I have some pillows around the house that are looking a little rough around the edges. Literally. They’ve been around for years, so I guess it’s time to spend some money and give them a little love. I’ve mentioned before that my sewing machine is on the fritz, so I needed a no-sew option. I’m thrilled with the result! It has texture and dimension; you’d never guess that it’s handmade, let alone no-sew!
There are a few other bonuses, too. I love that you can wash the pillowcase if needed (the pillows that came with my couch don’t have zippers to remove the filling! What?). And the pillowcase is easily replaceable, so if you decide it’s not a great fit then you end up with piece of fabric that can easily be repurposed. Just make sure you like the print/color of the fabric! The last bonus: you can use either side of the pillow for 2 different looks! One side has the great textured knot, while the other side will be smooth and have just the fabric. It should look like a standard pillowcase if you fold the fabric carefully enough.
You do need to do a little bit of math to determine how big of a piece of fabric you need. First, measure your pillow’s circumference (how big around it is). You’ll want both length and width. Mine was a square, 95 cm x 95 cm around. For one side, just add 10 cm to the measurement. This is how much the edges of the fabric overlap, you need just enough to cover the pillowcase with a little bit of wiggle room (so 95 cm + 10 cm = 105 cm. My fabric needs to be at least 105 cm wide). The second number needs to give you enough room to tie a knot and wrap the extra fabric around the knot, so it will have more excess than the first number we came up with. Multiply your second measurement by 1.6 (so for me, it was 95 cm x 1.6 = 152 cm). Then go buy some beautiful fabric for your pillowcase! I needed mine to be AT LEAST 105 cm x 152 cm. (Just a note: if you buy a fabric that could shrink when washing/drying, add a few cms to each measurement to be safe!) Here’s a chart to help you out:
What you’ll need:
a pillow or pillow insert
a piece of fabric cut to the dimensions that you determined above
3 safety pins
What to do:
1. Wash, dry and iron your fabric.
2. Center the pillow vertically on the wrong side of the fabric. Now move it up about 10 cm. This will ensure that the seam from the overlap is hidden by the knot that we’ll tie. Now move the pillow horizontally just a few centimeters. You’ll want one side of the fabric to be longer than the other so we can wrap the tail around the knot.
4. Fold the bottom of the fabric up. Fold the top down. Make sure the exposed edge of the fabric is in the center of the pillow, repositioning if necessary. Pin in place.
5. Fold the fabric on the left and right sides like you’re wrapping a present. Bring each side to the center of the pillow and tie together. Tuck the shorter tail under the wrapped fabric and pin securely. Wrap the longer tail around the knot to create a finished look. Tuck the end under the wrapped fabric and pin securely. It may take some fussing to make sure the fabric lays smoothly on the corners of the pillow, but just be patient and play around with it a little bit.
adapted from Organize & Decorate Everything