How to Make a Cover for a Pillow Form With Ruffled Edging

Pillows add a lot to the décor of your home. Toss pillows make a bed seem inviting. Large floor pillows in the family room are great for kids who like to sit on the floor and watch television, yet still be comfortable. Pillows can be as fancy or as plain as you want them to be. You can even easily make pillows with ruffled edges.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• 12-inch pillow form
• ½ yard of fabric
• Pins
• Scissors
• Thread
• Sewing machine

1. Wash and iron the fabric to prevent shrinkage once you make the pillow cover. Make sure to use a fabric that is sturdy, especially if the pillow gets a lot of use. Do not use simple cotton or muslin, which wears out quickly and then tears easily.

2. Lay the fabric on a flat work surface. Fold the fabric in half lengthwise. Cut two 11-inch squares. Cut two 4-inch strips from the remainder of the fabric.

3. Line up the ends of two of the fabric strips with right sides together. Sew to connect the strips.

4. Fold the strip in half lengthwise with the wrong sides of the fabric together. Iron the fold flat. Use the sewing machine to put a gathering stitch down the entire length of the strip.

5. Take one of the 11-inch squares. Pin the ends of the gathered strip to the middle of one of the sides of the square on the right side of the fabric. Find the middle of the strip and pin that on the side of the square directly across from your first pin. Find the middle of the two smaller sections of the strip and pin them on opposite sides of the square. Make sure to match up the raw edges.

6. Start with one end of the strip and gently pull the gathering thread to form gathers. Space the gathers evenly all around the edge of the square. Use lots of pins to hold the gathers in place.

7. Sew all the way around the square to attach the gathered strip. Remove the pins as you go.

8. Place the remaining square on top of the square with the gathered strip with the right sides together and the gathered strip between the two squares. Match up the corners of the squares and all the raw edges. Use pins on three sides of the squares to hold in place.

9. Sew around the three pinned sides. Trim off any excess thread and any rough-looking raw edges.

10. Turn the pillow cover right side out. Insert the pillow form. Pin the unfinished edge closed, making sure to turn under the raw edge of the second square. Sew in place.

References

• How to Make a Pillow
• How to Make Decorator Pillows