15 Things You Never Thought To Do With An Old Pillow

If you’re anything like me, you probably have a few bags of old clothes and bedding around the house somewhere. You meant to take them to Goodwill ages ago, but several months have gone by and those bags are just collecting dust. But there’s no shame in that—in fact, today it might just work in your favor if you happen to have a couple of old bed pillows in those bags!

Today we’ll be discussing creative was to reuse, repurpose, and recycle old bed pillows. Every bed pillow will eventually wear out over time, whether it stops providing adequate support, develops weird lumps, or just sort of falls apart. And while those pillows need to be retired from your bed, that doesn’t mean they’re totally useless! There are plenty of clever ways to put those old pillows to good use, and we’ll be exploring some of those uses today!

If you have any brilliant uses for old bed pillows that aren’t listed here, we’d love to hear about them! Share your bright ideas in a comment at the bottom of this post and we can keep the conversation going. :-)

15 New Uses For Old Bed Pillows

1. Make Rags

Open up your old pillow and remove the stuffing. Then cut up the remaining fabric into square pieces and use them as rags for cleaning projects!

2. Stuff Another Pillow

Have a pillow that could use a bit more stuffing? You can use stuffing from an old pillow that’s ready to be retired. Just remove the stuffing from the old pillow and put it into the other.

3. Double Up

To extend the lifespan of a pillow that’s gone all thin and lumpy, just use two of them! Grab your two thinnest pillows and put them in a pillowcase together. You’ll have a suitably firm pillow that should work nicely for at least a few more months!

4. Compost Your Feathers

If you’re retiring an old feather pillow, remove the feathers and add them to your compost pile instead. Apparently they break down well in compost!

5. Donate Them

If you’re upgrading to a new pillow, your old one may still be in pretty good shape. If that’s the case, consider donating your old pillow to your local homeless shelter or animal shelter. (Keep in mind that it’s a good idea to wash your pillows before donating them.)

Related: How To Rescue Your Old, Yellowed Pillows

6. Block Drafts

Use your old pillow to make a quick and easy draft-blocking device. Put it in front of your draftiest door and you’ll notice a big difference!

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Related: “Sock” It To Your Energy Bill By Making Your Own Draft Stopper

7. Block Chimney Drafts

If you have a drafty chimney rather than a door, never fear! An old pillow can help you here too. Just put your old pillow into a trash bag to protect it from the elements, and stuff it up your chimney. It’ll help stop those chilly drafts from coming through into the house.

8. Protect A Package

Use the stuffing from an old pillow as packing material the next time you ship a fragile package. You could also stuff the whole pillow in the box if you want!

9. Moving Helper

Use old pillows to help protect you’re stuff while you’re moving. Place them between bikes to keep them from getting scratched up. If you have to lean other items against a piece of furniture in the truck, place a pillow there to keep it from scuffing or rubbing while in transit.

10. Knee Pad

Use an old pillow as a knee pad when gardening or doing yard work. Your knees will thank you, and you won’t have to spend any extra money on a knee pad.

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11. Insulate Everything

Old pillows make great insulation in a pinch! You can use the stuffing (or the whole pillow) to add insulation to:

• Your loft or attic
• Around your bathtub
• Your hot water tank
• Your pipes

12. Pamper Your Hamster

Your hamster would love the stuffing from an old pillow in his cage. Use it to line the bottom of his cage, then replace it with fresh stuffing once it gets soiled.

13. Make A Cushion

Use a few old pillows to make a comfy floor cushion! There’s a great tutorial on how to make one at Dabbles and Babbles.

14. Road Trip Pillow

If your family takes a lot of road trips, use your old pillows to make the next trip super comfy! All you have to do is sew a couple of straight lines with your sewing machine. Check out the full tutorial on Dandylion Roots!

15. Make A Pet Bed

Your dog or cat deserves a comfy place to sit! But you don’t have to spend a fortune on a fancy pet bed if you have an old pillow! Get the full tutorial on how to make a simple, no-sewing-required pet bed for your fur babies at the link below.

Related: Make A Comfy, No-Sew Pet Bed For Your Furry Friends