after buying a new one with a coupon, of course), I cut it into 4 or 6 pieces--4 for hand towels, 6 for washcloths.
I have a lot of fabric scraps left over from years of sewing, and I make bias strips that I sew around the edges of the towels/washcloths.
I used left-over mattress ticking fabric (blue) around white towels, and I use those in the kitchen for hand towels. My guest bath is pink, and I made several hand and washcloths out of white with different pink fabrics.
I only buy solid color towels now and I color-code them so everyone has their own set.
Spending a morning in my sewing room is like therapy for me.
I use worn bath towels to make dish towels. They are soft and absorbent. I cut them in sizes that fit my needs, and hem them on the sewing machine. I also use them to make doll clothes for my grandchildren.
So simple yet how many people actually think of recycling towels into something other than rags? I love it! I'm going to make matching blanket & beach towel to go with me when my job moves me to the coast next month!
Great idea.
Marg from England
Here's another idea from youtube. Sew a bathmat from old towels.
www.5min.com/
What a fantastic idea, I've been wanting to try making my own quilt, but I'm gonna try this one first. Thanks for sharing,
All my best wishes,
I don't quilt. Can I just sew pieces together or is there another non-quilt way?
I have a separate cabinet in the basement for the old worn towels. We use them for rags, cleaning dog paws, and whatever else we would not want to use the 'good' towels for. I have a little saying on a card on the door of the cabinet to explain what the cabinet contains: "TOWELS-some are stained, and most show wear, but we'll wash and reuse them until threads are bare".
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