DIY Network

Use Your Winter Closet Clean-Outs to Warm Up a Room Crafter Michele Beschen, creator of the B Original series, explains how to turn discarded clothing into pillows.

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For button-up shirts or cardigans, use a standard pillow form (form size is based on the size of shirt you're working with). Then you can add jewelry, scarves or anything else to decorate them. Outdated or ill-fitting coats, sweaters and shirts can easily be turned into fashionable throw pillows. When selecting which part or parts of a coat to use for your pillow, keep an eye out for any decorative detail and where you'll want to put it.

By Michele Beschen

Sept. 10, 2007 — There are two times a year when most of us swap out what's front and center in our closets and drawers — spring and autumn.

The latter is creeping up on us ever so quickly, and that means we will all be packing away our hot-weather fashions — or at least burying them in the back of our armoires — and bringing our warm and cozy woolies to the forefront.

Naturally, some of last year's cold-weather wear won't fit the fashion bill this year. But before you haul those closet classics to the nearest secondhand store, why not use them to warm up a room in your house, instead?

Outdated or ill-fitting coats, sweaters and shirts can easily be turned into some very fashionable throw pillows.

For winter coats, here's how:

Materials:

wool coat with lining
pillow form or old pillow
straight pins
scissors
needle and thread
sewing machine

When selecting which part or parts of the coat to use, keep an eye out for any decorative detail and where you'll want to put it.

If the lining of the coat is in good condition and the proper weight, you'll want to use it for the back of the pillow. (This leaves you with more of the good stuff to create more pillows!)

Steps:

1. Carefully remove the lining from your coat.

2. Create a pattern from the size pillow form you are using. I just use the plastic packaging that the pillow form comes in. Determine which part of the coat will become the front of your pillow, and position the pattern on your coat.

3. Pin into place and cut. Repeat, by cutting out the same pattern in the lining.

4. Position the pieces right sides together, pin in place, and sew.

5. Use a heavier-weight needle and sew a straight stitch about one-half inch from the edge all the way around, leaving an opening large enough to slip your form into.

6. Turn right side out and insert the pillow form. Hand-stitch the opening closed.

For button-up shirts or cardigans:

1. Use a standard pillow form (form size is based on the size of shirt with which you are working)
   
   
2. Place pillow form inside your shirt or cardigan. Work the form all the way up to the top of the shirt. You want to play up the look of the shirt and later add jewelry, ties or scarves, so keep that in mind as you're placing your form.

3. Pinch and pin off sides, keeping the shoulders and collar intact.

4. Take out the pillow form and turn inside out. Straight-stitch along the pin line and cut off excess material. Turn right side out and insert pillow form.

5. Add scarves around neckline to hide the exposed pillow form and tack into place.

6. Play around with additional embellishments such as ties, brooches and necklaces.

You've just turned outdated cold weather wear into stylish, trendsetting fashion for your furniture. They're definitely some of my favorites!

If you don't find enough cool-weather treasures lurking in the darkness of your closets and drawers, but still want to warm up your rooms with these projects, visit the nearest secondhand store, I'm confident you'll find everything you are needing to B. Original!

(Michele Beschen is creator of the B Original series for the DIY Network. Contact her at www.couragetocreate.com. Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service.)

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