pillow ideas!

pillow tutorials abound in the crafty world, & it really is true that they're a super quick, easy & fun simple sewing project that can totally spruce up a room! the problem i have though, is that if i'm going to take the time to make a pillow, i want it to be sturdy & washable & not the simple envelope closure style- i want a zipper.

zippers intimidate me. thus, my problem.

our living room has a set of very neutral beige colored sofas. i've been wanting to spruce them up with lots of pillows with a mix of bright patterns & some fun typography [big letters or numbers] for probably years now.  i also keep holding out hope that i'll find just the right thing for almost-free on some magical clearance rack somewhere. it's actually probably good that i haven't taken the plunge yet, because pillows seem to be a thing i change my mind on quite frequently design-wise & i just can't bring myself to pay $25 per pillow, even though that's reasonable for just one.

i did make this one little leafy guy that i love the look of, but i made it with thin quilting cotton & you got it... an envelope closure. i've been planning for forever to go back & add some batting [so the feathers of the feather pillow inside don't keep coming out] & a zipper in the back [so the cover will actually stay on the pillow. details.]

in our pre-move home tour a few months ago, you probably saw the darker green velvety pillows i paired with it- an $8 each target impulse buy- which were also fun when we got the 2 matching vintage arm chairs on craigslist.

the green ones aren't removable covers, but have washed well & are starting to show some lumpy beat up signs of wear thanks to living [mostly on the floor] amongst our toddlers for a few years now.

so yes, time for new pillows!

here are some ideas i've found that i really love the look of. i think i've decided that a big mix of just one of each different bright color & pattern is more fun than a bunch of matching pairs. i'm not bothering with links to sources because almost none of them are still available [they can all be found on my pinterest 'pretty to make' board though].

this one's originally from joss & main & i think could be made with a few strips of cute fabric & burlap [although i'd use unbleached cotton or even a cotton canvas drop cloth for pillows since it's softer & washes better]. you could use any color or pattern & i think that solid strip would be cute done with ribbon!

this one's no longer available at land's end, but could very easily be done with cotton canvas, some fabric paint & a round stenciling sponge [similar to this lampshade].

this one's no longer available at target, but i was thinking, again, cotton canvas + fabric paint + a large stencil of some sort? i've seen this 'cathedral' one by martha stewart in person at michael's & i think it could work pretty well! the tricky thing would be finding/mixing fabric paint in that gorgeous mustard yellow shade.

source
i originally pinned this thinking it would be cute for my daughter's room. for the living room i wouldn't go hot pink, although a coral color could be nice for spring! this would be easy to do with a pre-made solid pillow that you could find inexpensively at a discount store- then just add your burlap letter or number appliques with heat n bond & stitch around them!

full tutorial at bhg.com
this one is just a printed panel on fabric that runs through your home printer with 4 solid strips around the edges. with all the freebie printables on pinterest, can you imagine the endless options? you could do one for every season!

full tutorial at v & co.
the tutorial here is shown on a tote bag, but i think these would be equally cute on a solid pillow! you could use a colorful solid pillow for the background, or stick with the cotton canvas. the heart shape is cut out of freezer paper & ironed on, you could pick any shape or letter/number you wanted! a star with navy & light blue dots would be adorable for a little boy room & your family monogram in a pretty ombre effect of almost any color would be lovely.

i really like the idea of using a canvas painter's drop cloth as a sturdy canvas base to sew sturdy pillows! they're easily available at home depot/lowe's & one drop cloth would make several pillows, or you could try the 'cheater route' [that i'm strongly considering!] with these blank canvas pillows on amazon. places like joann fabric & hobby lobby both sell cotton 'duck' canvas which is the same thing!