DIY of the Week: Re-vamped Throw Pillow
My boyfriend and I adopted a dog last December. The dog, Woodrow, has been a wonderful addition to our lives, giving us plenty of tail wags and affection in return for the early morning walks and trips to the vet. Something else he’s given us, though, is a lot of fur. For a small dog, he leaves quite a bit of fur around our apartment, and our couch and throw pillows in particular, are looking a bit tired.
This week, I put together a fresh new cover for one of my poor, dog-ified throw pillows. The pattern itself is very simple—it’s essentially a big envelope—and can easily be adjusted to fit a pillow of any size. I love how bright and clean my new throw pillow looks—let’s see how long I can keep it that way with Woodrow around!
Materials:
- 17-inch by 17-inch pillow
- Colorful fabric
- Thread in a corresponding color to the fabric
- Basic sewing needle OR sewing machine
- Scissors
- Straight pins
- Measuring tape
- Ballpoint pen
- Iron and ironing board
Craft away:
- Draw a square onto the fabric, 17 1/2-inches long by 17 1/2-inches wide.
- Draw a rectangle onto the fabric, 17 1/2-inches long by 8 1/2-inches wide.
- Draw a second rectangle onto the fabric, 17 1/2-inches long by 11-inches wide.
- Cut out all three shapes.
- Fold one of the long ends of each of the rectangular pieces in 1/4-inch, towards the back of the fabric. Iron and pin the folds to set them in place.
- Using a needle and thread or a sewing machine, stitch the pinned folds in place. A basic straight stitch should do just fine.
- Place the two rectangular pieces on top of the square piece with right sides touching, matching up the unstitched edges of the fabric. The seams you just stitched should be facing towards you; they will overlap in the middle. Pin the pieces together.
- Stitch all the way around the outside of the square to attach the three pieces together. You should now have a square-shaped pocket with an open slit in the middle.
- Flip the pocket inside out and iron it to smooth away any wrinkles.
- Stuff the pillow inside the pocket.
- Arrange your pillow on your couch or bed, and enjoy!
