Get Creative! Sew and Craft with Vintage Chenille

When you’re a chenille enthusiast like I am, ok, a chenille junkie, chenille noses its way to other rooms of the house, not just adorning the top of beds.

Modern commercially-made rubbish? No thanks!

Commercially made shower curtains are oh-so-boring.  I found a lovely chenille bedspread with absolutely gorgeous mauve roses – and that turned into my new (but old) shower curtain.  The colors and florals match so beautifully with my vintage 1940s wallpaper….ah, yes, I love everything old….even wallpaper that’s not pre-pasted.

The colors are so rich, the patterns are so old-fashioned, it’s ever so warm and cozy, just like chenille!  And the rose shower curtain hangers were the perfect touch to accent the chenille curtain.

And what’s a vintage bathroom without…more chenille?!

I found this mauve chenille rug graced by a beautiful swan.  It sure beats the standard latex-backed modern rugs that are just plain old blah colors, with not even a bit of pizzazz or character!

And a hamper?  Well, that’s chenille topped, too!  I found an old metal storage container with a removable lid. I added some fresh foam for the cushion and adorned it with a leftover piece of chenille.

The beautiful tufts of chenille called out for some added charm, so I added 3” of jadeite colored chenille fringe that matches the varying shades of green in the wallpaper.

The chenille top and wallpaper still called out for more nostalgia, so I welded on a vintage Italian-made rose stem.  So those dirty clothes after a shower?  Lift off the chenille top and toss them in.

No ugly vinyl hamper with its sterile look and not an ounce of character!  In my home, even dirty clothes are snuggled under chenille!  And it doubles as a seat, too, so after your bath or shower, you can sit down and smooth in some relaxing lavender crème.

Get creative with chenille curtains!

And arch windows….so lovely, but so difficult to find a window treatment that looks like it’s made for your room.  Just like modern-made bath rugs from a big-box store, arch window treatments look all alike – mostly boring but oh-so-very expensive.

A Cabin Crafts pink and white fringed bedspread was the solution!  And surprisingly easy. Simply sewing in a rod pocket, I inserted plastic tubing that bends to the shape of the arch window.  It’s simply held in place by pressure – no rod holders, no screws – how simple is that?

So now, after a stressful day, I fill up the tub, drop in some lavender essential oil, a cup of Epsom salts, light a candle…..and r-e-l-a-x.  The soft glow of the candle puts a gentle warm glow everything…and in my soul, too.

What about you? How have you creatively re-purposed vintage chenille into something new and beautiful? If you haven’t, give it a try – you have no idea the creativity that lies within until you begin to explore it.

We love hearing your stories – send us a photo of your fab work and we might include it in a future post to inspire others in their own creative endeavors!

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