How to Decorate a Throw Pillow

Throw pillows can change the look of any room. Use any of these ideas to decorate throw pillows that you make yourself.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Brushes
• Decorative Craft Sponges
• Zippers
• Tassels
• Stencils
• Cording
• Decorative Rubber Stamps
• Fabric Paints
• Holiday Fabrics
• Holiday Trim
• Ironing Boards
• Irons
• Paper-backed Fusible Webbing
• Sewing Machine
• Sewing Needles
• Threads
• Throw Pillows
• Scissors
• Scissors
• Stencils
• appliqué motif

1. Decorate your pillow pieces after they are cut and before they are assembled.

2. Choose to decorate your pillow with motifs that reflect the room in which it will be used or the season. Use nursery rhyme or cute animal motifs on a pillow made for a child's room. Use holiday prints and trims for a pillow used as part of your Christmas decorations.

3. Appliqué fabric cutouts onto your pillow pieces. Apply a paper-backed fusible web to the appliqué fabric, cut out the design, and iron design onto the pillow piece. Satin stitch around the appliqué by hand or by machine.

4. Use fabric paint to decorate your pillows. Paint can be applied with a brush, brush and stencil, sponge, or decorative rubber stamp. Make sure that the paint you choose is made especially for fabrics.

5. See "How to Transfer a Design to Fabric" for methods that allow you to take a favorite picture or design and transfer it to your pillow.

6. Use tassels and cording to decorate your pillows. These items can be applied to the seams and corners of your pillow before you sew.

7. Make sure that you sew in the zipper for your pillow at the bottom seam of the design. If there is no designated top or bottom to the design, then place the zipper in any seam.

Tips & Warnings

• Make your own tassels to decorate your pillow. They are easy and fun to make and you can make them in any size or color you desire.