How to Make Queen Size Pillow Shams
It is expensive to purchase decorative pillow shams to complement your queen size pillows. However, they are only rectangles and a few fabric embellishments will turn them into fashion accessories. It will take a couple of hours to make a pair, but you'll find it easy and economical.
Things You'll Need
- Two 24-inch x 24-inch square quilted fabric that coordinates with your bed spread
- Four 24-inch x 8-inch plain fabric to coordinate
- Decorative ribbon binding
- Sewing machine
- Pins
- Thread
- Scissors
- Measuring tape
- Dressmaker chalk
Instructions
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1
Lay one 24-inch x 24-inch quilted fabric piece right side up. Pin one 8-inch x 24-inch plain fabric on one side, right sides together. Sew a 5/8-inch seam from top to bottom across the pins. Remove the pins and trim excess seam allowance. Repeat on the opposite side of the quilted piece to make the front of the sham.
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2
Form the backside of the sham. Cut the quilted piece in half. Pin the raw edges under and use the zigzag stitch on your machine to make finished hems. This is where you will slip in your queen size pillow. Complete the back piece as you did the front. There will be two pieces to the backside of the sham.
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3
Sew the decorative ribbon over the seam between the quilted and plain fabric. Sew down both sides of the ribbon. Repeat over the other three seam lines. This covers the seam and embellishes the pillow top.
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4
Place the front and back sides of the sham right sides together and sew all the way around the edge. Trim the seam and turn the pillow. Lay the queen size pillow in the center and use the tape measure and dressmaker chalk to make an outline plus an additional 2 inches ease all the way around the queen pillow. Stitch around the mark and brush away the chalk line. This is the decorative flange on the outer edges of your sham. Insert the pillow through the hole in the back. Repeat for the second queen pillow sham.
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Tips & Warnings
You can reverse the quilted and plain fabric on the backside of your pillow for a different look. Instead of leaving a center split opening, plan to install a zipper on one side where the two fabrics meet. It will make an almost invisible closure and allow your pillow sham to be reversible.
