"Sew" Easy 10 Minute Pillow Cover

Yay! Aren't you all glad that spring is finally here? At least around here it is....nice 70 degree weather. Love it!! And of course, guess what that means? My patio furniture finally gets to come up out of the dungeon basement and see the light of day :)

And that also means that I get to sew some new pillow covers for our outdoor pillows! Yay!!!
I love adding a new look to old things.

So...I've got my pillow (on sale from target last year...waited months and months and they finally got down below $3, so I bought 4), and Joanns was having a sale on their 'semi' outdoor fabric. So, I jumped and bought a yard of each.
10 minute 'sew' easy pillow cover
From my experience, one yard will make two pillow covers.
Step 1: Just cut straight down the middle of the yard (so 18" on both sides). Now each side will make a cover for a standard 16" square pillow:


Step 2: On the two short edges, fold over about 2 to 3 inches and pin in place:

Now stitch along where you just folded:

Step 3:Next, lay the piece down and put the pillow on top to make sure the dimensions on the side are correct; just in case your pillow isn't exactly 16". There should be about a 2 inch overlap of fabric as shown below:

Step 4: Foldthe fabric over the top of the pillow and eye where the next folds should be:

After eyeing the folds, fold both sides down and place the pillow on top to make sure the pillow will fit inside the case once it is stitched.  To make sure that the cover isn't too big or too small, check to see if there is about an inch or so of fabric around each edge:

Step 5: Once you get the measurements right, pin and stitch around the openings.
(and don't poke yourself....like I did....say about 5 or 6 times)

Step 6: Turn inside out and put the pillow inside.
And voila! A sewwwwww easy 10 minute pillow cover.


I am so going to be enjoying this patio today...tomorrow...and hopefully for the next few months unless this unpredictable weather has another snow storm planned for us....I think then I just might cry.

Once you get a hang of making these, you can cut the time in half. they are that easy to make :) Or if you have already made one, you can use that size as the template for the next ones so you don't have to keep on putting the pillow on top of the fabric to make sure of the right measurements. 

Happy Creating!


22 comments

  1. I love these! And you made it look so easy. i get a little intimidated when it comes to sewing, but you've inspired me!

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  2. Adorable pillow covers! Where did you get the bench seat that they are on?

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  3. great tute on the pillow cover! I need to make some, but I hate to sew. I would rather be using the table saw.
    Thanks for visiting and taking the time to comment on my repurposed headboard.
    hope you're having a good day!
    gail

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  4. I am very sewing challenged but I think I could do this! I love the colors you chose in your fabric ;)

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  5. Just wanted to let you know that I'm featuring this. What a nice tutorial! Thanks for sharing :)
    -Jill

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  6. I have been thinking of sewing pillow covers for ages and this one is the easiest tutorial I have seen.

    thanks for sharing!

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  7. That is easy--I like easy :)--thanks for sharing!

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  8. I love that you can pull the pillows out to wash or recover. Great tutorial! thanks!

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  9. Jumping over from the picket fence, nice tut. Thank you

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  10. you have the right to enjoy that very very beautiful patio! After all, you reap what you sow. if you are in need of some more outdoor pillows, you can visit my site http://www.outdoorcushionspillows.com/
    thanks!

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  11. Your blog is full of wonderful ideas and tutorials that are easy to follow! I enjoyed browsing through your blog and looking at your neat projects. I can't wait to make some outdoor pillow covers using your tutorial. Your headboard ideas are fabulous! I'm happy to be a new follower!!!

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  12. I just used this tutorial to sew a new cover for one of my pillows! It was really easy and looks great! Thanks!

    In case you want to see:
    http://thejunkhouse.blogspot.com/2011/06/pillow-of-shame-1.html

    BTW, love your blog! I've been following for a long time!

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  13. Hey, I was a little apprehensive to start sewing but you have made it so simple and clear with the pictures! Great Job!

    Will put up my pillow's pic once I make it...

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  14. Thank you for the tutorial! I just made two covers for my pillow. It was my first sewing project. Ever. It went pretty well, and your tutorial made it easy!
    Here is the link.

    http://benily.blogspot.com/2011/10/im-sewing-im-sewer-im-sewing.html

    Thanks.

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  15. you made it easier than easy. great tutorial and great choice of fabrics.

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  16. Thank you! This is the first time I've ever tried making anything without a pattern and it was SO easy! You have inspired me!

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  17. PInning it now and I'll be attempting this soon! I have minor pillow obsession, but if I could make my own covers...Who knows where I could go with it?

    Jessica
    stayathomeista.com

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  18. First time at my Sew machine....now i'm gonna try......crossing fingers.......Hugs Eli

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  19. Wow, you've made sewing covers so easy (pun intended)! I wish I'd have had this 12 weeks ago when I spent hours measuring, basting and sewing. Thank you!!

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  20. I dug out my mom's antiquated sewing machine and if I can get it to work there all of my old pillows better run!!

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  21. Love this easy pillow cover. Thought I would have to close it with zipper or velcro but this works just fine. Since I used a solid satin fabric, I will be adding the tucks to give it more of a textured look. Thank you so much!

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  22. This is a super easy way to make pillow covers. I have two 20" pillows that need new covers thanks to my dog. So today I did a sample cover with some left over fabric. I was very pleased with the results, but I think I will use velcro for the closure. I wanted to make sure the cover was snug and was not too sure how to allow for the opening without it being too big. I have been looking for covers on line, even though the choices are endless, I still couldn't find what I wanted. This way you can choose any fabric you want. Thanks for all your great ideas, I will refer to this site for future projects.

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happy DIYing! Alicia