Make a Gorgeous (Cheap!) Pillow Using Vintage Clothes

If you can sew a straight line, you can easily and inexpensively create the most interesting throw pillows from vintage clothes on your sewing machine. The most brilliant thing is that you can use the existing closures like buttons or zippers as your pillow closings. All you have to do is lay out your pattern, cut, stitch, turn the fabric right side out and stuff it with a pillow form. It’s as easy as that.

Remember that fashion trends precede trends in home decorating fabrics and interior design, so chances are that you can find, or you have, pieces of clothing in prints that are ahead of your local fabric store. All you have to do is give the clothing item a good washing and pressing before getting started.

Just look how this hip pillow refreshes a tired old love seat.


Throw pillows can be created from jackets, dresses, blazers and skirts. I chose this graphic-pattern shirt for mine.


Tools and materials:
Sewing machineScissorsRuler or yardstickChalkPins Pillow form


Place the pillow form on the garment to determine where you’ll cut the fabric and where the existing closure will be located. Turn the clothing item inside out before tracing the square.


Be sure to measure the pillow form first, then add 1 inch for your pillow. My form was 14½ inches, so I marked a 15½-inch square on the jacket in chalk.


The chalk line is the cut line. Use sharp scissors to cut out the top and bottom pieces of the garment. Be sure to adjust the placement if a button is in the way.


Pin around the edges of the fabric pieces to hold them still for stitching.


Stitch along each edge of the cut-out pillow pieces ½ inch from the cut edge. Remember to lock your stitches when starting and ending by switching to reverse mode on your sewing machine for a few stitches. This will lock the stitches in place.


When turning the corner, keep the needle down in the fabric, lift the presser foot and turn the fabric so that you can stitch the other side.


When stitching over the front placket of a jacket or top, don’t worry about the details of the garment. This is what will make your pillow special.


When you’re finished stitching, carefully cut off the corner seam allowances on all four corners.


Turn the pillow right side out, pushing the corners all the way out with your finger.


Stuff the pillow form into your new pillow cover and adjust it so that it fills out the cover evenly. Then button or zip up the opening.


A hip print on a throw pillow can really amp up a neutral piece of furniture.


Make Trendy Pillows from Vintage Apparel Buttons make a perfect closure. If you don’t want them to show, simply turn the pillow around.

More: Turn a Shipping Pallet Into a Stylish Ottoman

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