Old sleeping bags: 13 ways to reuse / recycle them

1. make a quilt using whatever padding is inside the old sleeping bag. If the inside or outside of the old bag is in good condition, you can use it for the back of your new quilt.

2. Make a scarf, ear warmers, hat, or gloves. Who says these should be made of yarn? For these you would probably use new material for the exterior and fill it with the padding from the old sleeping bag. Nice and warm!

3. make slippers or booties using whatever padding is inside the old sleeping bag.

4. Make a dog bed. There are two ways to do this that would be easy. First, decide what shape you want the dog bed to be. With the old sleeping bag, fold it into any shape you want (a square or rectangle would be easier) and then use a strong quilting thread to quilt or tie the bed. After that, cut wide strips for each side of the dog’s bed, fold each edge, and sew. This will create a nice edge. The second way is basically the same as the previous one, but cover the outside with new material before quilting or tying the bed (you don’t need to use the wide strips on this one).

5. Seat cushions made. A used bag probably won’t make a good sofa cushion, but a wooden chair or bench would be great.

6. Make a rag rug. Cut the sleeping bag into strips and make your rug. I’ve never done this, but there are many sites online that can tell you exactly how. My mother in law has made a lot of them and says they are pretty easy for anyone to do.

7. Make a decorative pillow. Again, with this option, you would probably use new material or maybe a good piece of clothing that is no longer needed for the exterior. However, if it is of the right material, the inside or outside of the old sleeping bag could be used and adorned. Wear old buttons or ribbons, sparkles, prints or anything else to dress it up.

8. make toddler pants or shirts using the stuffing from the old sleeping bag. Why do we only see hoodies or sweatshirts to keep you warm inside and out? I’m not talking about snow pants or snow shirts here. Just enough filling to avoid the cold.

9. Make doll clothes or Barbie doll clothes, quilts, rugs, etc. I came up with this while writing this article. Both the filler and the materials could be used for this purpose.

10. Make wall art. In recent times, I have seen the DIY TV network using wallpaper samples for wall art. Well, if it is of the right material and / or if you embellish or dye it, why not use your old sleeping bag in this way? It can be fantastic!

11. Make a sleep mask. Use the down from the old sleeping bag to fill in the material of your choice … how soft and nice.

12. Donate your used sleeping bag. There are several different places to donate them. How about the animal shelter, homeless shelter, or any youth program that does outdoor activities? Also Passages Northwest is the website of an organization that helps girls and women discover their leadership skills by exploring the great outdoors.

13. Ask the manufacturer of the sleeping bag. if they accept your old sleeping bags for research, recycling or reuse.