Easy Zippered Pillow Cover Sewing Tutorial

I have a pretty easy tutorial for you today. I know I've had several posts about making pillows before, but they're one of my favorite easy projects. It's a great way to update the look of your home when you want a change. This particular pillow cover tutorial is super easy and quick and probably the most basic zippered cover you can make. Even if you haven't sew a zipper on before (it's not as scary as it seems!) you will still be able to make these. It's a fast and beginner-friendly project with just 10 easy steps. You could sew up several of these in under in hour.

The only things you will need for this pillow cover tutorial are some fabric, a zipper, and a pillow form. If you don't have a pillow form, you can easily make your own using this tutorial. Another great source of pillow forms is a store like TJ Maxx or Marshalls. Be sure to check the clearance section you might find some "ugly" or damaged pillows for cheaper. Then you can simply remove the cover and sew your own with fabric of your choice. The pillow forms I used for this tutorial are feather and from IKEA (another cheap source!). I had them in storage for a long time and the pillow covers were worn and badly piling so I decided to re-cover them.

Crochet Christmas Decor + DIY Crochet Tree Pillow

Christmas is one of my favorite holidays, so it makes sense that one of my favorite hobbies gets brought into the mix. I love the look of crocheted Christmas decorations because it evokes feelings of warmth and coziness. I wanted to share with you a couple patterns I've used and loved for some decor, including one of my very own!

Crochet Button Pillow: free crochet pattern

I have been working on this crochet project on and off for a couple months. I am excited to finally have it finished! The funny thing is this looks more like a fall-winter decoration and I finished it in the spring. I think playing around with the buttons and yarn color though could give it a lighter and more summery look. I really do like how it turned out. It looks like my pillow is wearing a cardigan sweater.

The pillow itself it a pretty basic pattern worked up in single crochet. It's the kind of pattern you don't have to think too much about and can do in front of the tv (my favorite kind of crochet pattern!). It is worked in three pieces, the back and two front panels, and then slip stitched together.

10 for Tuesday: Throw Pillow Tutorials

The pillows above are my own. You can read about the crochet one here.
An easy way to brighten up any room is with throw pillows. The cost can add up quickly, however, when purchasing them from a store. Why not DIY your own? My favorite throw pillows had removable covers so you can easily wash them and changed them out with the seasons or your mood. (Sew your own pillow form following my tutorial HERE!) So why not do a bit of springtime redecorating and make some of your own? These projects range all levels of sewing skills and crochet. Enjoy!

Color Block Pillow With Hidden Zipper

Color block pillow with crochet heart garland
I think that throw pillows are a great way to change up the decor in a room. That's why I love zippered pillow covers. You can change out the pillows in the room seasonally or when you feel like a change. It also makes them easy to wash and store the covers you're not using. I have limited storage space, so storing extra throw pillows is not really an option.

To get in the Valentine's Day spirit, I wanted to make this pillow red and pink. I had scraps of red and pink twill in my fabric stash that were perfect for this pillow. I knew I wanted to add a zipper, and I was inspired by this tutorial showing how to hide a zipper in the middle of a pillow using a contrast flap. I decided to make by own by incorporating the flap into the design. It's an easy project and a fun way to add a pop of color.


Let's get to the tutorial...

The Lodge Pillow

Yesterday, I showed you how to make a zippered pillow form. Today, you get to see what I made the pillow form for! I love that this project mixed sewing and crochet.

I have been eyeing knitted blankets lately. The idea of having a big sweater-like throw for the winter seems so nice and cozy. I've seen some great ones at T.J. Maxx and Home Goods for about $30-$40, but couldn't bring myself to buy one. Part my thinking was I could make my own. However, I don't know how to knit and crochet just wouldn't be the same. Plus, yarn for a blanket could easily run nearly as much (or more!) money and hours of my time. So I have yet to get myself a cozy knit blanket until I feel like spending the money or learning to knit.

In the meantime, I still wanted to bring a bit of yarn work into my decor this fall. I found this pattern for the Lodge Pillow in the One-Skein Wonders book that I've been quite addicted to lately. This crochet pillow the perfect solution for now. You can see my review of the pattern on Ravelry. I used Lion Brand Heartland in Grand Canyon for it. It was an impulse buy because I just loved the color. It was my first time working with Heartland yarn and I liked using it so much that I've already bought two more skeins for future projects.

How to Sew a Pillow Form with a Zipper

The last pillow slipcover I sewed I bought a pillow form for out of laziness. I didn't have any fiberfill and had to go to the store anyway, so figured I'd just buy one pillow form instead of buying a bag of fiberfill. I really wanted the instant gratification of going home and putting the pillow insert right into the slipcover and being done with it. (Yes, I weirdly made a slipcover I didn't have a pillow form for). That worked just fine...until I wanted to make another pillow and had no fiberfill. I was again in the same position.

This time I decide to be smarter and more frugal and purchase fiberfill. Purchasing a pillow form last time did have another benefit though. The pillow form I bought has a zipper. This means I can take out the polyfill and wash the pillow form cover, and replace or add to the polyfill when it inevitably goes flat. I really liked this idea of being able to wash and re-use the pillow insert with ease. I decided to incorporate this into my own pillow form I was sewing.