How to Make Star Appliquéd Pillows

Dress up plain pillows with star appliques.

Throw pillows are a fun and useful home decor accessory. You can jazz up your bedroom or living room in a jiffy with one or more decorative pillows made from the fabric of your choice. You can make star appliqued pillows in any color or size. Use a single large star or a group of smaller stars. Make several pillows for an attractive grouping on your bed or sofa. Use lightweight fusible web to hold your appliques securely in place for stitching.

Things You'll Need

• Lightweight fusible web
• Fabric for applique
• Ironing board
• Iron
• Fabric for pillow
• Sewing machine
• Pins
• Pillow form
• Hand-sewing needle

Instructions

Create the Applique

1. Draw or trace a star of the desired size on the paper side of the fusible web. Cut the star out 1/4 inch outside the drawn line.

2. Place your applique fabric wrong side up on the ironing board. Place the fusible web star paper side up on the fabric. Fuse the star to the fabric with your iron, following the fusible web directions.

3. Cut out the fabric star applique along the drawn line.

Make the Pillow Front

1. Cut two pieces of fabric 1 inch wider and 1 inch longer than the desired finished size of the pillow.

2. Lay the fabric for the pillow front right side up on the ironing board. Peel the paper from the back of the star applique and position the star with the fusible web side down on the fabric. Fuse into place, following the fusible web manufacturer's instructions.

3. Stitch around the edges of the star. Use an applique or zigzag stitch or simply straight stitch on the star close to the cut edge.

Finish the Pillow

1. Lay the pillow front right side up on a flat surface. Place the pillow back right side down on the pillow front, with the edges even on all four sides. Pin through both layers along the edges.

2. Sew around the perimeter of the pillow 1/2 inch from the edge, removing the pins as you sew. Leave an opening in one side that is large enough to insert the pillow form.

3. Turn the pillow cover right side out through the opening. Push the blunt end of a pencil into each corner from the inside to push the corners out square.

4. Fold the edges of the opening to the inside, even with the seam. Iron a neat crease along both sides of the opening.

5. Insert the pillow form into the pillow cover through the opening. Reach inside and adjust the corners of the pillow to fill the corners of the cover.

6. Hand-stitch the opening shut.

Tips & Warnings

• Use heavy weight fusible web to create no-sew appliques.

• Stitching around the edge of appliques applied with heavy weight fusible web may gum up your needle.

Resources

• Sew4Home: How to Applique