DIY Throw Pillows from Standard Pillow Shams

I (Melissa) am trying to keep my bedroom makeover on a pretty tight budget -- one way I did that was by making throw pillows for a mere $2.50 each.   The bedding designer actually sells something similar to coordinate with my Poetical by Barbara Barry for a whopping $75 each! Oh, and did I mention these babies took me about half an hour to make all four?

My new king size comforter set came with two king size pillow shams, but my pillows are lost in them....so I decided to introduce them to my scissors and sewing machine to make four throw pillows.

The pillow shams were so large, they each made two large throw pillows.  Here's a quick tutorial for how to make throw pillows out of standard shams - making them this way you can actually either stuff them yourself with fiber stuffing or use 20x20 or 18x18 pillow insert.   (This only works for shams that have a center envelope style closure as seen in the picture below.)

Flip the pillow sham inside out.

Using a seam ripper take out the overlapping side seam where the two sides of the "envelope" meet.  Do this on both the top and bottom sides of the sham.

Once the pillow sham opens like french doors, cut down the middle of the pillow case to create two squares.  Each should be left with two sides sewn and one open.

From here you can do one of two things -- stuff them with fiber or use pillow inserts. The cheaper way to go is definitely to stuff the throw pillows with fiber.  Since I made four, it ended up costing me less than $2.50 per pillow and I still have a ton of stuffing left over.  I bought a $20 5lb box of Polyester Fiberfil stuffing.   I was able to use a 50% off coupon at AC Moore, so it only cost me $10.  I looked at the pillow inserts and even on sale they would have each cost me $8-$10 each for a total of at least $36 for the four pillows.

If you want to use pillow inserts - fold down each of the edges and sew it so you have a nice edge -- but don't close off the fourth side.  Instead, you'll have to attach a button to the shorter front side and a loop on the flap to keep it closed once the pillow insert is in there.  Waa Laa you're done!

If you want to stuff the pillows yourself with stuffing, which is what I did, sew the edges together

with the exception of a small opening that is just big enough for your hand to fit through.  (My sewing line is in black see the little bit on the one side and then the entire fourth side?)
After you sew around the edge, flip the throw pillow case back so it's right side out.

Now, take your fiberfil stuffing and just stuff until your heart's content.  I find it's best to just keep on stuffing until I think the pillow is fully stuffed -- then I put one more handful in.  Move the stuffing around until your happy with it.

Using a needle and thread, hand sew the small opening to close it up.

And now you're done! I told you it would only take five minutes to have gorgeous throw pillows on your bed.

Either way you make the DIY throw pillows-- stuff 'em with inserts or fiberfil fluff -- you'll save big over buying the coordinating Barbara Barry Poetical 18-inch square throw pillows...And that's why you make throw pillows to coordinate with your bedding. 

Wondering about the upholstered headboard? Yup, it's a DIY 2IY project, too!