- Julie Branstetter
Easy New Throw Pillows
New throw pillows for the sofa and love seat can change the look of a living room. It's easier than you may think to make your own. I picked up a printed duck fabric that I thought would go well with my sofa and living room colors from Hobby Lobby. Two yards of fabric made four 18"x18" throw pillows. I did not sew zippers into these simply because they will wash well on delicate in the washer as they are so I felt no need to add the extra steps. Here are the steps I took.
I measured the pillows I already had and found them to be 18"x18". I planned to reuse the stuffing from the old pillows since I would not be reusing those pillows.
I divided 4 equal sections out of 2 yards of printed duck fabric. I measured approx. 20 inches and cut, then 20 inches and cut, so forth. I had 4 sections larger enough to sew 18x18 size pillows.
Per pillow section, I folded the fabric in half so the "wrong" side of the fabric was showing out.
I ironed the fabric flat in half and used a fabric marking pen to mark the four corners of an 18x18 pillow on the fabric.
I used a yard stick to connect my markings so I could sew nice straight lines. There is probably a better way to do this, but I am self taught when it comes to sewing so I use common sense and take extra time to make the patterns straight.
I pin the two layers of fabric together along the marked lines about every 8 inches. Then I began to sew along the lines. I kept one side of the pillow completely open and back stitched the beginning and end of my stitching.
I turned the fabric inside out (to reveal the "right" side of the fabric) and removed the filling from my old pillows to add to the new pillow cover. I folded the edges inside of the last open side and ironed the seam folded in flat. You may want to do this before adding the stuffing. (I did.)
I pinned the flat corners of the seam together so it would make it easier to sew through the machine.
Try to push some of the stuffing back from the seam so it will be easier to sew through the machine.
I sewed the edge shut remembering to back stitch the beginning and end stitches so they would not unravel over time.
Voila! The pillows were complete! Here are a few before and after pictures. It brightens up the living room and I like the fabric much better.
This new fabric really gave the whole room a lighter feel with the lighter colors. New throw pillows can make a huge difference!
