The other day, I called my sewing mentor, designer Kenneth D. King, and he was creating a shirt from a beautiful tablecloth fabric that had seen better days. While shirts can take a fair amount of time, there are plenty of easy projects that you can stitch up to give new life to vintage linens.

• Tabletop Tips: When life gives you tablecloths, make napkins. It's one of the easiest projects around. Try this simple pattern. If you want to take it up a notch, get fancy with mitered corners. And placemats are just as easy. Check out this great video from Threadbanger.com.
• The Clutch: Here's a quick clutch purse primer to get you started. To go reversible, adapt by using a contrasting fabric and finishing edges neatly. If you want to go beyond the basics, here's a cute pouch clutch.
• Pillow Talk: I can't imagine a prettier throw pillow than one made from a gorgeous vintage linen. Here's a very simple how-to pattern. And for more options, check out this pillow-making video series. For a super quick fix, cut out a square of linen slightly larger (half-inch) than the pillow. Stitch the linen to the pillow face, turning under the hem as you sew.

These are some fast projects, but anything could be made from table linens. Depending on the size of the cloth, you could even make a skirt, jacket, or top. With a stack of flea market vintage linens, imagine what you could create!

For more DIY Design articles, click here. Next week, make your own handbag.