Towels are an essential household item that serves various purposes in our daily routine. They come in different sizes, from bathing to hand-washing, and we often seem to have an excess amount of them. However, as towels are susceptible to wear and tear, they eventually lose their functionality. Hence, we present you with some creative do-it-yourself ideas to rejuvenate your home and your pile of towels.
Beach Cover Up
There’s no need to be concerned with purchasing a beach cover-up. You can easily construct one using a folded towel. Simply cut off any frayed sections and, if you have sewing skills, it’s recommended to affix a neat hem around the trimmed areas.
There are two options to fasten the cover-up, you can either use another towel strip or you can opt for a more sophisticated method by including an elastic waistband at the center of the cover-up. This will result in a trendy and affordable piece.
Doggy Towel
Having a separate towel for your pet is useful, and the towels that have been discarded from human use make the perfect option for this purpose.
Pets typically demand cleaning that we may not want to carry out with our finest towels, mainly because of the fear of discoloration. However, using unused towels for your pets means that you no longer have to be concerned about them ruining your furniture or high-quality towels with their mucky paws.
Baby Bibs
It’s a well-known fact to all parents that babies create a considerable amount of mess. Therefore, it’s practical to attempt to reduce the frequency of purchasing more bibs by employing certain measures when it seems like you’re utilizing dozens of them each day.
One can recycle old towels, especially hand towels that are not in good condition, by using them to make baby bibs. If you wish to make a basic bib, you can simply cut the towel with scissors, or use a sewing machine to neatly finish the edges.
Towel Pouf
At a certain stage in a towel’s lifespan, it loses its ability to effectively dry your body. Nevertheless, there’s no need to dispose of them immediately! With a little effort, even towels that are no longer in their prime can be converted into attractive shower poofs.
You don’t need to constantly spend your money on purchasing new poufs since you can always use your old towels as a replacement whenever your pouf becomes worn out.
Extra Large Beach Towel
As towels start to develop frayed edges, they become unattractive and may also lose their functionality.
In case you have multiple towels that require some improvement, you can remove the frayed edges and stitch them together to form a bigger beach towel. This larger towel is ideal for relaxing under the sun or for leisurely family picnics, where everyone can sit on the same blanket.
New Dog Toy
It is common knowledge among pet owners that it is effortless to spend a lot of money on satisfying every possible desire of their beloved animal companion.
Sometimes even the highest quality rope bones can be destroyed by our enthusiastic dogs. Instead of going to the nearby pet store to get a replacement, a simple solution is to braid a few strips of used towels together and secure the ends.
Reusable Swiffer Cloths
Cleaning floors have become very easy with the presence of Swiffer and comparable sweepers. The convenience especially shows when one recognizes the greater efficiency compared to using a normal broom and dustpan.
Although it’s enjoyable not to purchase new clothes, the flying dust from a regular broom is annoying. Fortunately, there is a solution through turning old towels into Swiffer dust cloths, which is a perfect compromise. Additionally, it’s possible to make them wet or dry according to preference.
Spiffy New Car Sponge
Cleaning your car is a tedious task typically assigned to some of your most antiquated and deteriorated pieces of cloth.
If your car washing sponge has seen better days after being used for many years, it can be replaced effortlessly with the aid of a worn-out towel. To achieve optimal outcomes, you can cut a foam piece into a suitable shape and cover it with a piece of the old towel. Secure it onto the sponge, and then begin washing.
Chair Or Stool Cushions
A wonderful method to enhance the appearance of your home and extend the lifespan of towels that may no longer serve their primary purpose is by utilizing old yet attractive towels.
The excellent thing about the new chair covers is that they are perfect for individuals who have kids or pets and do not wish to spend much time and money on reupholstering. Besides, replacing the cushions is a breeze as one can effortlessly grab an old towel and make a few more replacements when they wear out.
Beach Pillows
Many of us have had this experience. We go to the beach for a relaxing day of soaking up the sun and lounging on the sand. We spread out our beach mat and apply sunscreen to protect our skin.
When you take out the book you had planned to read during the trip, you lie down but soon realize that you would be more at ease if you had a cushion to support your head. This is where pillows covered with towels can be helpful. They provide an excellent means of repurposing used towels.
Scented Heat Pack
Individuals who frequently experience cramps or muscle soreness are aware of how crucial it is to have access to a heat pack.
Instead of going out to purchase a new heat pack, it is very simple to create one using old towels. Simply cut the towel to the desired size, shape it into a pouch using thread or fabric glue, and fill it with rice and your preferred essential oil before closing the opening.
Pot Holders
Typically, households that have a busy kitchen often require a large quantity of pot holders. Despite the fact that kitchen towels can serve the same purpose, there are numerous drawbacks that make using pot holders a superior option over ordinary kitchen towels.
To begin with, chances are that the towels are damp, making them unsuitable for shielding your hands while dealing with hot pans. Rather than going out to purchase new towels, you could craft a pair from old towels.
Reusable Bubble Wrap
We are not exactly proposing that you create a bubble wrap using towels that can be utilized repeatedly instead of throwing it away.
Instead of spending money on bubble wrap that will be used only once and then disposed of, consider using towels as a more eco-friendly and cost-effective option for protecting fragile objects during relocation. Towels can serve as an effective cushion and offer multiple layers of protection to keep your fragile items safe.
Gardening Knee Pads
If you do a substantial amount of activity that might require kneeling, you’ve probably invested, or have considered investing, in a sturdy pair of knee pads. However, why wait to buy when you have old towels that need to be put to better use?
You can easily repurpose even half of an old towel in order to make these simple knee pads. To make them even easier, use velcro to attach the strap, rather than having to deal with all the trouble of making a buttonhole.
An Absorbent Mop Head
While Swiffers may rule the roost in many places, there is still a fraction of the population that prefers to clean their floors with a more traditional mop head. That, of course, begs the question, what makes for the best mop head around?
The surprising answer is that you should turn to your linen closet in order to make a mop head of your own. Towels are wonderfully absorbent, and given that they aren’t usually white, they ultimately look less grimy after continuously washing dirt away.
Towel Beach Bag
Packing up for the beach can either be a simple or excruciating task. For starters, it’s always a good idea to have a dedicated beach bag, so you don’t find your belongings overwhelmed with sand.
This specific bag is even more convenient because it can unfold into a beach mat with a pillow included on top. Having the pillow take up all that space may seem like a nuisance, but in truth, it will hopefully help you stick to packing only the essentials.
Luxurious Towel Quilt
We’re not going to lie, this project will definitely involve a little more effort than many of the others on the list, as quilting usually does.
But the results, as seen below, can be a truly elegant take on a repurposed towel project, especially if you have many beautifully patterned, but ultimately worn out towels to be used. After stitching all of your squares together, the quilt should be finished with a layer of batting and a bottom lining.
Personalized Washcloths
As towels begin to wear down, sometimes it’s only a small part of the towel that looks worn out.
That’s when they become the perfect material for a new set of washcloths, which can be easily personalized by choosing a color or pattern of bias tape that matches the decor in your bathroom. You can even make multiple sets to match each separate bathroom you have in your home. All it takes is a pair of scissors, and if you’re really industrious, a needle and thread.
Spa Towels
Bring a little bit of extra comfort into your routine when you transform a towel or two into a wearable spa towel.
In its simplest iteration, any towel can become a spa towel with the addition of some velcro, but if you really want, they’re also easy to jazz up with some ribbon, both to create the ruffle on top and to create the straps. You can either pull out your machine to sew on the straps or invest in some quality fabric adhesive.
Reusable Baby Wipes
For the eco-conscious parents who have chosen to dress their babies in cloth diapers, rather than disposable, building up an arsenal of reusable wipes is also a must.
Instead of shelling out for both serviceable cloth diapers and a stack of reusable wipes, you can easily make your own out of old towels, which are perfect for cleaning your baby with the gentle cleanser of your choice. Even better, they only take a few minutes to put together!
Terry Cloth Slippers
No need to chuck ragged towels when you can turn them into a pair of super comfy slippers with the help of a pair of sandals.
All you need to do is trace the sole of the sandal onto the towel, leaving a bit of overhang for the seams. You can either wrap the towel around the base or adhere interfacing to two layers of towel. For the rest of the slipper, trace the pattern you want, then stitch together inside out.
Towel Flower Pot
This is certainly one of the most impressive and creative uses of an old towel that we’ve seen so far. First, you need to thoroughly saturate an old towel with cement, which is easy to find for home use at a well-stocked hardware store.
In an outdoor space that you don’t mind getting a little messy, drape the cemented towel over an old bucket or flower pot, taking care that the bottom surface is flat against the bottom of the pot, then allow to fully dry.
Eco-Friendly Paper Towels
Using towels to create reusable paper towels may sound counterintuitive, but the truth is, we’d all like a sturdier paper towel at the end of the day.
Cutting up your old towels that might be too dingey to use for bathing make for pretty and sturdy ‘paper’ towels. You can, of course, leave them piled up like bits of old rags, or you can take an afternoon to create a beautiful roll of utility towel that you’ll want to put on display.
Hanging Organizer
Having a hanging organizer in your bathroom is an oft-missed step that homeowners fail to think about when considering their bathroom needs.
While some medicine cabinets pull double duty with regards to organization, others are inconveniently placed, or just unable to accommodate such needs. However, transforming an old towel into a hanging organizer is a great way to keep your space spic and span while also matching your decor, and most importantly, putting an old towel to good use.
Braided Bath Mat
You may never have considered it before, but old towels are the perfect thing for making a new bath mat. The hooked terry cloth that most are made out of are brilliantly absorbent, and if they’re already well worn, you can bet this new rug will be soft on your feet.
All you need to do is cut the towels into thin strips, then braid them together in a standard, three-strand braid. Once you’ve braided everything, wind in a spiral and stitch together.
Towel Toys
You may have thought you’d have to spend hours of your free time hitting the toy store in order to find the perfect plush toys for your young children, but now, there’s a new and cheaper option.
Towel animals may be a popular option in resorts and on cruises, but you can easily make them at home in minutes. The plus side of making them yourself also means that if you can make a more permanent toy that will be enjoyed far longer than a simple towel animal.
Towel Turban
Women who dry their hair with the help of a twisted towel know what a huge difference is made by having an appropriately sized towel on hand.
When using a full body towel, the head is weighed down, and even simple tasks such as walking become unwieldy. Instead, cut an old towel down to size, so you have a towel turban on hand whenever you choose to wash your hair. Your neck will be incredibly thankful for the switch.
Bathroom Rag Rug
Rag rugs have always been a way to put scraps of fabric to use while also creating a piece you’ll want to display in your home. But why keep rag rugs limited to kids’ bedrooms, when you can also create one that will be the perfect thing for your bathroom?
Rag rugs are perfect for towels that have become too ratty for nearly any other use, and while you can make a multi-colored mosaic, you can also make a stylish addition with monochrome towels.
Draft Guard
It might seem foolishly simple to think that an old towel is perfect for keeping the cold wind from blowing in through the cracks in the door, but the truth is, it really is that simple. Of course, there are ways to make a more beautiful or aesthetically pleasing draft guard out of an old towel.
If you too don’t have time for that, all you need to do is roll one up, and snuggle it up to the bottom of your door frame.
Couch Bolster Pillow
Towels are the perfect filling for a new bolster pillow by virtue of the fact that they roll up so nicely. Many tutorials suggest placing a paper towel tube or two in the center of the roll in order to help it hold its shape as you roll.
Then, it’s just a matter of covering the roll with the fabric of your choice. If you’re not very comfortable with a needle and thread, have no fear, there are many no-sew options available.
