DIY Throw Pillows: From Flat to Fluffy

Why spend a fortune on throw pillows when you can make them yourself?

All you need are pillow forms (easily obtained at a fabric store or online) and fabric. I recommend an upholstery grade fabric for pillows getting a lot of use, but durable cotton can work if they’re just decorative.

First, cut two squares of fabric that are the same size as your pillow form. Why don’t I add extra for the seam allowance you may ask? I like my pillows to be plump, so squeezing in the form fills out the cover better, in my opinion. Be sure to measure the form before you cut — on more than one occasion, I’ve had pillow packaging claim a form is a certain size and it’s actually much smaller.

Once the squares are cut, snip off the corners so you don’t get dog ears (corners that poke out with no stuffing).

Then put the right (outside, patterned) sides of the fabric facing together and sew them using a standard 5/8-inch seam. If your fabric has a stripe or directional pattern, make sure you’re sewing the pieces together so they match when flipped right side out. Curve the seam where the corners are snipped. But be sure to…

Leave an opening for flipping the cover right side out and stuffing the form in! You may have to really squish the form, but it’ll expand again once inside. Slip your hand in and smooth the fill so it reaches the edges and fills the corners nicely.

Here’s what snipping the corners accomplishes: a nice smooth corner and not a floppy, empty dog ear.

Lastly, sew the opening closed. Fold the raw edges inside and sew the opening shut from the outside. I hand sew along the edge so the seam is as invisible as possible. However, you can machine sew right at the edge if you don’t mind seeing the short seam (many commercial pillows are sewn this way for speed).