Most of us have old sheets or curtains at home waiting to be thrown away, but before you do, they can easily be transformed into something entirely new and useful. With a little creativity, you can turn old curtain panels into an elegant table runner for your dining room, a fabric bulletin board by wrapping them over a piece of wood, or sew them together to make protective covers for your furniture. If you need a door alternative that doesn’t take up too much space, old curtains can also serve as a perfect substitute for a closet door.

Old bed sheets offer even greater opportunities for repurposing around the house and garden. You can use them in the garden to protect your plants from frost before the temperature drops, or place them as extra padding in your dog’s bed for added comfort. When it comes to the dining table, an old bed sheet decorated with lace doilies transforms into a pretty tablecloth, while other pieces can be cut down to create an entire set of reusable cloth napkins.

For those with basic sewing skills, sheets with pretty patterns can easily find new life as cooking aprons, decorative throw pillowcases, or soft, lightweight pajama bottoms. If you have collected patches from various vintage bed sheets, you can piece them together into a beautiful, country-inspired quilt, or use a pile of old sheets to weave a unique rag rug that adds warmth to any room.

Finally, old fabrics are excellent for outdoor activities and kids’ projects. An old bed sheet can be cut up to make a patchwork, reusable shopping bag, helping you cut down on plastic usage. A fitted sheet makes for a perfect, sand-free beach blanket, while a pair of old curtains serves as the ideal material to create a cozy kids’ teepee for playtime.