Positively Splendid {Crafts, Sewing, Recipes and Home Decor}

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DIY Pillow Forms

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Two things you might not already know about me:

#1) I like to save money, but I like to do it in style.
#2) When I don’t feel like hauling my crew over the river and through the woods for close to a half hour each way, my only option for craft supplies is Super Wal-mart.

It is those two facts above that lead me to come up with today’s tutorial. Last week as I was gearing up to make the Patriotic Outdoor Pillows I shared yesterday, I found myself short of the pillow forms and I needed to get the job done. It has been hot. Oh so hot. And I didn’t have it in me to make a trip to Joann or Hobby Lobby with all three monkeys in tow. So what is the girl who finds herself in such a pickle to do? She improvises!

I headed to Wal-mart to look at their supply of pillow forms, which, sadly, was quite lacking. (If only they had put a fabric section in our new store!) I ventured to the home decor aisle. Nothing for less than $9/apiece, which I simply wasn’t willing to pay for this project. (Refer to #1 above.) I was about to suck it up and head into town when I walked past an endcap advertising body pillows marked down to $8 apiece. Eureka! I could dismantle one of these beauties to create three pillow forms on my own. Here’s how I did it.

Supplies:
1 20 x 54″ body pillow
Marking pen
Shears
Sewing machine
Thread
Rotary cutter and mat
Various sewing notions and supplies: measuring tape, ruler, pins, etc.


Repeat the above steps with your other end section. Now, let’s finish up your middle section, the one with two open sides instead of just one.

To make a rectangle with this section as I have done, use a rotary cutter to straighten your top and bottom edges (the edges you trimmed in the first step to separate your sections). I trimmed off enough so that my piece was 16″ wide, leaving the sides with the factory serged seams untrimmed. (From serged seam to serged seam, this side measured 20″.) After everything has been trimmed, pin open edges together with serged seams on the outside, and sew each side shut with a 1/2-inch seam, leaving a 6-inch opening on one side for turning. (Pivot at the opening as you did before to make turning your pillow right-side out easier.) Finish as you did the other two pillows.

For $8 and about an hour’s worth of work, I was able to procure the pillow forms I needed for my project. I will certainly be using this trick in the future!

Helpful hints and tips:

  • Trying to use only what you have on hand? An extra king-sized pillow would work great to make two square pillows. 
  • Body pillows like these make regular thrift store appearances. Pick one up, give it a good washing, and set to work!
  • If you would rather, you can certainly trim down your middle section to make an additional square pillow. It is completely up to you!

To ingenuity!
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Comments

  6. Heather says

    How creative!!!

    I too miss the fabric department at our local Walmart. It wasn’t the best selection, but it was nice to have it to save a trip to Hobby Lobby or JoAnn.

  11. Kristen says

    I am so so happy you shared this. My body pillow is sitting in my craft room waiting for me to attack. I was going to use it to make my dogs a new bed, but this is an even better idea!!! LOVE IT!!

    Found you over at Tatortots and Jello…

  13. edeenut says

    great idea!
    I just did something similar this week with my patio chair pillows.I had two brand new bed pillows that I bought but they ended up being too full for us so I used them for the stuffing.

    I hate using the store bought pillow forms anyway, they are just too thin and I like big plump toss pillows so I always make my own.

  14. Star @ A Load Of Craft says

    What a great idea. Thanks so much! I love saving money like this and will definately use this trick in the future. Also, that line you made before backtacking… so smart, thank you!!

  16. Jenna says

    what a great idea! i hate forking out so much money for pillow forms, even with a coupon. definitely gonna try this next time. 🙂

  17. ShellyRaeWood says

    Amy! You are Brilliant!! DH just thrifted me a HUGE box of upholstery samples and is buying my new sewing machine next week. I wanted to make pillows but was discouraged with the cost! You, my friend, are a lifesaver!! :::Smiles::: Thanks so much for sharing!!

  19. Tiffany Noth says

    I love this! I may go ahead and try this one. Seems like something I could do!

    … and Sabra that’s a great idea! I love doing things like that with clearance items or yard sale items.

  21. Annette says

    Hi Amy,

    I had this idea today. I just felt guilty about cutting a pillow in half! LOL!!! What I plan on doing, which is a bit different than your instructions, is to make a slit in the edge of the pillow case and remove all the stuffing. Then, I will cut the different size pillows I need. After I get them cut and stitched, I’ll add back the stuffing. It’s easier for me that way. But, thank you for your tutorial! I signed up to follow you.

    • Amy @ Positively Splendid says

      I’m glad you were inspired by my project! I say whatever works best for you, run with it! 🙂

  22. Karen says

    I was just at Wal-Mart today looking for pillow forms. I saw the body pillows and didn’t even think about using them for pillow forms. This is a fabulous idea.

  23. Kitty says

    I wish I would have seen this before I made my disappointing trip to walmart! But I happen to have a couple of bed pillows stuffed in a closet because they are not as fluffy as they once were. They are about to get a makeover into giraffe print throw pillows!! You are fabulous!!!!