DIY sofa pillows

Pillows are used not only for relaxation and comfortable sleep. Beautiful decorative pillows can add variety to the interior and become its real decoration. You can order the author's design and tailoring of exclusive products in a specialized studio, or it is better to make them yourself. If you have a desire to make the pads yourself, you will certainly succeed. Study the information, view the photos and take action.

DIY decorative pillows for the sofa

Decorative pillows amaze with their originality and elegance. Common designs include square, round and rectangular product shapes. Unusual shape options:

• Turkish. This type has a rounded shape, folds at the corners and an oriental ornament.
• Sectional. In this model, the parts of the product are connected by side inserts of different rigidity.
• Oxford. The pillow is decorated with a border and tassels on the sides.
• Quilted. This model has decorative stitching.
• Non-standard. Products in the form of letters, flowers, fairy-tale heroes and other interesting characters can be presented here.

In the process of making a product yourself, you can use your imagination and feel free to experiment. Pillows are made from a wide variety of materials and decorations, using various sewing and decorating techniques. In every housewife's house you can find a variety of ribbons and strings, pieces of unnecessary fabric, buttons, beads, fringe and many other useful things. The sofa will look especially solemn and respectable if you sew 5-7 decorative pillows for it. For sewing, you can use the fabric that is used to decorate the sofa or, conversely, choose a completely different texture. The main thing remains a harmonious combination of different shades of color.

How to sew a pillow for a sofa - pattern

The product includes two components: a cover filled with special material and an elegant pillowcase. Before creating a pattern, you should decide on the shape and size of the product. The drawing is usually drawn on paper, and then transferred to fabric using a special chalk or soap. The fabric is folded in half with the right side inward. Thus, two parts of the product are obtained at once. You should add about 1-2 cm to the size of the pattern to sew the parts together. When stitching elements, you should leave room for stuffing with filler. Next, using the same pattern, we cut out the parts for the decorative pillowcase, leaving about 3 cm on each side for processing. There are options for pillows without using a pillowcase, i.e. the cover itself is already sewn from elegant fabric. The pillowcase is used for hygienic purposes. So that it can be removed for washing, it is necessary to provide a special hole that can be closed with a zipper, buttons or Velcro.

ATTENTION! The average pillow size is 40–70 cm, small – 30–40 cm and large – 70 or more centimeters.More complex configurations require careful design of the pattern.

Choosing fabric

To bring the idea to life, you need to prepare fabric and other supplies. Decorative pillows are made from a variety of materials, each of which has certain pros and cons. Thus, linen is an excellent natural and hypoallergenic material, but it wrinkles easily and is hard to the touch. Silk is more pleasant and durable, but is much more expensive than other fabrics. Chintz is easy to care for, pleasant to the skin, but very short-lived in use. Dense materials such as felt, flannel or denim are also popular. You don’t have to settle on one type of fabric, but effectively combine different options. Therefore, the choice of fabric depends on the use of the item and the personal preferences of the artist. One interesting way is to use an unwanted sweater or shirt as material.

How and what to stuff a pillow with

Natural or synthetic materials are used as filler. Of course, natural bird feathers have a more beneficial effect on human well-being. However, these fillers are in most cases the factors that cause allergic reactions. Therefore, first you should make sure that none of the family members are harmed. Buckwheat, bamboo fiber and algae are also widely used for these purposes. Most often, artificial fibers are used for stuffing, such as holofiber, synthetic fluff, latex and others. They are light, airy and pleasant to the touch, wash well, dry well and restore their original appearance, and do not cause irritation. Silicone balls are also popular.

REFERENCE! One medium-sized sofa pillow requires about 200-300 g of filler.

How to sew a pillow from scraps

It is quite difficult to sew a pillow using the patchwork technique: it requires special knowledge and skills. For sewing you will need scraps of fabric. It is advisable to use fabrics of different colors and very good quality. Due to the color scheme, you can create spectacular pictures and patterns. Patterns for such pillows must be made in full size. After selecting the fabric, elements of the required sizes are cut out of it. The patches must be sewn first vertically and then horizontally. After sewing one row, the fabric is ironed, directing the seams to one side.

How to sew a toy pillow

Pillows in the shape of flowers, hearts, smiley faces, toys, books, and hug pillows have gained especially great popularity. For children, such things serve as a sleep aid and a toy at the same time. Despite the apparent complexity, such toys are quite simple to make. All you need to do is cut out a pattern of your favorite character from paper. If it is complex, then it needs to be divided into elements and fabrics of suitable colors must be selected. The parts of the future product are outlined with chalk and cut out taking into account the seam allowance. Next they are sewn together and a hole is left for the filler. After filling, the pillow is sewn up by hand.

How to sew a pillow with applique

Pillows decorated with appliques look very stylish and unusual. This technique takes a lot of time, perseverance, as well as artistic taste and an interesting idea. Stages of decorating a product with applique:

1. Preparing a pattern of the desired size. On a separate sheet we draw the front side on which the applique will be located.
2. Selecting a suitable pattern. You can take a ready-made image or draw it yourself.The lightest forms are flowers, letters and geometric shapes.
3. Choice of fabric. Usually 3–4 types are used.
4. The paper design should be cut into individual component pieces, traced on the material, and then cut out. If the fabric is not strong enough, then it should be glued with non-woven material on the inside. Seam allowances can be made as desired depending on how the pieces are sewn together.
5. The applique details are pinned to the front side of the product, then basted by hand, and then sewn on using a sewing machine or overlocker.

How to sew a beautiful baby pillow

Pillows in children's rooms perform certain functions. So, if the product is large, then the child can lie on it and play. Multi-colored half-puzzles are especially popular. Oblong products can protect against drafts if they are placed on the edge of the crib or windowsill. It has become a fashionable trend to sew pillows in the shape of letters and make up the child’s name from them. When sewing pillows for babies, the main attention is paid to the fabric. It is better to give preference to natural fabrics such as linen, calico, chintz, knitwear or cotton. It is not recommended to use synthetics, as they have the ability to become electrified, stick to the body and cause uncomfortable sensations and negative emotions. They are often the cause of children's crying, which adults may not even be aware of. The product must be soft, clean and hypoallergenic. The emphasis is on color rather than on decorative elements and embellishments.

IMPORTANT! Particular attention should be paid to decorative elements on children's toys. It is not recommended to use buttons, beads and other small parts. A child can easily tear them off and swallow them, which is very dangerous.

It is quite possible to make a beautiful decorative pillow with your own hands even without any special sewing skills. We hope that this article will be useful and help you create a beautiful and comfortable thing.