How to Make Decorative Pillows with Fringe

Making throw pillows is a great way to save money while adding to your home decor. If you have a sewing machine and know how to use it then you can make these simple pillows in any size you like. The fringe on these pillows sets them off and makes them a beautiful addition to your decor.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• pillow forms or fiber fill
• fabric
• scissors
• sewing notions
• sewing machine
• paper for patterns
• fringe

1. 
    
   The Pattern pinned to the fabric and ready to cut

   Buy the supplies you will need. Before buying the fabric, decide what size the pillows will be and how many to make. If using ready made pillow forms, check them out to see what sizes are available. Polyester fiber filling or cotton batting can be used to stuff the pillows, so you don't have to stick to the available form sizes. Once the pillow sizes and number are known, you can figure how much fabric is needed. Figure for both front and back of each pillow with extra if the fabric has a pattern that requires matching. Fabric comes in different widths, 30, 36, 45, and 60 inches, and depending on the size of the pillows, different amounts of the different sizes will be needed. If the fabric is 60 inches wide you can get three 18 inch pillow fronts across the width, but with 45 inch fabric you can only get two. Write everything out on paper, the pillow size, the fabric amount needed, the yards of fringe needed, and a check list of the other supplies. Don't pick fabrics that are too heavy or stiff, as they can be hard or impossible to sew on machines that are not heavy duty commercial sewing machines.

2. 
    
   Sewing on the fringe, Sewing around a corner

   Make the pattern for the pillow sides. There is only one pattern piece needed for these simple pillows because they don't have any openings for removing the stuffing. If using pillow forms, measure across the widest section from side to side and add 1 and 1/2 inches to that measurement for seam allowances and overlaps. For my 20 inch square pillows, I used a pattern some 21 and 1/2 inches square. Some good sources of large pieces of paper are grocery bags and rolls of freezer paper. Several pieces may have to taped together to get one the size you need. Draw the pillow shape you want on the paper including the 1/2 inch seam allowances and then cut it out. The pillows don't have to be square. You can make rectangles, triangles, circles, or any shape you want. Curving corners are easier to work with.

3. 
    
   Overlapping the ends to see where to cut, The fringe attached

   Fold the fabric with the right sides together, being sure to match up any pattern if needed. Lay the paper pattern on the fabric, lining up any straight lengths with the grain of the fabric. If the fabric has a noticeable pattern, place the paper so the pillow will show the pattern off the way you want it to. Pin the paper to the fabric through both layers around the edge, then cut the fabric pieces out It is best to cut out the fabric for one pillow at a time and to finish sewing that pillow before starting on the next.

4. 
    
   Sewing the two sides together, Clipping the corners

   Sew the fringe onto one side of the pillow. Take one of the pillow sides and starting a few inches from one of the corners, pin the fringe to the right side of the fabric. Pin it so the top edge of the fringe is even with the fabric edge and the bottom of the fringe lays toward the inside of the fabric piece. Look at the picture to see what I mean. The fringe has a sewing allowance along its top edge. It is along this area that you will be sewing the fringe to the fabric. You don't need to pin the fringe all the way around the fabric and after making a pillow or two you won't have to pin it on at all. Don't cut the fringe to length yet or the ends will unravel badly. Using a straight stitch sew the fringe to the fabric along the sewing allowance approx. 3/8 inch from the edge. It is best to sew a few inches while holding the fringe and fabric both infront of and behind the moving needle, keeping the edges even and the fabric taut. Remove any pins before the needle gets to them. Don't sew over any pins as that can damage the sewing machine. Whenever stopping for any reason, always leave the needle in the fabric to keep it from slipping. Upon reaching a corner, guide the fabric and fringe under the needle in a curving motion. Continue around the fabric piece until a couple of inches from where you started. Lay the free end of the fringe over the sewn on starting end to see where it should be cut so the ends meet up without a gap. Once you cut the end of the fringe it may unravel very easily so handle it with care and no more than necessary. Simply lay it down and sew over it, backing up and sewing over it again to secure the end. Now check your work, look that the seam is fairly straight and there are no wrinkles or puckers in the fabric. See that none of the fringe threads are caught in the seam and pull any out that are snagged.

5. 
    
   The pillow form tied up to compact it

   Now lay the two pillow sides so the right sides are together and the fringe is between them. Match up the corners and pin the fabric pieces together so the edges are even and any patterns are the way you want them. Position the pinned together pillow at the sewing machine so the back of the piece the fringe was sewn to is up and you can see the seam from sewing on the fringe. The two sides should be sewn together to the inside of this seam and with only the free ends of the fringe free. The flat sewing allowance area of the fringe should not show once the pillow is sewn up, so seam just beyond the bottom of that area. Start sewing about 2 inches from a corner on what will be the open side and continue around the pillow. Don't have the side where the fringe was joined as the open side. If using fiber or loose filling, the opening only needs to be a few inches wide. With pillow forms, leave nearly the whole side open, sewing only 2 inches in from each corner. While sewing, hold the fabric edges even, check that the fringe is pushed to the inside, and keep the fabric taut to prevent any wrinkles. Sew only a few inches at a time, then after making sure the needle is down in the fabric, stop to line up the next few inches and to reposition your hands. Hold the fabric both behind and a few inches ahead of the needle to keep it taut and then make the seam.

6. 
    
   The opening pinned shut, Reaching inside to cut the strings

   Once the pillow is sewn around with an opening left, clip the threads and clip the seam allowance at the corners as shown in the picture. Do this at three places at each corner so they will lay right when the pillow is finished. Turn the pillow case right side out and have the side the fringe was not sewn to facing up. With loose or fiber filling simply stuff the pillow, then fold down the seam allowance across the opening. Sew up the opening as close to the folded fabric edge as you can. To insert a pillow form, first it needs to be compacted so it won't hold the fabric apart at the opening as it is sewn closed. Take the form and roll it up tightly from one end, then wrap and tie some string or thread around it to keep it compacted. Don't just tie the middle, look at my picture to see how to do it. Pull the pillow case over the tied up form and position it cross ways inside the case. Reach into the case and pull the upper corners of the form so they are extended toward the corners of the case. This is the easiest time to position them correctly. Now lay the pillow down and pin the opening close, folding in the seam allowance. Sew up the opening as close to the folded fabric edge as you can get, leaving an opening of 3 inches. Take the pillow off the sewing machine and feel inside it for the string or thread around the pillow form. Cut both stings to release the form but don't fluff it yet. Take the pillow back to the machine and finish sewing the opening close. Now fluff up the pillow and enjoy your creation.

Tips & Warnings

• Check your finger nails for any jagged edges or hangnails. You don't want to cause a pull in the fabric.
• Keep track of all the pins and needles, especially around a bed or in carpet.
• Sewing machines can be dangerous, so watch those fingers and take your time.