How to Sew Your Own Throw Pillow Covers {in Five Easy Steps}

Every once in awhile, I sew something so simple, I wonder why it took me so long to do it.  That's the story with these throw pillows.

I've wanted to make throw pillows for a couple of years now.  But I always envisioned something more elaborate.  Maybe something like this.  Yet, given we have four messy kiddos, I couldn't quite gather the motivation to spend so much time making something that would inevitably end up being tossed by grimy hands or thrown on the floor in the making of a fort.

Then Anna Maria's Horner's Field Study line came out and I fell in love with these two prints.  The larger scale felt perfect for home decor.  The pillow covers came together in no time.  They're washable, so I won't cringe when the kids hug them them after playing outside in the mud and forgetting to wash their hands... again.  The pillow inserts can be used over and over, but it's easy enough to make new covers to suit the season.  See, what took me so long?

Wanna make some, too?  It's super simple.  Here's how.

You'll need:

• 2 yards of fabric for 2 pillows (or 1.5 yards for 1, given the way they're cut out)

• Pillow Inserts - I used 20" inserts and was very happy with this size

That's it.  These pillow covers close with a pocket closure, so there's no need to worry about buttonholes, ties or zippers.  Easy, yes?

For each 20" pillow:

1.  Cut out one 20"x20" square for the front and two 20" (length) x14"(width) rectangles which will form the back panels.

{Some people prefer to use home decor weight fabrics for their throw pillows.  I used regular ole quilting cotton and am perfectly happy with the look of my pillows.  I made them over a month ago and they're holding up fantastically, looking just as good as the day I made them.  As an experiment, I added interfacing to one of the pillow covers to give it a little more weight, but I couldn't tell a difference between the pillow I made with interfacing and the one without.}

2.  Fold and press one long edge of your 20"x14" panel to the wrong side by 1/4".  Then fold and press the edge over again by another 1/4" encasing the raw edge.  Edgestitch.  Repeat on the other 20"x14" panel. 

3.  Pin the hemmed panels to your 20"x20" cover front, with the right sides of the panels facing the right side of the cover front piece.  The two panel pieces will overlap in the center, which will form your pocket for inserting the pillow.  Both of the hemmed edges will face in, toward the center of the pillow.

Sew around all four edges of your pillow, using a 3/8" seam and backstitching when you start and stop to secure your stitching.   There's no need to finish the seams.  The pocket is deep enough that even though the edges will fray a bit when washed, you won't be able to see the fraying.

4.   Clip your corners close to the stitching, being careful not to clip into the stitching.

Turn right side out and poke out your corners using a knitting needle or turning tool (or your fingers!)  :)

5.  Insert the pillow.

See, simple, right?

 

I hope you enjoy your new throw pillows!