Punched-Up Pillows
Give store-bought pillows more pattern and personality with t-shirt fabric embellishments. Create a fun, flirty look with an easy no-sew wrap. Just cut a t-shirt straight across below the sleeves, making a tube out of the bottom half. Slip a pillow inside, scrunch the edges together in front and tie with a knot of t-shirt yarn. Or add a fun detail with an iron-on pocket filled with a playful surprise.
What You’ll Need
- Plain pillows in neutral hues
- Patterned t-shirt
- T-shirts in solid coordinating colors
- Cutting mat and rotary cutter
- Scissors
- Iron-on fusible tape
Lay a patterned t-shirt on a cutting mat and smooth out all wrinkles. Using a rotary cutter, cut the bottom off of the shirt through both front and back layers of fabric. Slide a pillow inside the resulting tube. Scrunch and gather the center front of the tube and tie with a length of t-shirt yarn* in a coordinating color.
*See our previous post for instructions on making t-shirt yarn.
To make a pocket pillow, cut a small patch-pocket shape from a t-shirt in a color that contrasts with your ready-made pillow. Place the pocket in an upper corner of the pillow. Tuck fusible tape between the edges of the pocket and the pillow and iron according to tape manufacturer’s instructions. Slip something pretty in the pocket such as a flower or a feather.
Ruffled Pillow
Three tiers of romantic ruffles can turn even the plainest pillow into something special. Made with the simplest materials and techniques, it’s an easy and affordable way to create charming room accents to enliven your home or give as gifts.
What You’ll Need
- T-shirts in two solid coordinating colors
- Cutting mat and rotary cutter
- Sewing machine
- Thread
- Needle
- 12 x 18-inch pillow insert or batting
- Straight pins
Cut 3 strips of 2-inch-wide t-shirt fabric 20 inches long. With the sewing machine, sew a basting stitch down the center of each strip. Pull the bobbin thread to make a ruffle 13 inches long, gathering evenly along the length of the strip.
Cut two 13 x 19-inch rectangles of contrasting t-shirt fabric. Stitching down the center over your basting stitch, sew the ruffles onto the front side of one of the rectangles. Place the right sides of the two rectangles together and pin in place. Stitch together leaving a ½-inch seam allowance around three sides of the pillow cover.
Turn the pillow cover inside out and insert pillow form or batting to fill. Tuck open edges inward, pin in place, and hand-stitch to close. Fluff ruffles with your fingers for maximum texture.
Photos by Steven McDonald, produced by Jodi Mensing Harris
© Caruth Studio