Ten things to do
with an old sail

1. Make a sun shade for your land home or for a picnic. Use the sail whole or cut and hem to size. Add grommets in the corners. At home you can attach with turnbuckles and padeyes. For picnics, rope to trees.
2. Make a tough tote bag or a barrel bag for the beach. Use left-over rope pieces or webbing for handles.
3. Make a shower bag. Haven’t you always wanted a bag that has pockets that actually accommodate your bottles and grooming tools without you having to decant or repack?
4. Make bags to hold your art supplies – smaller, zippered ones for pencils, larger carryalls for your gouache, a backpack if you’re a plein air practitioner.
5. Use it as a protective cloth to catch paint spills or other arty-splats when youngsters are being creative.
6. Trade your old sail to someone with worse sails.
7. Make a liner for your car boot. Pull it out and shake and your boot cleaning is almost done.
8. Summer pet cushions. Fold large pieces several times into a good size and shape, and sew edges together. Easy wipe, easy hose.
9. Cut it into a great grease mat for a workshop or getting under a car.
10. Make a wedding dress! Sailor Catherine Watts was married in Darwin in a dress she made from a retired dacron sail. For more photographs and to read about her gorgeous wedding, click here to visit her blog.
    

    Catherine Watts, beautiful in her sail dress, on her wedding day. Picture courtesy Catherine Watts.