Transform your memory textiles into works of art

You don’t need to buy out an entire décor store to give your home a makeover,” said Twinkle Khanna in a recent video, adding “Instead repurpose some beautiful fabric – a sasta and easy way to make your space pop. And the best part is, no one will know whether you’re reusing your ghisa-pita kurta or a royal family heirloom.” From cushion covers to dupattas, memory textiles are fast becoming the new luxury décor.
“I’ve framed my great-great-grandfather’s shawl—it was too fragile to use, but the embroidery is exquisite, like a piece of art. I pleated it and sent it for framing so it lives on as a memory and an heirloom. I’ve also used a 200-year-old velvet hathi ka hauda with zari work as a table runner and accent piece for shoots—it doesn’t have a permanent spot because I love styling it differently each time”- Oiendrila Ray Kapur, space curator
“I usually do these myself—if you know basic stitching, it’s easy. I’ve made patchwork bed sheets from leftover clothes and dupattas, added embroidery, and upcycled old torn sarees into braided floormats. I’ve also turned old denim jeans into bags and organisers. But more than upcycling, it’s about memories—like the fur coat my daughter’s grandmother gifted her, which I turned into handbags. Now, she carries those memories with her, in a new style”- Shravani Banerjee, who has been creating sustainable memory textiles for years
Sari, curtain call!
Your grandmom’s 50-year-old silk sari didn’t survive all these years just to end up in a donation pile. It’s time to give it centre stage as dramatic window drapes or as covers for open shelves. Got a jamdani with holes the size of yesterday’s regrets? Layer it over a solid curtain panel for strength and depth, and add jhalar tassels made from matching blouse pieces for extra flair. You can also go bold and use sari scraps to create canopy-style bed drapes.

From trunk to tufting
Skip the store-bought ‘ethnic cushions’ and use old dupattas instead – zari, mirrorwork, or tie-dye ones to make stunning cushion covers. Patch them into floor cushions or pouffes for a boho look with real stories. For extra flair, reupholster dining chairs with heirloom fabrics such as a Benarasi-backed seat – true generational wealth with lumbar support.

Light it up
Here’s a hack Pinterest hasn’t caught up with yet: turn worn-out saris into glowing textile lanterns by wrapping them around wire frames or embroidery hoops. Organza and net diffuse light softly, while cottons add earthy texture. Or frame a pallu with backlighting to create a glowing panel behind your bed or in the hallway – part textile, part temple, and totally unique.
Unexpected ways to upcycle your heirlooms
Fabric headboards: Stretch that old kanjeevaram over a foam board
Wall banners: Cut your best prints into shapes, be it lotuses, birds or mandalas, and stitch them onto a neutral cotton runner
Drawer liners: Use old muslins or mulmuls to line dresser drawers
Fridge or AC covers: Glam up the mundane with stitched covers
Pet beds with soul: Line your pet’s nap zone with an old sari

“We’ve done this in quite a few projects—repurposing our clients’ old sarees, often belonging to their mothers or grandmothers, and turning them into wall art or upholstery for chairs. These are pieces too torn to wear but too precious to discard so we use them as installations that stay with them creating a deeply personal, meaningful and nostalgic layer to the space. In one home, we even used a 100-year-old carpet on the ceiling to carry that sense of legacy forward” - Preksha Lodha, interior designer