How to Make a Throw Pillow

DIY Throw Pillows

Hey there everyone. Sorry I've been slacking lately. Man, things have gotten busy busy busy. Hubby has been out of town this past week and is actually only coming home for one night before he's off again next week. I've been trying to get a women's sewing group together at my church for a nonprofit organization called Days for Girls. We will be making reusable feminine hygiene products for impoverished girls all over the world. I highly recommend you look up the organization here. Hopefully I'll be able to post more about that sometime soon.

This has nothing to do with the tutorial, but this is one of the things taking up my time lately.

For now, I am still slacking in terms of this blog, but I have been making these throw pillows to sell at a friend's tropical themed art studio in Rincon. I absolutely have got to get a little bit of income coming in to support all of my little addictions hobbies. Anyway, the reason I say I am still slacking is that this is really more of a non tutorial as it is literally about as basic as sewing can get except for the slip stitch, which is not difficult at all and is also optional. This is my first sewing tutorial though, so please bear with me.

One finished product

Throw Pillow

Materials needed:

One yard of fabric per two pillows (you will have some excess fabric.)
Coordinating thread
Pillow stuffing
Sewing machine
Scissors
Measuring tape
Pins
Sewing needle

1. Determine what size you want your pillows to be.  I make pretty standard 15 x 15 inch pillows here.

The cut squares

2. Cut out two 16 x 16 in squares of fabric per pillow.

3. Lay squares of fabric with right sides together (meaning, the pretty sides are on the inside) and pin.  Make sure to double check the print direction if necessary.

Pinned right sides together

 4. Sew around all but about 3 or 4 inches (to flip) of the square using a 1/4 inch seam allowance (or whatever you are comfortable with).  Make sure to back stitch at the beginning and end.

Sewing around the perimeter

Backstitching at the opening

5. Iron and press the seams open, clip the corners, and turn right side out making sure to poke out the corners.

Corners clipped

Ironing everything nice and flat

Flip the pillow right side out.  Can you tell I kept forgetting to take pictures as I went?

6. Stuff the pillows as much as you like.  Be sure to get it in the corners too.

Stuff with fluff (yeah, I just said that)

Almost done

Ready to be closed up

7. Slip stitch the opening closed or do a top stitch with your sewing machine if you don't want to do that much work by hand.  I don't like the look of top stitching on throw pillows (weird I know) so I do things the hard way.  This is the tutorial I used to learn to slip stitch, although I don't sew the opening closed and then rip it out later.  It would probably help, I'm just a lazy seamstress.

Slip stitching the opening closed.

8. Place pillows on couches/beds and sit back and admire your work.

I hope you enjoyed this easy throw pillow tutorial, and I hope it saves you lots and lots of money on interior decorating.  Have you ever made your own pillows?

Donna