New Couch Pillows... FINALLY!

 

 

I absolutely LOVE yard sales!

My very favorite part is bargening.

Ryan has to limit my spending I choose to only spend a little.

I have noticed a lot of people don't ask the person selling to accept a lower price.

Well, I do!

[If I don't buy it for a good deal, I simply don't buy it]

 

About 2 years ago, I was at this yard sale,

and I found this garbage bag full of pillows. 

 

Ugly pillows, but they were fluffy and perfect

I bought the whole bag [3 giant, 3 medium, and 1 small] for

 

.... drum roll please ....

 

$5! <--- #stealofadeal

 Here is my 10 step redo story:

 

 First, I found the fabric that I wanted in my living room.

 

Then I made up a pattern looked on Pinterest.

 

I found a similar pattern for what I wanted and I got to work.

 

Steps:

1. Wrapped the fabric around my pillow about 2 and 1/4 times and cut length.

2. Pin the fabric about 1/2 inch on each side of the pillow, both top and bottom.

3. Hold pins on top and bottom of pillow to fold, iron fabric on these lines and cut.

4. On the piece that will be the front of the pillow, I took an extra piece of material and measured in about 3 and 1/2 inches in from each side (so there are 2 lines down each side of the pillow case) and ironed. I sewed a long stitch down these lines. [DO NOT BACK-STITCH] Pull the thread and scrunch up the fabric, but not too much or it will make your pillow case too small. After this, take a piece of fabric about 1.5 inches wide, fold and iron the fabric so there are no bare edges. [it will look like a 1/4-1/2 inch strip of fabric] pin and sew one of these pieces down the scrunched line, 1 on each side. [I sewed 2 lines down the individual pieces, one on each side of the little piece of fabric]

Step 4

5. On the pieces that will wrap around the back of the pillow, hem the middle edges.

 

Step 5
[close up to see the hem with the pillow behind]

6. Pin. Pin. Pin.  [I hate pinning, but it makes a difference] With RIGHT SIDES TOGETHER in the shape you want your pillow, making sure to overlap the back pieces where the case will open to put the pillow in, pin all sides of the fabric to contain pleats.

*To make pleats, you have to pin the corners, then pin the middles together. then find the middle of 2 pins, and pin there. Continue to do that until it looks really good.

7. Sew. Sew. Sew.

*To sew pleats, you will have to go VERY slow with the sewing machine, since you will be leaving the pins in place. [If you go fast over a pin and your needle hits straight on it, you can/will break the needle] What I do is use the foot peddal for inbetween the pins, and use the hand turn when I am going over the pins.

8. Take out the pins.

9. Turn pillowcase inside and out, use a pair of scissors to make corners pop out.

10. Insert pillow.

 

On the 1st picture, you can tell the difference in snugness between pillows.

 

** If your pillow case is a little too big, like this one is. Take the pillow out, turn the pillow case inside out, and sew the edges that are too bit in a little bit closer and it will make the pillow case fit more snug. I only sew in a little at a time, if there is anything I dislike as much as I dislike pinning, it is unpicking a seam.

 

I'm no perfectionist, and I didn't measure my pillows before buying the fabric so I didn't buy enough... They turned out fine anyway.

Leave a comment and let me know how your DIY pillow project turned out.