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What to do with extra flat sheets?
11-23-2010, 04:59 PM
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#1
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Dec 2005
Posts: 1,228
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What to do with extra flat sheets?
It seems that more and more sheets are being sold as sets, and it's getting less possible to buy just a fitted sheet.
It's always the fitted sheet that wears first... usually after a couple of years it rips, while the pillowcases and flat sheets are fine because they haven't had body weight on them.
I've now got a half dozen spare fitted sheets and a similar number of pillowcases. They are useful for spare guest bedding, camping, and picnic blankets, but I now have way more than I need for those purposes. I just hate to throw away perfectly good sheets.
I came across this tutorial on converting a flat sheet to a fitted sheet:
Sew Your Own Fitted Sheets
But that doesn't seem like it'd be cost effective as I don't own a sewing machine and bringing it to my tailor/cleaner would probably cost almost as much as a new sheet (if I could find one sold separately that I liked!). Also, the flat sheets are sized just a little bit too small to give the recommended 4-6 inches extra to tuck underneath.
Anyone have frugal solutions to the flat sheet dilemna?
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11-23-2010, 05:05 PM
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#2
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Gone but not forgotten
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 6,924
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Seriously, you can't make a bed with two flat sheets?
Give away or learn to make 'hospital corners'
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11-23-2010, 05:15 PM
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#3
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 11,401
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What Khan said.
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11-23-2010, 05:20 PM
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#4
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 17,773
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“Would you like an adventure now, or would you like to have your tea first?” J.M. Barrie, Peter Pan
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11-23-2010, 05:31 PM
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#5
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: New Orleans
Posts: 47,473
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Quote:
Originally Posted by free4now
It's always the fitted sheet that wears first... usually after a couple of years it rips, while the pillowcases and flat sheets are fine because they haven't had body weight on them.
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You must be having a LOT more midnight fun than I am. I have only one fitted sheet (yes, too much of a penny-pincher to buy more so I wash and dry it and put it back on the bed immediately). I have used my fitted sheet constantly for nine years now, and it doesn't even show any wear much less being ripped up like that.
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11-23-2010, 06:20 PM
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#6
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Oct 2008
Posts: 1,608
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Donate them to a shelter or charity or put on Craigslist or Freecycle so they can go to someone who needs them. You can always go get yourself a new set at a Black Friday sale if you are itching to spend a bit.
I've seen sheet garters at the Dollar store so that may be a cheap idea to use a flat sheet as a bottom sheet.
You say you don't have a sewing machine so using one as a quilt backing is probably not of interest.
I also have ended up with a few extra flat sheets. They were used to put over my bed for the years I had a cat since they were easy to clean the cat hair from and could be washed frequently. The cat believed the bed was hers and only tolerated me sleeping in it as she always sprawled across the area where I wanted to put my feet. In her later years I was able to contain her to a smaller area by cleverly placing a heating pad on one corner of the bed.
A few years ago I went through my linen closet and gleaned a big box of sheets and some fabric I didn't need to keep and wouldn't use. I advertised it on Freecycle and had alot of responses with the caveat that they had to take the entire box. It went to someone who was happy to get it and would use what they could and maybe pass on what they couldn't use.
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11-23-2010, 06:54 PM
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#7
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Full time employment: Posting here.
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Orlando, Fl
Posts: 950
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I use flat sheets as the top cover on beds in my home instead of a bedspread or quilt. Our little yorkie sleeps with us, so the 'bedspread - flat sheet" get laundered weekly along with all the other sheets, and stays nice and fresh. In fact...I just bought a new flat sheet from e-bay yesterday just for this purpose. I like how this looks a lot better then most other kinds of bedspreads available.
When they become worn or I'm tired of them I use old flat sheets for yard work. They work great to pile leaves and other yard trash onto and then I drag it to the street and flip the stuff off for our yard trash pick-up days. I also use them to cover some plants that can't handle the occational frost in Florida. I keep 3-4 flat sheets in the garage for these purposes.
I have also used bed sheets as gift wrapping occationally...usually with oddly shaped items. I've set the item in the middle, cut around it in unevenly, and then pulled the sheet up around the item creating a "sack" of sorts that I tie with a big cloth ribbon at the top. It actually turned out great!
Hope this helps some.....
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11-23-2010, 07:50 PM
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#8
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Independence
Posts: 7,281
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Toga! Toga!
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11-23-2010, 08:15 PM
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#9
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Dec 2005
Posts: 1,228
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Hey, these are some great ideas!
Actually one reason I have so many sheets is that my obsessive artist uncle came to visit a few years ago and we wanted to stage a japanese tea ceremony in my apartment to celebrate the holidays. His contribution was to go to a thrift store and buy some white flat sheets to cover up all the furniture for an obsessively clean zen environment.
I'm thinking wrapping his gift in the sheets the next time I see him for the holidays will be a nice way to "return to sender".
I will take a look for those sheet garters. Actually I'm in spring cleaning mode right now and I just put a pair of 80's style suspenders in the donate pile... perhaps I can repurpose those.
As to hospital corners... I think that just reminds me too much of a buddhist monastery in Yangon where I once stayed. I did learn to do hospital corners there, but the bed was infested with bedbugs and I stayed awake all night scratching. The sheet was always getting untucked, exposing me to the infestation even more as it rode up. Not a good association. And the guy in the video on that page took 39 seconds to do a single corner on a twin size bed, about on par with my recollection of how much a hassle it is. No, I need a solution that will stay in place for a week or so until I clean my sheets again (don't tell Martha Stewart).
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11-23-2010, 08:18 PM
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#10
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Recycles dryer sheets
Join Date: May 2007
Posts: 345
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high thread count works great as a beach blanket - shakes out well
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11-23-2010, 08:23 PM
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#11
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 2,487
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Ghost costume at Halloween?
R
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11-23-2010, 10:38 PM
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#12
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: At The Cafe
Posts: 6,873
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This is the first I've heard of the flat sheet dilemma. My two oldest sheets, fitted or unfit, wrap around the clothes in the closet to keep sunlight from fading the clothes. Just this morning those two sheets went into a Salvation Army bag along with two more from a drawer, a comforter, stadium blanket and two blankets. Then the two new oldest sheets went on sun screen duty.
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11-23-2010, 10:48 PM
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#13
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 11,401
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Decades ago when I was moving out to my first apartment, my Mom took me to a bakery where they were giving away the linen bags that bulk flour came in. These were large bags; all you had to do was unpick the seam, and you had a perfectly fine creamy white twin bedsheet with a high thread count. I used my "flour bag sheets" for many years and still have them. I now use them to drape over my ironing board.
I guess my Mom was also LBYM.....
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11-23-2010, 10:53 PM
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#14
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Recycles dryer sheets
Join Date: Aug 2008
Posts: 251
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Lots of good ideas here... Another would be to donate them to an animal shelter, they can use blankets, sheets, and towels.
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11-24-2010, 04:46 AM
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#15
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Recycles dryer sheets
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: In a van down by the river
Posts: 407
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If I had some flat sheets I'd make pillow ticks for the TV room couch cusions. We've made curtains with flat sheets.
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11-24-2010, 08:25 AM
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#16
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Independence
Posts: 7,281
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Meadbh
Decades ago when I was moving out to my first apartment, my Mom took me to a bakery where they were giving away the linen bags that bulk flour came in. These were large bags; all you had to do was unpick the seam, and you had a perfectly fine creamy white twin bedsheet with a high thread count. I used my "flour bag sheets" for many years and still have them. I now use them to drape over my ironing board.
I guess my Mom was also LBYM.....
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So are you suggesting that OP do the reverse? Make flour bags for the local bakers?
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11-24-2010, 08:54 AM
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#17
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 17,773
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I have to say every time I see this topic, I think, where does one buy extra flat sheets? Are they better than the regular flat sheets?
Carry on.
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“Would you like an adventure now, or would you like to have your tea first?” J.M. Barrie, Peter Pan
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11-24-2010, 09:06 AM
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#18
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Jun 2007
Posts: 2,657
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My kids are always coming up with some project or other that needs flat sheets. Camp uses them, costumes use them. We've had to go to the store and buy extras and over the years are sometimes stuck with a bunch of fitted sheets we didn't need (or want). We cut the corners off those and pretend they are just a slightly smaller flat sheet.
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11-24-2010, 09:19 AM
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#19
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Chicago
Posts: 13,151
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Here ya go. Quick and easy solution. And very practical.
How to Make a Roman Toga From a Sheet | eHow.com
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11-24-2010, 10:59 AM
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#20
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Charleston, SC
Posts: 13,566
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I made a skirt from one! My first sewing project!
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