How To Make A No-Sew (Upcycled) Pillow Form

I’m working on a pillow exterior cover right now and needed a pillow form to place inside my pillow.  After checking them out in the craft store, I decided to make my own.  Instead of $7-$20, the one I made was completely free!  Another benefit of making your own is that you can make it any size and shape you’d like too.

I was able to use things from around the house and it only took about 10 minutes to make.  Before we start, I want to make a crafty disclaimer…this is in no way, shape, or form a fancy or attractive pillow.  However it gets the job done and because it gets covered and will be hidden, it is perfectly fine.

To make a no-sew pillow form, you’ll need:

  • An old t-shirt (I chose white)
  • Scissors
  • A ruler or tape measure
  • Hot glue or fabric glue (your preference)
  • Fabric pen (totally optional)
  • Up-cycled stuffing (we’ll talk more about that below…there are lots and lots of things you can use)

First, measure two squares (or rectangles or whatever shape you need) to the size you want.  Allow a little extra around the edges for the glue seam, about a 1/2 to 1 inch.  You can use a fabric pen to mark the fabric or just eye it up.

Note: Because we’re using a t-shirt a the source for fabric, please allow for the stretch of the material.  Jersey material stretches wider than it does height-wise, so give your squares a little tug before cutting.  This will help to determine if any adjustments need to made to account for the stretch.  My pillow ended up being a bit rectangular…live and learn I guess.  Still worked for the pillow and it ended up being no big deal in this case.

After cutting, lay one of the squares flat and run a line of glue on the edge along three of the four sides, leaving the top open.

Carefully lay the other square on top and sandwich together.  Let completely dry.

Flip the pillow right side out…now it’s time to stuff it!

Because we’re being thrifty recyclers today, and I have tons of them,  I’m going to use yarn scraps.  However, you could use some fiber-fill if you have some on hand, or use the filler from an old stuffed animal, or fabric scraps…get creative!

I personally never throw away any yarn scraps, even the tiniest clippings.  These make a great filler for things like this project for example, handmade toys, and other fun things.  The smaller clippings work best and are less lumpy too.  If your scraps are long, you may want to snip them a bit more.

Stuff the pillow until it is nice and “poufy” (for lack of a better term) not too full, but you want enough in there so it doesn’t look flat and droopy.

Finally, push everything down as far as you can and carefully glue the top shut.  Don’t disturb the pillow now, let it dry completely.  As tempting as it might be to want to straighten the pillow out and fluff it up, resist the urge…it will make the seam come apart before it dries.

After the seam is dry, fluff up the pillow and make sure the filling is uniform and not lumpy.  All done!  Like I mentioned before, it is not super pretty, but neither are the ones in the store.  Plus, once you get the cover on it, you’ll never see it anyway!  Easy and free, works for me!

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