Easy Envelope Back Pillow Cover

There are a number of ways to make a pillow cover, this is by far the easiest.  Four stitch lines on one piece of fabric, some folding, ironing and boom.  So simple.  Shout out to my tiny 10 year old friend who just got her first sewing machine.  You rock, Kenna!  The possibilities are endless, babe!

If you have a pillow form that needs a cover, here’s the formula:  Add 1 inch to the height , multiply the length by 2, then add 8 inches.  Example:  For a 12″ x 24″ pillow form, you would cut a piece of fabric 13″ x 56″.  I usually use my serger to do pillows but this tutorial uses a sewing machine only.  (For serger AND sewing machine go here) Joann’s has several sizes of pillow forms, I use this cheat sheet for the sizes I normally buy:

The pillow cover I am working on is for a 16″ x 16″ pillow insert, so I cut a piece of fabric 40″ x 17″.  If you don’t have a cutting mat and rotary blade (or, “pizza cutter”, as Kenna calls it), and are using scissors, it may be easier for you to fold the fabric in half and cut 20″ x 17″ – this will also help you to keep your cut lines straight.  The straighter the cuts, the easier it is to sew.  Get your iron hot and cut your fabric.

Press it.  Your biggest asset in sewing (besides your machine) is an iron.  Gonna try to get away without using an iron?  Your project will look like shart.  Speaking from experience.

With the right side down, fold over the short end of the fabric 3/4″.  Press it.

Fold it over one more time.  Press it.

Repeat on the other side.  This is what you’ll get.

Get your machine ready to sew.  Make sure the needle in your machine  is suitable for the type of fabric you are using.  This is lightweight upholstery fabric, so I’m using a medium-weight needle.   I have gotten a needle to the forehead from it breaking while sewing too heavy a fabric.  That’s too close to my eyeballs.  Worst fear almost realized.  Check your needles.

With the folded ends facing up, sew a straight line from top to bottom as close to the fold as possible, like this:

 Repeat on the other side.

Next, lay your fabric out, right side up, and fold one side about 1/3 of the way over.

Fold the other side over, overlapping by about four inches.

Next, make sure that your folded fabric matches the width of your pillow, in this case 16″.  If it does not, adjust accordingly, making sure that there is still a good overlap in the middle.

Pin it, catching all layers of the fabric.

Now sew the open edges closed using 1/2″ seam allowances.  See orange dotted line below:

This is what you get.

Remove those pins and clip your corners, taking care not to clip the stitches.

Turn your pillow cover right side out, pushing your fingers into the corners to give them a nice, crisp point.

You’re almost done!

Press it.

Now, stuff your pillow inside.  This part always reminds me of Popples.  “The soft fuzzy ball that turns into a friend.” I had two.

Now, wouldja look at that!  Just look at it!

So easy you can make several in a day and totally transform a space!