5-Minute Faux Fur Pillow Tutorial

I have a great tutorial for you today! Each pillow seriously took me 5 minutes. And the effects look like I took much longer. I think that's the magic of faux fur. It can really jazz up a room! So this is how it works:
First, I got a couple 18" wide cuts of faux fur from JoAnn's. (I think I asked for 1/3 yard.) These, by the way, are a soft poodle-type fur. Really comfy for the couch. At home, I had two 18x18" pillows to cover. The steps are below.

1. Measure the fur by placing your pillow right on top, right side up.
2. Fold the other end of the fabric over the pillow so that the ends overlap about 4-5". Cut and pin across.
3. Slide out the pillow and pin down the sides, measuring to make sure the cover is still 18" long.
4. Sew down both sides of the cover about .5" (not including the fur sticking out). Back stitch at the ends.
5. Trim the excess fur.
6. Take a look at your pillow. You're seconds away from being done.
7. Flip it right side out.
8. Stuff your pillow inside the cover and stick it on your couch. Done!
No need to hem the ends because the fur covers the edges. (This particular faux fur also has a little stretch to it, so as a knit, it's not going to unravel. Still, I wouldn't bother hemming any faux fur.)

I let my daughter come with me into the hall to take pictures of my pillows and she had some fun with it. (Yes, condo living limits me with photo shoots so I use the sparse, clean hallway instead!)

I've had these two pillows done for a couple months now and they get lots of use. The kids both like to sit on them on the floor when we play cards, and snuggle up with them on the couch when we read books. I love the look of faux fur on pillows because they give the furniture a lot more dimension. And I've been reading a lot lately that a mixture of textiles is good for a room. 

I so agree.

If I had a bigger home, I'd do more of these.

They could not have been easier - and I hope you'll agree if you give them a try.

If you have smaller or larger pillows than mine, just get a cut of fabric that fits. Or trim something in your stash, which will only add on a couple minutes to the project.

Let me know if you try it!

Pillows and Aprons Custom Order

Hello! Just wanted to pop in and show you what I've been up to lately. A community center in my town where my daughter attends playgroup needed some new decor and the phenomenal woman in charge asked *me* if I could sew up some pillows to give the play area some color to pull it all together. She provided the fabric (which is April Cornell ~ placemats and napkins) and I transformed them into pillows and two aprons.

What are the details?
~ the two big pillows in the back have zippers on the bottom (napkins front and back)
~ the two medium-sized pillows in the middle (made out of the thicker placemat material) are envelope style with thicker-weight magenta fabric in the back
~ the four front pillows are filled with stuffing and sewn shut (cut from 2 napkins)
~ down below are 2 aprons made from napkins. The waist bands are double-fold bias tape. I used Dana's tutorial for the pockets.

It's so neat to see all these pieces when my daughter and I go to playgroup (and think, hehe I made those). The pillows are on rockers for nursing mamas to support their backs. They're on arm chairs for grandmas to lean against. And they're on a tiny little-person couch for little ones to rest upon. Oh, and the aprons are in the kitchen along with the pots, pans, and plastic food, ready for the next chef to tie them on. 

I have to say, it feels good giving back to this community center. I've made friends there; my kids have made friends there. It's kind of been a second home of sorts. So yeah, I donated my time and ability and I know that these pillows & aprons will touch many moms and kiddies day after day. Month after month. 

It feels good.