Uses for Old Chenille Bedspreads

• Your beloved old bedspread can become someone's beloved new friend. Ryan McVay/Lifesize/Getty Images

  If your favorite chenille bedspread has finally come to the end of its useful life as a bed covering, don't be too quick to throw it out. With a little imagination, a measure of ingenuity and some basic sewing skills, you can transform it into something new, attractive and "shabby chic."

Teddy Bear

• With its fuzzy, nappy texture, chenille is ideal for making charming teddy bears. Depending upon the amount of usable fabric left from your bedspread and the sewing pattern you choose, you can even make more than one teddy bear. If your chenille is patterned, use one area of the pattern for the tummy and another for the arms and legs. Add button eyes and a calico bow around Teddy's neck for a homespun finish.

Patchwork Quilt

• Chenille works especially well with floral and calico prints, making it a natural for quilts. Chenille adds texture to otherwise smooth quilter's cottons, and chenille's usual solid colors are a welcome visual relief from busy calico prints. If your amount of usable chenille allows it, you can make a chenille/calico quilt with coordinating solid chenille pillow shams.

Pillows

• Pillows are such a quick, easy way to add color and texture to any room of the house. They're also a very simple, gratifying project that even a novice sewer can make pillows. Chenille usually has a casual air about it, so use your chenille pillows in your least stuffy rooms, or toss one onto a rocking chair on a covered porch.

Shower Curtain or Window Curtains

• If your bedspread has a large usable area of at least 72 x 72 inches, you can turn it into an unusual shower curtain. Simply hem any raw edges, and add buttonholes along the top for threading shower curtain rings; hang a waterproof liner with it. If the usable fabric is not that large, you can turn a smaller piece into a simple curtain panel for a small window by sewing a rod pocket at the top and hemming any raw edges.

Toddler Dress

• Make an adorable little chenille dress for an adorable little girl. Choose a casual, easy-fitting dress pattern, such as a jumper with a gathered empire bodice. Trim the dress with pretty pastel ribbons and buttons, and add coordinating floral patch pockets for a charming effect. If you have leftover fabric, you can make a matching floppy hat or tiny purse.

Baby Blankets

• Another simple yet satisfying project is a baby blanket. Simply cut a square of chenille and a square of satin in the same size, around 40 x 40 inches or 50 x 50 inches. Sew the two together so that one side is the soft, slick satin and the other is the soft, fuzzy chenille. Babies love the softness and texture, and you'll love how simple and economical it is to make.