How to Use Vintage Sheets & Where to Search for Vintage Sheets

Yes, indeed, I still love creating these basic patchwork blankets. If you have some frugal tendencies in you, using sheets from thrift stores is one great way to create without much investment! Do you have a stash of old vintage sheets in your closet, or do you have some childhood sheets you are having some trouble parting with? This is the second simple patchwork blanket I’ve made out of these old colorful sheets, and I love them.

Here’s a few advantages of making blankets out of vintage sheets:

1. They are cozy. Vintage sheets have usually been washed over and over again, and the cozy and soft texture they offer cannot be matched.

2. A blanket of vintage sheets often holds a set of memories. The first recycled blanket I made was created with all the sheets my sisters and I slept on growing up. It’s fun to see them all being used in such a fun way.

3. These blankets are perfect for family pictures. They are great for using if your family pictures are in a grassy field or some place similar.

4. The monetary investment is usually relatively low. As long as you find the right place for buying them, vintage sheets are very very inexpensive compared to new quilting fabric.

5. Blankets made with vintages sheets are one of a kind. If you are like me and find sheets on a whim as you browse thrift shops, no one else is going to find the exact same combination of sheets as you do.

Here are a few places you can find a good stash of vintage sheets:

1. Start looking for vintage sheets at a local thrift shop. When I initially started my search for vintage sheets, I went about once a week to two local thrift shops. This is completely hit and miss in my area, but it wasn’t too defeating that I stopped going. Almost every other visit, I came home with something.

2. Watch your newspapers for local estate sales. Sometimes you’ll find an estate sale loaded with vintage sheets. You may have to act fast since devoted collectors will gobble them up very quickly there. Many dealers are quick to watch estate sales since they know they can find lots at once.

3. Watch for garage sales in neighborhoods with older generations. I’ve noticed the garage sale market isn’t searching for sheets like me around here. I’ve had some great success are garage sales.

4. I’ve purchased a number of sheets off Etsy. A Little Shabby Shack has excellent service, and her quality descriptions have fit the condition of the sheets well.

5. You will also find lots and lots of name brand vintage sheets listed on Ebay. Unfortunately, they tend to be extremely over priced (in my opinion), but if you are looking for a specific sheet design or brand, Ebay may be a good option for you.

If you want to learn to sew a basic patchwork blanket made with vintage sheets like the one I pictured here, you can start with the below tutorials!

1. Sewing with Vintage Sheets and a Few Tips I Learned Along the Way. This is a generic post with lots of great information on sewing with sheets instead of quilting fabric.

2. How to Sew with Vintage Sheets. This post is a sequel to the one mentioned above. I learned some more after sewing a third vintage sheet quilt!

3. How to Cut Perfect Patchwork Squares: The ones I used for this blanket were 6 1/2 inches. This tutorial shows you how to cut squares out of fabric.

4. How to Sew a Binding onto a Quilt: This is a basic tutorial on how to add the binding (or the yellow edging) to a quilt.

Follow along on my Vintage Sheet Pinterest board for some other great inspiration!

These are the kinds of blankets that will be full of memories and cuddles for years. If you love creating and sewing, I’d encourage you to craft something with your hands. And, like I mentioned above, vintage sheets are a great place to start. Shoot me an email or leave a comment if you need some more direction or tips on creating your first quilt!