Easy DIY Vintage Tablecloth Pillowcases

I have a thing for white vintage linens.

Seriously.

Tablecloths…

Flour sacks…

Irish linen napkins….

Give me all of them!

But I don’t always use them the way they’re supposed to be used.

I’m always looking for ways to make them into something else.

Something new and different.

I’m kind of non-traditional that way.

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See how to make your bedroom a sanctuary space HERE

I’ve sewn all my life and have a passion for fabrics. My favorite fabric is linen. There’s just something about it that I can’t resist.

So when I saw this vintage embroidered linen tablecloth, I had to bring it home.

I found it at an Estate Sale for $4.00. The original price was $8.00. But it was Sunday afternoon so everything was half off.

I looked in my wallet. I had exactly $4.00 in cash. How perfect is that??

It was in beautiful condition except for a little yellow spot about the size of a quarter.

So I took it home and soaked it overnight in hot water with OxiClean. Then I ran it through a normal wash cycle. No more stain!

(Soaking in hot water with OxiClean has always worked for me for getting yellow stains out of white linens. So I’m not opposed to buying them if they have a little stain on them.)

Then I took it right from the washer after the last spin and ironed it on the linen setting while it was still damp. This is the best way to iron linen if you want a smooth, crisp look.

My tablecloth was 36” square so this was the perfect size for making two standard pillowcases.

Here’s how easy they were to make:

First cut the tablecloth in half.

Then use a regular white standard size pillowcase cut in half for the back.

This will be the size you are going to want your tablecloth pieces to measure up to. Be sure to allow for the hem on the opening side. Sew the tablecloth pieces to the pillowcase backing, lining up the hems.

TIP: If you’re using a tablecloth with a pattern, be sure to make them ‘mirror images’ of each other. You are going to want your pattern on the left pillowcase to be the opposite of the pattern on the right. I learned this the hard way when I didn’t pay attention and had to rip out and re-sew….

Serge the raw edges of your inside seams so they don’t all come unraveled when you wash them.

For the top seam, I wanted the edge embroidery to show on mine so I top-stitched it to the back instead of making it a regular seam.

Insert a standard down pillow into the case and…

…toss them on your bed.

Then stand back and admire!

PS The smaller pillow in front is also made from a vintage tablecloth.

After soaking, washing and ironing it, I just cut the center part out and made a small pillow.

So if you see vintage tablecloths, flour sacks, napkins, quilts or anything fabric — think outside the box about how you might be able to use them in a different way.

Like chair backs…

Or bench cushions…

Or tea towels…

Or hand towels…

Or pillowcases…

Check out THIS post for some great DIY Christmas gift ideas