Making a Pillow With Fabric Scraps

Total Time: 1.5 hours

Supplies:

• fabrics of choice
• pillow form
• thread
• sewing machine
• scissors
• pins
• tape measure

Steps:

1. Measure your pillow form to determine how long the fabric strips need to be, don't forget to add seam allowances to the length. (My pillow was 12 x 22 in. so with seam allowances my strips were 13 in., some were longer so after sewing them I trimmed them all to the same length.)
2. Determine how wide you want the strips to be. Make sure that you account for seam allowances on each piece and that sewn together they will equal the width of the pillow, with end seams. (My strips varied between 1-3 inches in width.) You can lay them out, prior to sewing to get a feel for how they will look.

 
3. Cut the strips, then pin them together. Sew each seam, removing pins as you go.

 

 
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4. Once all of your seams are sewn, press your pillow front with an iron. Then trim off any excess, so that all the edges are even.

 
5. The back is made with two pieces of fabric that overlap to conceal the opening. First you need to determine how much overlap there will be. I recommend an overlap of at least 2 inches. Cut the two pieces the height of the pillow and make sure that their total length, including the overlap, equals the width of the pillow. (For my pillow, one piece was 18 1/2 x 13 in. and the other was 10 1/2 x 13 in. That made for finished pieces that were 17 x 13 in. and 9 x 13 in.)
6. For the two back pieces you will fold the opening edge under 1/2 in. then again another 1/2 in. and sew for a finished edge.
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7. Now pin the back pieces at the ends, to the pillow front (right sides together) and sew. I recommend stitching the seams twice for strength.

 
8. Now wrap the case around the pillow form to make sure your overlapping is correct for a snug fit once sewn. Pin at the corners and remove the pillow form.

 

 
9. Finish pinning the back and front together and sew, again I recommend double stitching the seam.

 
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10. Turn the pillow case right side out and press with an iron. Now you are ready to put the pillow form inside.