Craft Ideas for Old Quilts

By Tamara L. Morris - Wed, Mar 9, 2011 8:53 AM PST

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Some of my favorite quilt scrap creations.

A homemade quilt is a thing of beauty and truly a work of art. My paternal grandmother made a quilt for each of her grandchildren--all nine of us--and poured her love and creativity into each one. When my quilt was almost completely destroyed in a house fire in 1999, it was the hardest thing to lose in the fire because it couldn't be replaced as Grandma's health was starting to decline. Thankfully, a few pieces of the quilt could be salvaged and my mother had a great idea for just what to do with them. If you have an old quilt that is in bad shape, don't despair--with a little creativity you can turn it into some great craft projects.
Quilt Bears
That Christmas, after the fire in March, my present from my parents was a stuffed bear made from the scrap pieces of my quilt. While I no longer have the whole quilt Grandma made, I cherish the bear that my mama made from the scraps. She used an actual bear pattern from a pattern company (check your local fabric and craft stores). While this bear does not look perfect (there are discolorations from spots that were singed), it is perfect to me.

Using the same concept, I salvaged pieces from an old quilt I picked up at a local thrift store. The quilt itself was not in the best shape and had large holes, but I decided to buy it for the price (50 cents) and use it for craft projects.
I drew a rough bear shape on paper then cut two of the shapes out of the quilt. On one of the pieces I sewed buttons for eyes and a nose and embroidered a mouth then sewed the two bear pieces together (right sides facing--leaving an opening for turning right side out and stuffing).
After stuffing the bear I sewed up the opening and wouldn't you know it--it was adorable! I made smaller bears out of the quilt to give as gifts to friends and family.
Quilt Hearts
After making bears, there were still small scraps of the quilt left over. They were too small to make bears out of but I hated to throw them out. They ended up being the perfect size for quilt hearts.
I made two types of quilt hearts. For one, I cut out two piece of the quilt in a heart shape. I put the right sides together and pinned a loop of jute twine inside at the top of the heart then sewed it up--leaving an opening at one side for turning and stuffing. Turn, stuff then sew up the opening and it turned out great.
The other heart was made slightly different. I cut two heart shapes out then sewed them together (wrong sides facing) with no stuffing and a loop of jute positioned between the two pieces at the top of the heart. I used a zig zag stitch around the edge then sewed another heart-shaped seam about one inch farther in toward the center of the heart. I hand sewed a few buttons at the center of the heart for decoration (or it can be left plain without buttons) then used pinking shears to trim around the edges.
A variation on this heart can be made by adding a small amount of stuffing to the center and sewing around the stuffing to make the center puff out. I gave this type of heart as Christmas ornament gifts to family members and they loved them.
Valentine's Day decorations? Sure! Why not? Planning a country wedding or bridal party? Quilted hearts are a perfect choice!
Other Quilt Crafts
Other crafty possibilities for old quilts could be to cut and trim them to size as placemats or table runners. A scrap from a quilt can become a small quilted doily under a lamp or a flower vase on your end table.
Another great option would be to purchase a picture frame then cut a piece of the quilt to fit then hang on the wall as a piece of unique art. What else can you do with an old quilt? How about turn it into a one-of-a-kind country purse or a tote bag?
Keep an eye open when you go to yard sales or thrift stores for old, torn or beat up quilts. Some people will ask a hefty price for them, but if you can get one for a reasonable cost, snag it and use it for some creative craft projects for your home.