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What to do with old pillows? You might think that these old pillows are useless, but you are going to be surprised by the things that you can do with them. At the same time, if you recycle these old pillows or reuse them, you are doing your part in helping keep the environment a bit greener.

Before you decide the fate of those pillows, you should make sure that they can no longer be used as such. Do not worry as we’ll also tell you how you can tell if your well-beloved pillows need to go.

More than that, we are going to share 10 DIY projects that will put those old pillows into good use. This can also be a fun activity for the whole family as most of the things that we are going to show you are safe to be done by children.

Old Pillow or Not: The Signs

You might mistake a dirty and abused pillow as an old one. Therefore, we are going to tell you if what you currently have needs to be considered as an old pillow.

A good rule of the thumb for determining if you have an old pillow is if it has been used for two years. Of course, this rule does not cover special pillows like those which have special fillings like beads and hulls.

Another sign that your pillow is an old one is if it already smells funky and the cover already changed color. Of course, we are not talking about the buildup of oil and dirt, but we are referring to irremovable stains due to the accumulation of moisture. More than that, you should also check the fillings if there are bedbugs inside or if they are too worn out.

If those are the cases, then congratulations! You have an old pillow. It might be a bit sad on your part to change your favorite pillow, but trust us, you will make something better out of it. Also, it is more hygienic this way.

Let us now have a look at the things that you can do with your old pillows.

What to Do with Old Pillows: Top 10 Things to Do

Some of these things require a bit of crafting, but for others, you can use parts of the pillow as is. Enjoy!

1. Make a Stuff Toy or Enhance an Existing One

Part of disposing of your old pillow is to check the stuffing. If the stuffing does not have insects in it, then you can use it to reinvent the lean toy of your child. Also, you can create a new one by simply purchasing an already made stuff toy where you only need to put in stuffing and close it up by stitching or with a zipper.

2. New Cushion

You also need your old stuffing for this. All you have to do is to get a nice looking fabric and some buttons. Sew them to create your desired shape and fill with stuffing. Voila! You have a new cushion.

3. Holiday Decoration

For this one, it might just be used once. You can use the stuffing as snow decoration when you fluff it up and attach it to a string. Similarly, it can be utilized as a cobweb decoration for Halloween. Further, it can be used on spring to make flowers if you ball them up and spray paint them.

4. Packing Material

Gone are those days when you really have to stock up on newspaper or even bubble wrap just so you can send something without it breaking. Once again, just keep the stuffing, and you can just use it for your packages. Surely, the stuffing is more secure than newspaper and bubble wrap as it can keep its shape.

5. Pet Bedding

Pillow stuffing can be great for small animals. Take note: only for small animals like hamsters, mice, rabbits, etc.

Some snakes like ball pythons, hognose snakes, and the likes can also use the stuffing on their heating pads as it adds to the humidity. Just make sure that there are no sharp things in the stuffing that might snag their skin.

6. Colorful Rags

This time, you can make use of the pillow cover. If you have a lot of old pillows, you can dye all the covers and stick them together to create a rag. To make a unique looking one, you can tear them and tie them together for your rag to have more texture.

7. Compost Pile

If you are getting rid of feather fillings, you can also add that to your compost pile. Adding those will make your compost enriched and is best used for fertilizer. Your plants will thank you for it.

8. Knee Pads

This one makes use of both the pillow cover and stuffing. What you are actually going to do is to create miniature pillows.

Take the stuffing out first then measure parts of the cover that can cover your knee. Sew it to form a rectangle or circle, add the stuffing, attach straps, and close it up. You now have knee pads! You can also decorate it with patches or buttons.

9. Insulation

You know that pillows tend to warm up your head due to the stuffing. Therefore, if you need to insulate anything around your house, you can just use the stuffing. Just make sure that you pack them all in one piece because you do not want loose stuffing flying around the house as it might cause allergies.

10. Pet Bed

Once again, the stuffing takes the cake on this one. Get rid of the cover and take the usable stuffing. You can just sew together some fabric and make sure that the surface area can fit your pet.

Place the stuffing and close it up. Your dog and cat will love their new bed and what is great is that you did not shell out money for it.

No More Old Pillows!

Now that you know some things on what to do with old pillows, the possibilities are endless! There are still a few things that you can do; you just have to be creative. Definitely, these projects make it easier for you to change your pillows when their time comes.