Saturday: Tip of the Day: AbraCadabra: New Pillows

Re-decorating on a budget is about as fun as your yearly physical exam. I would love, just once, to be able to do anything I wanted to in a room, regardless of cost. (Not happening.) However, if you will take an "artistic" and humorous approach, sometimes it ends up being quite a unique process. One thing that helps any decorating "theme" is piles of pillows. Husbands don't care for these items, but they add so much to the scheme, that fluffy pillows in all designs and colors are a must!

Tip: buy really GOOD (aka: expensive) fabric and recover your existing decorative pillows. I usually make or buy a pillow the first time with a pretty neutral fringe or rope around the edge. If you keep this edging neutral or better, black, you can readily change the cover for minimum cost.

I found some beautiful heavily embroidered fabric at Hancock's. The cost was either $25 or $29 a yard. (That's pretty pricey for me.) But my pillow forms were only 14 inches square, so I did two things: 1. waited until the fabric was 40% off (happens fairly regularly at Hancock's); 2. only used the smallest amount of material I needed. For a 14 inch pillow, I add 1 1/2 to 2 in. to all sides for the "turn under" all the way around. Upholstery fabric is wide, so 1 yard would be plenty to cover back and front of two 14" pillows.

For a 14" pillow, cut a square 16"x16"(adjust for your pillow size); place the fabric, right side up on top of the pillow; turn under edges and pin all the way around. (To pin, start in the middle of one side and pin both ways along that side; then pin the opposite side in the same way. Then move to the other two sides.) By hand, stitch the new covering to the front. Repeat the same process on the back of the pillow and stitch to the back of the old pillow. Do one side at a time; upholstery fabric is thick and it takes a while to do both sides separately, but it's the easiest way. I use a thimble to protect my fingers.

If you can't afford 1 yd. of the expensive stuff , get 1/2 yard and then buy a coordinating, less expensive fabric for the back.

Because I already had that pretty rope cording around the pillow, I just stitched right under the bottom edge of the cording. Thus, I was able to re-use the cording as well as the pillow form. I did not remove the old covering. (Never know when I might want to re-use it!)

I will post a picture of the "duvet" and coordinating pillows next week. My "project" is taking a little longer than I anticipated because I can't find a bedskirt. I am going to make that too. I have a trick there also!