7 Smart Ways to Reuse Old Vinyl Tablecloths

I'm a tablecloth nut. I keep several of them on hand. I always have a tablecloth covering my large dining room table. Not only does it protect the wood, but it adds color and interest to the room's decor. (When I wrote, "Little Known Facts About Campbell's Soup that Will Make You Say "M'm! M'm! Good!" I included a photo of my Campbell's Soup tablecloth to go along with the article.) Just like this one, most of the tablecloths I use are vinyl. I know, I know, they're not exactly eco-friendly. But the vinyl holds up well in my busy household. Whenever I change my tablecloth, I don't just throw them away, though. Read this informative article and find out 7 smart ways to reuse old vinyl tablecloths!

1. Protect Plants and Bushes From Frost
We had our first hard frost last week. The night before, I covered the plants and bushes I needed to protect with some old vinyl tablecloths. You can drape the cloths right over bushes that can hold the weight. To protect smaller bushes and plants, I flipped over some tall, empty cat litter buckets. I placed them around the plants and draped the tablecloths across the buckets.

2. Block Off Rooms in the House You're Renovating
Another way to reuse old vinyl tablecloths is to hang them up over doorways to keep dust out. Every renovation from sanding to tearing up old carpet can create clouds of dust. You sure don't want that spread throughout your house. Cover doorways with tablecloths to help keep the mess contained in one room. Use tacks or masking tape to hold the covers in place.

You can also use old vinyl tablecloths to protect the floor in a room you're painting or plastering.

3. Replace Worn Window Shade Fabric
I wish I had known this when I still had fabric window blinds in my house. Use an old vinyl tablecloth to replace a worn window shade, according to www.purdue.edu. Cut a piece of plastic to fit the shade. Hem the bottom, then staple and glue the replacement piece to the roller.

4. Wrap-Up a Large Gift
Got a big present to wrap but not enough paper to cover it? Use an old vinyl tablecloth (that's in good condition, of course) to do the trick. I'm not sure how big tablecloths come- I know mine are 102 inches long - plenty of material to cover a range of large gifts. Add a ribbon and a bow to the outside to finish the wrapping.

5. Protect Bed Mattresses From Urine
Another way to reuse old vinyl tablecloths is to protect mattresses with them. You can spread it out over the mattress under the sheet. The sheet will help hold it in place. If the vinyl isn't comfortable to lie on, place an old blanket over the sheet.

6. Temporarily Protect Furniture
If one of the youngsters needs to take a nap, I'll spread an old vinyl tablecloth across my couch. I tuck it into the cushions to hold it in place. I then cover it with a soft blanket. The tablecloth temporarily protects the furniture from bed wetters, leaky diapers and dirty play clothes.

7. Cover-Up Items in Your Garage
The next time you have a garage sale, use old vinyl tablecloths to cover-up items that aren't for sale. Hang them up with tacks, hooks, duct tape- whatever works for you- and they'll let people know that anything behind the tablecloths is off limits. I like to use them better than old bed sheets because you can't see through them.

Resources
http://www.purdue.edu/envirosoft/housewaste/src/reuse4.htm#39