Mood DIY: No Sew Pillow Recover

It may not be officially summer yet, but the weather is already calling for backyard parties and lazy afternoons spent in your favorite chair drinking lemonade. Recovering your decorative pillows is an easy and quick way to update your home and give it a whole new look for the warmer months. The best part is that this project can be temporary if you wish!  With only 10 minutes and a few supplies, you can wow your guests this summer with fresh, updated decor . Who doesn’t love a great, seasonal look that won’t hurt your wallet?

SUPPLIES: To complete this DIY, only 5 items are needed, and even less if you are a seasoned crafter! You can see in the picture below, I included the chosen fabric, a pillow for recovering, scissors, a hot glue gun, and refill glue. I used a small 14″ x 14″ pillow form that is great if you do not already have pillows to recover. The best part about this project is that your pillow fabric can be changed as often as you like! I chose a pink, orange and brown giraffe pattern, but depending on your decor, the possibilities are endless.

Step 1: The first step is to cut your fabric to the right length and width so that it fits the pillow perfectly. If you have too much fabric your knot may be bulky and your seams could show, but too little and your pillow will not be fully covered. The width of the fabric should be almost 3x the width of the pillow. This is something that will depend on how thick your pillow is, and I recommend folding the fabric over to estimate how much you will need. For the length, you will need to measure 2x the length of the pillow, plus a few inches where the fabric can be glued together. Use a pen or pencil (pencil if your fabric is light so that it does not show through) to mark where to make your cut.

TIP: You can always trim the width of the fabric if you have too much. If you are not sure, keep it a little long so that you can tie the knot you want at the end.

STEP 2: Now it is time to cut your fabric to the measured lengths. Try to get a straight cut, but if it is slightly off don’t worry, none of the edges will show with the finished product!

STEP 3: Next we can start to wrap the pillow. You will first fold the shorter side (the length if your pillow is not a square) making sure that if the selvedge (the white edge) is not cut off, to then fold it under. For added durability, I would recommend using a hot glue gun and placing a thin strip of glue on the first piece, and then folding the bottom half onto it. Be sure that your seam is the the middle of the pillow, so that it is covered by the knot! If the fabric is too long it is perfectly fine to then cut it shorter!

TIP: If your pillow already has a nice fabric on it, place a thin piece of white cloth under the new fabric to make sure no glue gets on it!

STEP 4: Folding the sides of the pillow is similar to wrapping a present. You want to slightly fold in the corners, and then bring the fabric in, making sure everything is tucked neatly. This is also where you can trim the edges if you have too much.

STEP 5: Almost done! The final step is to tie together the two pieces in the center of the pillow. This will hide the seam in the middle, and hold together the fabric! I tried out two different knows, one a box knot and the other a twist. Either is a great option!

And with that you have a new, updated pillow for your home space! It probably takes longer to read the directions than recover your pillow! Feel free to comment with any of your finished products, we would love to see them!

SUGGESTIONS: Going back, the next time I recover my pillows, I will use a larger pillow because this one is too small for my couch. I would also pick a print with more white in it, so that the folds of the fabric are more noticeable! Also, cotton poplin would be a better fabric to work with than a canvas because thinner fabric makes the wrapping and knotting easier to do!

Yours Sincerely,

Sarah McConnico