DIY: Throw Pillow Covers

Throw pillows are one of the easiest ways to seasonally refresh your decor. The bummer is that most cost anywhere from $20-50 a piece, and they rarely wash well. This can make changing it up expensive, especially for homes where wear and tear from children and pets is inevitable.

The solution is to use throw pillow covers. These can be sewn to cover your existing pillows, or to cover inserts.

For my birthday this year, I asked for a sewing machine. I wanted to be able to update my home decor without having to overspend, so my first project was envelope pillow covers.

I used this website for directions: http://www.heytherehome.com/how-to-make-an-envelope-pillow-cover/

But, here’s my version of the how-to:

1. For starters, determine the size pillow cover you will need. Purchase your fabric accordingly. I decided to make a five piece collection including 2- 16”x16” covers (1 yard of fabric), 2- 12”x12” covers (⅔ yard), and a 12”x22” cover (½ yard).
2. Cut your fabric. For each pillow, you’ll want to cut a front piece. I find it doesn’t hurt to give yourself a little allowance on each side. Unless the fabric stretches, I give myself an extra inch. So, for a 12”x12” pillow, I’d cut a 13”x13” front piece. Each pillow will also need two back pieces to form the envelope closure. These should be the same height as the front piece with 4-5” taken off the width. So, for the same 12”x12” pillow, I’d cut two 8”x13” back pieces.  For stretch fabrics, I don’t go any more than ½” larger than length and width of the pillow insert.
3. On each of the back pieces, pin and sew a straight seam on one of the longer sides. I shoot for approximately a half inch seam. I also find it helpful to iron the fabric once it’s pinned, but before sewing, to help keep the seam straight.

4. Lay the front piece down face up on the table and line up the two back pieces upside down on top of it. Once you have it aligned, pin the sides to hold everything together.

5. Sew around all four sides using at least a ⅝” seam.
6. When done, cut excess string, flip inside out, and stuff with an old pillow or insert.

I was so pleased with the results, I have been buying fabric and making pillow covers ever since. I love being able to switch it up without going broke in the process.

Love the idea, but don’t have the time/resources to do it yourself? Vinton Street Upcycling is now happy to offer ala carte throw pillow covers as well as collections and custom options (sample looks below). We are working on adding these to our Etsy shop, but in the meantime, please contact us at vintonstupcycling@gmail.com to place an order or chat about your vision/needs.

Made these to cover my bestie's existing pillows. 

A super cute bridal shower gift (paired with some pillowcases from her registry). 

Some Ideas:

Indian Summer Blues

Winter Vibes

Breezy

Light as a Feather

‘Merica

Full Bloom

More Patterns I Dig:

Bookworm: I Just Finished... Shooter, Killing England, and Between Shades of Gray (October 2017)

Shooter by Caroline Pignat

A modern, more intense version of The Breakfast Club, Shooter alternates in perspective between four students with seemingly nothing in common who find themselves together in the school’s washroom during a lockdown. When it becomes apparent that it’s not a drill, tensions rise, causing the best and worst of each of them to bubble to the surface. Still, they must band together to get through the ordeal alive. What I liked best about Shooter is that two of the characters are on the autism spectrum (one high functioning, one not). Pignat did an amazing job capturing their points of view, educating readers while they feverishly flip the pages. Shooter was initially recommended to me by a student, and I would suggest it as an addition to pretty much anybody’s reading list.

Killing England by Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard

My feelings about Bill O’Reilly are eh… I don’t hate him, but I don’t love him either. However, as I’ve mentioned before, I do enjoy the Killing series. Killing England was another solid installment. My students study this time period in depth, and I have been to DC with them ten times, so I felt pretty knowledgeable going into this read. Still, there were lots of lesser known details revealed, and I felt like I walked away knowing so much more than I thought possible. The narrative style kept me engaged, and, love the author or not, Killing England was well-researched. I’d recommend it to those who enjoy history, even reluctantly. And, obviously, those who want to know more about our fight for independence.

Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys

It’s PSAT day at school. All electronics must be shut off, so no e-book. What’s a girl to do? Turn to her students of course. One of my favorite “reader girls” recommended Between Shades of Gray (nothing to do with Fifty Shades…). I started reading and could not put the book down. I read 250 pages the first day and finished it the next. This historical fiction novel focuses on the often forgotten story of the Baltic cleansing, a World War II era movement by the Russians that literally wiped Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania off the map for fifty years. This particular narrative tells the story of Lina, a young girl whose Lithuanian home is invaded and whose family is taken prisoner. They are transported via train to a Siberian labor camp where they endure countless tortures. Despite it being heartbreaking, I loved this book. The characters were well-developed, the plot was engaging, and it felt good becoming more aware of a tragic event in our world’s history, particularly one often forgotten (as it occurred at the same time as Hitler’s rise to power in Germany). I’d highly recommend Between Shades of Gray, marketed as young adult, to anybody. It was an awesome read.