The Genius Repurposing Idea That Gives New Life To Old Pillows You Never Use

There's nothing worse than lying down after a long day, only to realize your pillow is lumpy or flat. This can make it difficult to get a good night's rest, as pillows are meant to align your spine and reduce pressure on your neck. Not to mention, lumpy or flattened pillows can look quite sad on your bed, since they're unable to properly fill up pillowcases. For these reasons, it's a good idea to regularly replace your pillows — but what should you do with the old ones? Instead of trying to figure out how to dispose of old pillows, consider taking them apart and repurposing the materials around the house, like using the excess fluff to fill other pillows or even a sham.

Start by cutting open the old pillow with a pair of sharp scissors, preferably one meant for fabric. This is especially important if you want to reuse the fabric for other projects (think reusable dusting wipes and craft projects), as the scissors will create a cleaner cut. Next, remove the stuffing from the pillow. It will likely be clumped together, so take some time to separate the fibers and loosen them up. This will give the stuffing more volume, making it fluffy enough to effectively fill other items.

Once you've removed the stuffing from a pillow, you can use it to spruce up another one — essentially combining the stuffing of two old pillows. To do this, cut open the second pillow, then add the stuffing from the first one. It will take a few minutes to rearrange the stuffing and evenly disperse it, but it will be worth the effort! Finally, sew the newly-stuffed pillow by hand. You're welcome to use a sewing machine if you know how to use one, but it may be more convenient to stitch the fabric by hand. Looking for a no-sew option? Try fabric glue or iron-on hem tape, which you can find in the sewing section of your local craft store.

Another option is to repurpose the stuffing for decorative throw pillows. It's a smart way to use old pillows around the home and avoid buying new pillow inserts, which can cost a pretty penny. Just be sure to use zippered pillow covers, as the zipper will help hold in the stuffing. Alternatively, you can turn an old pillow into a makeshift insert. Simply cut the fabric of an old pillow so it's small enough to fit in your throw pillow cover, making sure to leave enough fabric to fold over the stuffing. Next, condense the stuffing to fluff it up, and place the "new" pillow in the cover. And just like that, you've made your space extra-cozy while keeping old pillows out of the landfill.