The Most Clever Ways to Reuse an Old Pillow

For the most part, pillows don’t last forever. Even if you wash them regularly, they can still flatten or lose their shape over time. On the other hand, you may have perfectly good pillows that you no longer need.

Either way, let’s say you have some pillows you want to get rid of, but you don’t necessarily want to throw them away. Here are a few of the ways you can reuse them instead.

Make a pet bed

You may not want to use a particular pillow anymore, but your dog or cat might appreciate a new bed—especially if you have a dog who is comforted by your scent. There are a few different ways to make one.

If they’re small enough to curl up on the pillow, you can get them their own designated pillowcases—so you can switch them out and wash them—and give it to them as-is. Better yet, find a box or plastic container roughly the same size as the pillow, and stuff the pillow inside. This will look better and make it easier to keep clean.

You can also combine multiple pillows and create a simple cover them out of an old sheet or inexpensive fleece blanket, as shown in this video.

Use the stuffing as packing material

Instead of throwing a pillow in the trash, you can cut it open and use the stuffing instead of or in addition to packing peanuts or bubble wrap the next time you need to send a fragile package.

Make new throw pillows

Have you ever ordered what you thought were reasonably priced throw pillows, only for them to arrive and find out you only bought the covers? Either way, it’s possible to find decent throw pillow covers for a great price, but the inserts tend to be pricey. Or, perhaps you have inserts, but they’re flat and uncomfortable. Regardless, repurposing an old pillow (or part of one) may be the solution. This tutorial walks you through that process.

Perform reconstructive surgery on a stuffed toy

Kids and pets can be rough on stuffed toys. Fortunately, you can use the stuffing from a pillow as a filler for aging stuffed toys. Find the hole or tear where the toy’s stuffing came out, or create a small incision somewhere inconspicuous, then add pillow fluff until the toy is back to its original shape (or close to it), and stitch it back together.

Cut up the case for rags

Once you’ve emptied a pillow’s stuffing to use as packing material or toy Botox, use a sharp pair of scissors to cut the case into pieces. Use these rags for household cleaning.