Creative uses for drop cloth
We love, love, love drop cloth. It is super inexpensive and perfect for so many projects. I use mostly linen for my sewing projects, but sometimes it makes sense to use drop cloth. It is super inexpensive, and it’s very sturdy. The nubby texture also makes it desirable. It comes in many different sizes and weights.
For this daybed at our tree house I thought that drop cloth was best. I knew it was going to get some ‘hard wear’ so I wanted something that wasn’t delicate and could hold up to some heavy laundering and abuse. I did not leave the cover out here all the time, only when we were using the bed. We’ve had friends camp out over night, and usually someone sleeps on this bed.
Check out the daybed cover and pillows I made for our tree house CLICK HERE. I’ve taken a nap on that bed, and it is very relaxing to hear the water in the creek below and the birds overhead.
The interesting thing is that drop cloth looks a lot like homespun linen sheets from a distance. I had a homespun linen sheet on this indoor daybed, but at some point changed it out for drop cloth. No one noticed.
We love it so much we did a podcast on the topic.
EPISODE 86 USING DROP CLOTH CREATIVELY
Want it to be lighter in color? Why not bleach it? Yvonne teaches us how to bleach drop clothes to a lovely shade that is soft to the touch – click CLICK HERE
Pop over to Kelly’s porch to see the privacy drapes she made using drop cloths – CLICK HERE. I tried this approach for my back porch, but it was way too windy. But the curtains on Kelly’s porch are gorgeous.
I recovered a bench in drop cloth. It sold when I had my booth at Round Top – CLICK HERE This was a pretty easy project.
Our friend Christy created this darling covered stool with rosettes using a drop cloth – CLICK HERE Clever girl!!!
I’ve even used it for tablecloths. CLICK HERE for more.
How do you use drop cloth? I would love to know.
Great ideas! Thank you. I just followed Liz Marie’s post and made curtains – http://www.lizmarieblog.com/2016/11/diy-drop-cloth-curtains-in-the-sunroom/
I absolutely love using drop cloths. I’ve been transitioning all my window treatments to drop cloth curtains. Choosing curtains or fabric is just way too stressful! I love the neutral look and the $$$$$
I love drop cloths too. I have one large super comfy arm chair, one wing chair and two ottomans upholstered in drop cloths. I had found them all at our church bazaar and didn’t want to spend too much in material. They are beautiful and very sturdy.
I used a washed to softness drop cloth as a slip cover for my little settee. Saw a video on youtube on how to tuck it in and pin it to make it look very smooth and casual–loved it. And the size of the drop cloth made the tucks stay without any trouble. Just whisk it off and pop it in the washer when necessary.
Love all of your posts. Can you please tell me what paint color you used in the room with the indoor daybed/bench where the blue bench is in front of the doors?
That is Windsor Greige SW.
All great suggestions! I love that you can bleach it — I didn’t realize you could!
I used dropcloth to cover the seats of my dining room chairs. I suggest for upholstery, use the heaviest weight and prewash. I didn’t use the heaviest and the dropcloth fabric has stretched a tiny bit on my chairs. Looking forward to using it in the other ways suggested here. Great ideas from everyone.
Ginger
I used drop cloth for my slip covers on sofa and love seat. Very happy with the results, cheap and so easy to care for. I bleached mine to a soft hand. I have a “French” chiair. I would like to recover, but I feel a drop cloth is too cheap for my chair. You say you use “linen”…where do you purchase that? I like “feed sacks” but they are too narrow for my upholstered wide seats. So I am at a loss what do use. How do others reupholster pieces with narrow feedsacks?
Sherry, I use feedsacks all the time. You can have a seam in the fabric and I have done that for a settee with beautiful results. It is in this post. https://cedarhillfarmhouse.com/2017/08/spot-fix-off-balance-room.html
As for linen, I work with Calico Corners and they have gorgeous linen.
I’ve used drop cloth to make pillow covers with transferred images and plan to use for slipcovers in the near future. I love how easy it is to sew this fabric and like you said, not expensive.
Excellent idea Terry.
i use dropcloths as tablecloths for exactly the reason they are so named. my husband to this day eats like a child meaning he drops every other bite of food and tons of crumbs. add the grands eating habits which take after grandpa and there you go! my family of food droppers!
5 years ago, i made extra large tablecloths for the tables used in my daughters wedding reception. a FYI to anyone who may do the same thing, wash those dropcloths first. i didnt. to this day, my iron has some sort of sticky gummy residue on the iron plate.
Diane, that’s funny!
I used drop cloths to make Xmas stockings and printed some French style motifs on gorgeous and some strips just look like grain sacks????
Great idea Stephanie!!!
Great idea Stephanie!!!
Thank each of you on the podcast for your ideas on the dropcloth and what some great ways a drop cloth can be used Beautiful God bless
Love your dropcloth ideas, Anita! I’ve shared several of your photos to my Drop Cloth and Grain Sacks board on Pinterest ~ hope that brings a few folks your way. 🙂 Happily working on stenciling a couple of chair slipcovers this week. Learning how to make stencils via Cricut…
Have a great rest of your week,
Barb 🙂
Thank you so much Barbara.