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A Little Cute, A Little Unexpected

Easy Envelope Back Pillow Cover

January 23, 2014 by Hearts&Sharts 22 Comments

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!

Easy Envelope Backed Pillow Cover

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:

Super Easy Pillow Cover

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.

Easy Envelope Backed Pillow Cover

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.

Easy Envelope Backed Pillow Cover

Fold it over one more time.  Press it.

Easy Envelope Backed Pillow Cover

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

Easy Envelope Backed Pillow Cover

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.

Easy Envelope Backed Pillow Cover

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

Easy Envelope Backed Pillow Cover

 Repeat on the other side.

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

Easy Envelope Backed Pillow Cover

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

Easy Envelope Backed Pillow Cover

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.

Easy Envelope Backed Pillow Cover

Pin it, catching all layers of the fabric.

Easy Envelope Backed Pillow Cover

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

Easy Envelope Backed Pillow Cover

This is what you get.

Easy Envelope Backed Pillow Cover

Easy Envelope Backed Pillow Cover

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

Easy Envelope Backed Pillow Cover

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

Easy Envelope Backed Pillow Cover

You’re almost done!

Easy Envelope Backed Pillow Cover

Press it.

Easy Envelope Backed Pillow Cover

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

Easy Envelope Backed Pillow Cover

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

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

Create Your Own Chalkboard Art Like a Pro
Anthro-Inspired Heart Pillow

Comments

  1. Cathi says

    March 5, 2016 at 11:03 am

    I love how simple you make it!!

    Reply
    • Hearts&Sharts says

      March 10, 2016 at 1:25 pm

      Thank you, Cathi!

      Reply
  2. Deloris Bibb says

    December 2, 2014 at 8:48 am

    Thank you sooo much for the tutorial. I’ve never made a pillow sham from one piece of fabric. You just so happen to have the very pattern and mearsurments I needed.
    Thank you again.

    Reply
    • Hearts & Sharts says

      December 3, 2014 at 12:15 pm

      YES! AWESOME! I love that! Happy pillow making, Deloris!!!

      Reply
  3. Syndee says

    August 6, 2014 at 4:11 pm

    Do you happen to know how much fabric I would need for a 24×24 pillow? Thank you!

    Reply
    • Hearts & Sharts says

      August 6, 2014 at 4:55 pm

      For this kind of pillow – Add 1 inch to the height , multiply the length by 2, then add 8 inches. So, for a 24″ x 24″ pillow form, you would cut a piece of fabric 25″ x 56″.

      Reply
  4. Rhona says

    July 17, 2014 at 6:32 pm

    Hello! Please can you give measurements for an 18″ by 18″ pillow?? Thank you!

    Reply
    • Hearts & Sharts says

      July 17, 2014 at 6:36 pm

      Hey Rhona! The measurements are on the diagram in the post. For an 18×18 pillow insert, you would need 44″ by 19″ of fabric. Happy sewing!

      Reply
  5. andrea says

    July 14, 2014 at 1:36 pm

    Thank you for this tutorial…I’m quite new to sewing (understatement) and wondered if you could tell how to calculate how much fabric I’d need to buy per 16×16″ pillow cover. Thanks for your help! On my first project, I bought way too much fabric and am a little skiddish at the fabric store now:(

    Reply
    • Hearts & Sharts says

      July 14, 2014 at 1:47 pm

      Andrea, for this tutorial and a 16×16 pillow, you would need a piece of fabric 40″ x 17″. If you buy 1.5 yards of 44″ wide fabric, you can make two 16×16 pillow covers from that. Happy sewing!

      Reply
      • andrea says

        July 14, 2014 at 2:00 pm

        Thank you so much! That makes sense…just came across your blog and am reading through. I love it! Thanks for sharing your testimony as well, so encouraging to hear how He works. PTL!

        Reply
        • Hearts & Sharts says

          July 14, 2014 at 2:00 pm

          Amen, girl!

          Reply
  6. Ginger says

    January 23, 2014 at 2:11 pm

    Awesome! We have a ton of super soft minky fabric….do you think this would work with that kind of fabric? Mom and I have plans for a bunch of pillows for a sensory area for the boys.

    Reply
    • Hearts & Sharts says

      January 23, 2014 at 2:55 pm

      Hey Ginger! I had to google “minky”. This will totally work with that. Hug your family, from me.

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Vintage Inspired Diner Chalkboard | Hearts & Sharts says:
    September 6, 2016 at 3:57 pm

    […] the vintage light fixture and created the herringbone art in the center. I also made all of those pillow covers, because, duh, you need pillows in a […]

    Reply
  2. Updating an Old Bookshelf Using Paint, Wallpaper & Mod Podge - Hearts & Sharts says:
    September 27, 2014 at 10:26 am

    […] project: That gold sparkly pillow was made using my envelope style pillow formula using some of the same fabric I used in the bedding in one of our guest rooms. The deets on the […]

    Reply
  3. Funky Guest Bedroom Makeover - Hearts & Sharts says:
    August 28, 2014 at 10:16 pm

    […] Shams with Flange | Easy Envelope Pillow Cover | Painted Cinder Block […]

    Reply
  4. The Cheapest Nightstands EVER. - Hearts & Sharts says:
    August 28, 2014 at 10:17 am

    […] in this room so far, you can check out the headboard here, pillow shams here, pillow covers here, the Ombre Hombre right here and the Sharpie circle art […]

    Reply
  5. Pom Pom Pillow says:
    April 17, 2014 at 6:23 pm

    […] Easy Envelope Back Pillow Cover […]

    Reply
  6. Pillow Shams with Flange says:
    April 15, 2014 at 4:41 pm

    […] Easy Envelope Back Pillow Cover […]

    Reply
  7. Handmade Gifts: Hot Air Balloon Pillow Cover says:
    January 30, 2014 at 2:32 pm

    […] cover using a serger and a sewing machine.  If you are only using a sewing machine, you can check here for those deets.  For those of you with a serger, here’s my pillow cover cheat […]

    Reply
  8. Anthro-Inspired Heart Pillow says:
    January 25, 2014 at 10:04 am

    […] needle and thread and then clicked here to watch a ladder stitch tutorial.  Since I normally make envelope backed pillow covers, I have to watch this video almost every time I make a pillow this way.  This stitch is invisible […]

    Reply

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