How to Make Square Corners on Pillows

Make square corners to create attractive pillows.

Adding pillows to interior rooms adds instant comfort and a feeling that says "home." As you create a decorating scheme in an interior room, using pillows also infuses color and texture that creates country charm. Make your own pillows to complement your individual decorating theme. As you construct simple pillows, make square corners on pillows for a crisp and neat effect. The finished pillows will be both comfortable to lounge on and attractive to look at.

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Front piece of fabric for pillow
• Back piece of fabric for pillow
• Pins
• Sewing machine
• Matching thread
• Scissors
• Iron
• Hand sewing needle

1. Place the front piece of fabric onto a flat work surface with the right side facing up. Lay the back piece of fabric over the front piece with the wrong side facing up, matching corners and side edges perfectly.

2. Pin the front and back pillow pieces together with the pins.

3. Stitch the front and back pillow pieces together with the sewing machine, using a ½-inch seam allowance. Begin stitching 2 inches before a corner and stitch until you reach the first corner. Leave the sewing machine needle down in the fabric and lift the presser foot. Turn the fabric 90 degrees and lower the presser foot again. Stitch along the entire next side until you reach the next corner. Turn this corner, stitch the next two sides and then the next two corners using the same stitching techniques. Sew until you are approximately 4 inches away from your starting point and stop stitching.

4. Stitch around each corner a second time to reinforce the stitching in the corners and prevent the stitches from coming loose over time. Create the reinforcement stitching by stitching 1 inch before a corner, turning the corner and stitching for 1 more inch.

5. Cut each corner off with the scissors, cutting the fabric at a diagonal just on the outside of the stitching. This will help make your pillow corners pointed and neat when you turn the pillow fabric right side out.

6. Turn the fabric pillow cover right side out. Use a sharp pin to pull out the fabric at each corner. Do not pull so recklessly that you tear the fabric, but rather pick the fabric out gently with the pin so the corners are pointed.

7. Press the entire fabric pillow covering with the iron to ensure that the seams are straight and the corners are pointed and neat.

8. Insert the pillow form into the fabric pillow covering and whipstitch the opening closed with the needle and thread.

References

• Utah State University: Four Square Pillow