How to Sew a Bed Pillow Cover

Create something simple, yet useful, as your first sewing project by construction your own pillowcase for your bed pillow. Get a feel for sewing straight stitches and zigzag stitches on your machine as you construct your pillowcase from any cotton fabric you like. You'll also learn about hemming a raw edge while you make the case that protects your pillow from face and hair oils while you sleep. Keep practicing while also knocking a few Christmas gifts off your shopping list by making extras to gift to friends and family.

Things You'll Need

• Fabric, 41-by-35-inches for standard, 41-by-39-inches for queen or 41-by-45-inches for king
• Straight pins
• Sewing machine
• Iron

Instructions

1. Lay your piece of fabric out on your work surface so the 41-inch edge runs vertically and the right side of the fabric faces up. Fold the bottom edge of the fabric up to the top edge.

2. Pin the two layers of fabric together along the top and left edge. Sew these edges with a 1/2-inch seam allowance using a straight stitch. Sew along the edges again, this time in the seam allowance, with a zigzag stitch to reinforce the seam. Do not sew along the right edge -- you don't need to sew along the bottom edge as that is a folded edge. Remove the straight pins as you sew.

3. Fold the right edge out and down 1/2 inch all the way around the case. Press the fold. Fold the edge down and out 3 inches and press that fold as well. Pin the 3-inch fold in place.

4. Sew along the folded right edge 1/8 inch in from the inside folded edge, where you folded the first 1/2 inch. This hems the open edge of the pillowcase.

5. Turn the whole pillowcase right side out and press it flat to smooth the seams.