I am so pleased to bring you this guest post from one of my super crafty friends with a passion for all things vintage, Becky Striepe. And really, you couldn’t get much cuter than a girl and her cat in a vintage pillowcase skirt!

Hi there! My name is Becky Striepe (pronounced “stree-pee,” like “sleepy”), and I am a freelance writer and vegan crafter who’s life’s mission is to make green crafting and vegan food accessible to everyone! You can find my craft projects and recipes on my site, Glue and Glitter. I am super excited to talk to you today about one of my favorite sources for vintage fabric: reclaimed vintage pillowcases.

Vintage pillowcases are an awesome alternative to buying conventional fabrics for your crafting. They provide a manageable amount of fabric (read: you don’t have to store a ton of leftovers or wrestle with lots of yardage), and they’re perfect for smaller projects from making aprons to and other accessories to children’s clothing.

Where to Buy Vintage Pillowcases

Not sure where to find vintage pillowcases for crafting? It sometimes takes a little digging, but I’ve had good luck in a few different places.

• Thrift Stores – Dig through your local thrift store’s linen section! You might not score a lovely vintage pillowcase your first time out, but that’s just part of thrifting. It’s about the hunt!
• Estate Sales – Keep an eye on the local paper for estate sales in your area. You can find all manner of awesome vintage linens on the cheap.
• The Attic – Next time you or someone in your family is doing some spring cleaning, look through the attic. You never know what vintage treasures you’ll find, pillowcases included.
• Etsy – If digging through thrift stores, estate sales, and dusty attics isn’t your thing, search “vintage pillowcase” in the supplies category on Etsy. There are lots of crafters out there offering vintage pillowcases for sale. Let them do the digging for you!

So, you’ve got your pillowcase, and you’re ready to get crafty! Here are some projects to get you started.

1. Make a Belt – Wide belts are super hip right now, and you can turn an old pillowcase into a sassy obi belt in under an hour.

2. Sew an Apron – Upcycling superstar Betz White shows you how to make a sassy pillowcase apron.

3. Make a Child’s Skirt – Julie at Crafting a Green World has an excellent tutorial on how to make a skirt out of a vintage pillowcase.

4. Whip Up a Sun Dress – A pillowcase is just the right size to make a sundress for your little one!

5. Stitch Up a Pillowcase Shirt – Who says all of the pillowcase clothes have to be for kiddos? Treat yourself with a summery tank made from a vintage pillowcase!

Have any of you guys made any fun vintage pillowcase crafts? I’d love to hear your ideas in the comments!

Image Credits: Pillowcase Belt photo by Becky Striepe; Pillowcase Skirt photo by Julie Finn