How to Pin the Opening of a Decorative Pillow

Closing the opening of a decorative pillow after it has been stuffed can be the hardest part of making the pillow. The secret to getting an even, attractive seam is in properly pinning the opening before sewing it closed by hand.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Straight pins

1. Begin by pulling together the opening so the material of the front and back half of the pillow are even.

2. Turn the edges of both sides under about a half inch so the right sides face one another and the edge consists of two folds.

3. Insert straight pins every half inch through all the layers of fabric from the edge toward the middle of the pillow. Push the pin through all the layers, then push it back through the layers so the head and tip of the pin are on the same side of the pillow.

4. Inspect your work to make sure the pinned seam is straight and even with the machine-sewn seams on either side. Make adjustments if necessary.

Tips & Warnings

• The better job you do at pinning the opening, the harder it will be to see where the opening was. Your goal is for anyone who sees the pillow to wonder how you got the stuffing inside it.
• Take care not to catch any of the stuffing between the fabric when pinning the seams. If you sew stuffing into the seam, the pillow may not look right no matter how hard you work at fluffing it.