| 
Fabric Refreshers
.focus())
Fabric Refreshers
(ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED: JULY/AUGUST 2007)
You may not be able to turn your rags into riches, but you can transform them into creative home decor, as shown in this Illinois farmhouse. Instead of storing fabric scraps, less-than-perfect quilts or vintage aprons, recycle the materials into fun home accents. Make a simple table skirt or sentimental photo album cover—or try one of these low-cost projects.
Scrappy drawer pulls Leftover fabric scraps easily can update the look of an antique dresser with drawer pulls. Simply remove the dresser's hardware, enlarge the original holes with a drill and pull foot-long fabric strips through. Tie a knot in front, but be sure to leave enough room for your hand to grip each pull. Trim fabric ends as desired to finish this subtle room accent.
Easy window treatments Decorative dish towels or a vintage apron can double as a window treatment in a kitchen. To use dish towels, place a tension rod inside the window frame and hang towels over the bar. If you're using a vintage apron, tap a nail into each side of the window frame. Tie the apron strings around the nails. Change out towels or aprons seasonally for a quick update.
Custom quilt-covered cushions An easy chair can become a colorful room favorite with quilt-covered cushions. Salvage a slightly worn or damaged quilt, and sew the usable sections into slipcovers to fit the chair cushions (or hire a professional to do the work). Covering just the cushions is simpler and less expensive than reupholstering the entire furniture piece.
Additional fabric recycling ideas to try Give a solid-color pillow a new look by sewing on colorful fabric squares and circles. Embellish with buttons. Make tiebacks for drapery panels with wide ribbons or long fabric strips. Line the edge of a lampshade with ribbon or upholstery gimp, a flat braid used for trimming. Tired of using your tablecloth? Cut and sew it into a table runner. Frame four to six fabric squares and group them on the wall as art, or cover an art stretcher frame with fabric. Wrap vintage handkerchiefs around the outside of a journal.
