How does that saying go? Necessity is the mother of all invention??? Well, it was alive and well in our house the other night. I have to share this because it made not only my son sincerely happy, but me as well! Here’s the deal. My sweet boy {still in a crib} hasn’t been sleeping well because his pillow is too cold! The funny thing is that I am always freezing and LOVE a cold pillow case. He is a constantly burning up and likes a warm pillow case . . .odd. I digress! So I felt super sorry for him and was trying to figure out a way to solve the issue without running to the store to buy a flannel sheet set. Then I remembered that I had his adorable receiving blankets still in the closet. I haven’t been able to let go of them. They are so dear to me as we not only swaddled him in them, but then used them almost daily for him to lay on or to have with him in his infant carrier. Needless to say they are super sentimental. They are the flannel receiving blankets from Dwell Studio. I decided to give them new life by creating warm and cozy pillow cases for our son. Do you have any baby blankets in the closet that you can’t bear to part with?
Here is a super easy tutorial. If you do not sew, but have special blankets that you could use maybe a friend could do it for you. It literally took ten minutes . . . offer a Starbucks and I am sure you’ll have yourself a sentimental pillow case in no time! Grab a pillow case to use as a guide for how much of the blanket you need to use. I would suggest using coordinating blankets or fabrics versus matching. Then you don’t have to worry about matching up the pattern at all and it looks pretty cute. 
I know it seems like a really small thing, but it makes me soooooo happy to see our baby boy resting his head on his pillow case. It brings back great memories. What about you? Have you given new life to something that has sentimental value? I would love to hear about it.
That is such an adorable pillow case and I really like how you transformed it from being one thing to another [re-using is awesome].
I don't have anything sentimental that I have transformed [yet] but im sure as the years pass I will collect sentimental transformations for sure 🙂
You're such a good momma!
Very clever, momma! I think that is a grand idea. Who doesn't love laying their head down on a cozy flannel pillow case.
That IS so cozy – I love the idea of using the baby blankets! You're so smart!
Great idea. I haven't been able to let go of the receiving blankets either. I think I'll try your idea. Thanks for sharing!
Clever little cookie, what a great tutorial! I always prefer a matching pillowcase, parent chosen. But my son likes COLOR (read: superhero).. this would be a fantastic compromise!
What a fantastic idea! What a good mom you are : ) Those turned out super cute BTW!!!
Paula
What a great idea and they turned out so cute! he will still have those pillow cases in college I am sure! 🙂
You are just the cat's meow Courtney:) I love your clever idea. My girls have sentimental quilts/blankets that my aunt made for them when they were born so those are the only things we will never part with. That and their memory boxes(which are actually small totes:))
XO,
Sarah
Great job! Now the sentimental blankets can be taken out and used again, as something else! Brilliant idea! 🙂
This is such a fabulous idea. I can't wait to start mine!
what a great idea!!! I have a basket full of old blankets. And I do have a friend who sews…her name is Courtney! 😉
VERY creative, you never fail to impress!
Aw, what a sweet idea!
When my sweet boy moved up to a big boy bed, I took the appliques off of his bumper (which was getting packed up anyway) and made pillow shams for the big boy bed. He loved still having his little sailboats and I loved that we were re-using something meaningful:)
What a great idea Courtney! I love that you repurposed something that means so much to both of you. I have several things that belonged to our girls packed in boxes that none of us want to part with…you should see Kate's Mary Mary pillow (it is truly staying together by a thread!).
I hold on to all of that stuff and had no idea why because I kept thinking "what in the heck am I ever going to do with it???"…now I know! Adorable and sentimental, the best combo ever. (c:
I love this! I may or may not have a lot of experience with recieving blankets because I still sleep with my baby blanket…. haha
When the layer that's on the blanket rips, I have to sew a new one on! I just replaced the original layer over Christmas break. Looks brand new (:
Great idea for a pillow case…the blankets are so warm, so I'm sure your son loves it!!
ps. are you wearing a green juicy jacket in the picture?? Looks like one (:
That's such a great idea! I just went through a bunch of my toddler's clothes from when she was an infant and am having a very talented friend make a quilt from her baby clothes. I just couldn't part with all those adorable outfits and am so excited to create something new with such sentimental pieces. I love this idea Courtney!
What a great mommy you are, and what a blessed little boy to have a mommy who would think of this!!! This is too sweet for words, and I'm TOTALLY going to pull out Izzy's blankets and do this for her 😀
Shelley
What a great idea! What sweet pillowcases~
Thank you for all of the sweet comments. I love my readers. Courtney . . . what a great idea about the bumper. I still have my daughter's bumper so maybe I can do something similar.
How sweet and what a cuddly little bed set-up! Thanks so much for stopping by earlier this week. I'm happily following J
Malia
http://www.yesterdatontuesday.com
Great idea and what cute receiving blankets… I don't think any of ours were nearly that cute.
Courtney that is such a wonderful idea!! I am so happy that you were able to create these for him and how special to use those beautiful little blankets! I have some from my daughter yet, I am like you, I just can't let them go. She will be 13 soon! Beautiful job!
wow, youre so clever courtney! great idea!
oh my goodness this is such a good idea! I need to go ask for mine back from my expectant SIL now haha
This is such a sweet idea Courtney! I do still have a bunch of cute blankets I could use too. I love how you drafted this post too:)
That is so precious Courtney! What a great way to use those old baby blankets. Might do that myself.
What a great idea to save these blankets with such special memories and reuse them! I wrote about Christmas stockings I made from an old quilt that was in my family for ages. The stockings were the best gift ever! http://loftandcottage.blogspot.com/2010/12/homemade-christmas-sentimental.html
What a great idea! I love repurposing old things. I bet he's so cozy!
OH MY Courtney. This is adorable. I will SO have to try this one day!!! Great idea : )
PS. Yes, I am catching up on blogs for the week so yes, I am commenting on all your posts as I read. Can't help myself 🙂
Beautiful pillows, but I thought pillows were never supposed to go in a crib.
Anonymous . . . You are absolutely correct. I don't want anyone thinking it is a good idea to put a pillow in the crib of an infant or baby. My son is weeks away from being three and is using this as a toddler bed while we shop for his big boy bed. I appreciate your comment and am sorry I wasn't more clear about that in the post!
What an adorable idea for a pillow! You are just so organized…how I wish I knew just how to get that way…Somehow the "stuff" has gotten ahead of me! Been shredding papers in family room, throwing out magazines, donating clothes to Salvation Army, etc., but it just seems I never get to the end…I look at the photos you posted of your kitchen counter and it looks so calm and serene! Oh, to have see that someday…I'm sure there is a "light at the end of the tunnel".
That was the sweetest, I love the idea and plan to make one for my soon to be born grandson. Thank you.