Raise your hand if you have a love for throw pillows! I’m right there with you! Because not only are they pretty and add so much decor to a room, but they’re also nice when you want to kick back and need a comfy place to lay your head. 😉
The thing that I don’t love about throw pillows is the price. They are SO expensive! Why is that? They’re way more expensive than a regular bed pillow, and they’re not even as comfortable and nice. Half the time they’re just so flat and lifeless, not to mention it’s hard to find one that has the right color or pattern to match your decor. I digress…
So when it comes to throw pillows, I take matters into my own hands! Why pay anywhere from $25-50+ for ONE throw pillow when you can make TWO throw pillows from a regular bed pillow that costs less than $10?! This is a really easy project, and the savings are so insane, it’s really a no-brainer when it comes to throw pillows that this is the way to go!
All it takes is some scissors, a needle, and thread, and you can turn a regular bed pillow into throw pillows for the cost of a latte! It’s so much cheaper, AND you get to customize the look and feel and pick out the perfect fabric for the cover instead of being stuck with whatever retailers deem is the “in” thing right now! #winning
Materials Needed to Turn a Bed Pillow into Throw Pillows
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- King-sized bed pillow (Since I wanted nice, plush throw pillows, I got a really thick pillow. If you prefer yours to be not quite so firm, you can get a pillow with less fill, or just remove some of the stuffing from it.)
- Pins
- Scissors
- Measuring tape
- Thread
- Needle/sewing machine
How to Turn a Bed Pillow into Throw Pillows
1. Measure your pillow and cut it right down the center with your scissors. My pillow was quite thick, so I did the top part first and then the bottom. If your pillow isn’t as thick, you might be able to cut through all the layers at once. If your pillow is more plump than you’d like, you can remove some of the stuffing until it’s the perfect thickness.
2. Push the stuffing down into the pillows as far as you can get it, and use pins to hold it in place. You really want to get the stuffing down into the pillows so you have more of the pillow cases’ fabric to work with. Trust me, it makes the next steps much, much easier. Especially if you’re using a sewing machine!
3. Turn the cut edges of the pillow cases inside about 1/4-1/2 inch and pin them together. This will keep them from fraying and give the pillows a more finished look than just sewing the raw edges together without a hem. Ideally, you’ll probably be making covers for your pillows, so it doesn’t matter too much if the edges are showing, but if you want them to look a little nicer, it’s really easy to just turn the edges in. This will give you two rows of pins.
4. Sew the turned edges of the pillowcases together from one end to the other. Admittedly, this is probably easier to hand sew, but I am really not patient enough for that, so I used my sewing machine. As long as the stuffing is pushed down pretty far into the pillow, you shouldn’t have a problem using the sewing machine. I use an older version of this sewing machine, and I just love it!
5. Remove the rest of your pins, fluff your pillows, and revel in the fact that you just created TWO throw pillows for the price of a coffee at Starbucks! 😉
Seriously, how simple is that? This is an amazing money saver when it comes to throw pillows. I think I paid all of $9 for my king-sized pillow, which equals out to $4.50 per throw pillow. You can’t even get throw pillows that cheap in the clearance section!
Plus you get to completely customize the look and feel of your pillows! You can add or remove fill from them until they’re the perfect plushness. Then, you can choose your own fabric for the covers to perfectly match your decor and tastes. And trust me, there are a lot more fabric options out there versus what you can find on pre-made throw pillows.
I’ll be posting a tutorial soon to show you how to make your own throw pillow covers. In the meantime, if you’re in the market for throw pillows, I hope you seriously consider this easy DIY to turn your own bed pillow into throw pillows! That way the next time you see those insanely overpriced pillows at the store, you’ll be able to walk away with a smile on your face knowing you outsmarted those throw pillow price gougers with nothing more than some scissors, a needle, and thread!
If I’ve inspired you to make your own throw pillows from a bed pillow, leave a comment to let me know. And if you enjoyed this post, you’ll love my newsletter. Sign up below for weekly craft, DIY, and home projects and tips!
Celeste I love this idea. Never would have thought to cut a king size pillow into two. Brilliant. Now let’s see how you are going to dress them.
Thanks so much, Mary! I can’t wait to show you the covers I’m going to make. The best part of sewing projects is picking out the fabric!
This is an excellent idea.
I need a lot of throw pillows.
You just made my job a whole lot easier!!!
Thank you!!
So glad to hear you’ll be putting this to good use, Darnell! It’s a great way to make a lot of throw pillows really cheap!
I was in the Doctor’s office, when I found your tutorial on throw pillows, all the girls working here were so excited about making throw pillows by the time I left! Thanks!!!
I don’t sew but this ‘hack’ is totally doable AND brilliant. (Generally I love hacks, especially frugal ones)
I like this idea very, very much Celeste (and pinned!). 🙂
Thanks so much! It’s super easy and really doesn’t require any sort of fancy sewing skills. Just one straight line is all you need! Thanks for sharing!
I have several old pillows I’ve been hanging onto. Now I know what to do with them. Brilliant!
Thanks so much, Aimee! This is the perfect use for all those old pillows! Happy crafting!
This is genius! I am SO impressed!
Thanks so much, Amanda! It’s a super easy hack that saves a ton of money!
Great idea to use king size pillows for throw pillows. Thanks for the tutorial.
Bev
Hope you can use this to make some throw pillows of your own, Bev!
I just was about to donate extra pillows…your hack came in the knick of time! Love it!
Now, I can’t wait for your DIY pillow covers!
So glad you can across this, just in time Susan! This is the perfect use for those extra pillows!
What a great idea. I am definetly trying this!!!
Thanks, Michele! Happy pillow making!
This is brilliant! I need to make me a bunch of these so I can put fluffy inserts back into my pillows. Thanks so much for sharing at the Wednesday Showcase 🙂 Pinned!
Thanks, Kati! This is the perfect way to save some money and get those nice, plush throw pillows!
Celeste, this is such a great idea! I never would have thought to use a regular size pillow and just downsize it!! Great tutorial!!
Thanks so much, Keri! This is such a great money-saving hack!
Oh Celeste! Great minds think alike. I’ve always thought about doing this. I’m never short of throw pillows because I pick them up from the thrift store but if I ever run short, I’ll be definitely doing this. I’m featuring this one at tomorrow’s party. It’s always great to see you link up each week. Love your posts!
Anne @ Domesblissity
Thanks so much for the awesome feature, Anne! You should definitely give this a try one day. It’s such a great trick for any extra bed pillows you have lying around!
Love it. Really really love it. Subscribed!
Thank you so much!
What a great idea! I’m in the process of making mine now! Although I bought two standard pillows, 20×26 and only $2.47 each! King size were $8.88, so I saved some extra money! I had looked at the pre-made inserts, even they were double what I spent! Now I’m on the search for old sweaters to make into covers!
Glad to hear you love this idea, Deborah! You certainly don’t have to use a king pillow, I just prefer to have bigger throw pillows. You are so right, the inserts they sell at the store are ridiculously expensive. So glad to hear you saved a good deal of money. And I just love the look of sweater pillow covers! So pretty!
Love this idea! What a money saver and an opportunity to customize your own covers. Bravo!
Thanks, Loisann! It’s such a great way to save money!
I’m brand new to your site and I already love it! I made some throw pillows in the past and used a glue gun to close them. My problem with that method is that I don’t think they can go through the washer or dryer. Your method looks much easier and they can be washed. From now on I will be using your genius method. THANK YOU!
Yes, sewing them shut is much better than using a glue gun to close up those pillows! This makes them much more durable and machine washable. So glad you were able to get some inspiration and give it a try!
Love this idea! I am going to make me and my daughter pillows for our sofas! Think I’ll try envelope covers so they can be washed and dried.
That sounds perfect, Vickie! I’m sure they’ll turn out just lovely!
Love this idea. Now I can’t wait to see your tutorial. For making the covers. I hope I didn’t miss it.
Thanks, Jean! I should have it up soon!
I crochet pillows sometimes and always have troubles finding the pillow inserts for the project at hand. This is an awesome idea to be able to make the pillow for the cover. Thank-you so much I will be using this method for sure and if the cost goes down all the better.
Kim, this is the perfect way to customize whatever size pillow insert you need for your crochet pillows. Not to mention, it’s really cost effective! Happy crafting!
I love this Idea, excellent method of recycling, thank you!
Never thought of cutting a pillow in half!!! Im also going to use my older worn out pillows to make them fluffier. I can use the stuffing out of the old ones😊. Thanks.
Thank you for sharing an amazing blog post! I just Love the way to turn decor pillows for bed into throw pillows. This white cushion is giving a more appealing look to your room. I think I should also try this creative and money saving idea.
Wow! I can do this!!
I promise, I was about to get rid of some old pillows but wah-lah! I stumbled upon this DIY! Gonna try this tomorrow!
It’s great that you showed your experience of turning a normal pillow into something I can put on the couch. I appreciate you explaining that using a sewing machine makes the process much easier. I love decorating around my house and I noticed yesterday that I could really use some throw pillows to liven things up.
Wow I love this idea , I agree throw pillows are way to expensive.
Recycling is best. Thank you so you so much for sharing.
I’ve been making new covers for my current throw pillows, it’s so simple to update with more current colors or prints. I love your idea of repurposing a bed pillow into throw pillows! I will definitely be trying that since I have several extra in storage. Thank you for a timely article!
Can I use my body pillow to create throw pillows…
I loved the concept! Your in-depth tutorial is easy-to-follow. Looking forward to more such tutorials. Celeste, you nailed it!!