The Dropcloth Craze...Who Knew?
 

I'm trying to decorate our small cabin/cottage on a minuscule budget, so I started looking for ideas on making, sewing, recovering, etc. things myself. I came across the idea of using painters' dropcloths for fabric projects. They're cheap...really cheap and very durable too.

I started designing a closet drape project using dropcloths, then moved on to a new bedskirt using the drop cloths as the ruffle. (I just finished the bedskirt...it looks amazing!) From there, I decided that I'll make the window shades from dropcloths. After that, I'm thinking...that old wingback chair...cover it with a dyed blue, dropcloth slipcover. My mind is going crazy with dropcloth ideas!

It appears that I'm not alone. I started looking online for other dropcloth projects and I found that there is a whole movement going on using dropcloths for decorating projects. Anyone else have any good dropcloth ideas?

~C

I painted one and sealed it with the clear poly. It made a nice rug. I put cheap shelf gripper fabric on the back. I used it in the laundry room for a long time and now it's on the porch. I clean it with the water hose when it gets dirty.

So is a drop cloth made out of canvas? Looks like some great ideas.

thanks for sharing your ideas

OOOhhh....good idea!

I'm even thinking of using one for a quilt back. I want to do a, "campfire quilt," and I think that the rustic texture of the canvas would be good as well as sturdy for outdoors. It'll be a little heavy, but I don't think that I'll put any batting in it, so it should be alright.

~ C

Have you tried pre-washing it? I'm thinking the wrinkles would be tough to get out.

the wrinkles could be a design option. Love all your ideas

Yes...you want the ones made out of canvas.

~ C

Yes...I've prewashed all of my dropcloths. They shrunk up a bit, so I think that it's a good idea to wash them at least once, maybe twice. They were wrinkled when I was done washing them, but they were'nt that hard to iron. I folded the 4' x12' ones in half, pulled my desk chair up to my ironing table and pressed them with a very hot iron and lots of steam. Then, I flipped them over and pressed the other side. They came out nicer than they were out of the package. The weave tightened up a bit.

~ C

These are fun ideas!