Guide to Easy Button-Front Pocket Pillow Covers

I have a pair of floor pillows (you know, the gigantic over-stuffed things that you can toss around anywhere) that have definitely seen better days. The problem with floor pillows is that, because you can throw and use them anywhere, the family tends to abuse them. While their stuffing is beautiful and still firm, the fabric covering them is beyond repair. Which is where another problem comes in: you can't exactly wash floor pillows.

Button-front pillow covers can be used on pillows of any size, and when you make them yourself you tailor them to fit the pillow they'll cover. This creates a great, professional decorator look that anyone will be impressed with. Well, anyone except the fiancee who sits directly on the pillow and doesn't notice the difference until the kid points it out ... but we'll forgive him because he's a man who lives much more in his head than in the world, hmmm?

If you have a sewing machine, these pillow covers will take you less than 30 minutes to create. If you're like me, with a lovely but lamentably broken sewing machine, you can hand-stitch them in about an hour, depending on the size of the case.

Cut, Fold, and Mark the Pillow Covers

Your first step is to find some great fabric. Solid colors usually work best, because they'll blend right into any color scheme you've used in your home. If you have a solid color couch, though, you can do the opposite and use a printed fabric to add some jazz to the room. Just make sure that the fabric you choose is machine-washable (these are easy to unbutton and toss in the wash) and sturdy. The fabric I'm using feels like a super smooth satin, but it's much thicker than satin would be and doesn't tend to fray at the edges. What is it? I honestly don't know - it was in the cheap, $1/yard pile at my local department store.

After you've settled on the fabric you'll use, it's time to cut. You could do this the proper way and measure your pillow's dimensions, add about 2" to those measurements, and cut your fabric on a fold. I'm not very proper. Instead, I fold my fabric in half (you need to leave the fold intact so that the cut fabric is twice as long as it is wide) and set my pillow on top of it. Then, I guesstimate about 2" and cut 3 sides - leaving the folded side all folded. See Illustration 01.

Cut in whatever way makes you happy. Just make sure to leave that top fold intact, and cut as many pieces as you'll need covers.

Now, we get to mark our fabric up. Unfold your fabric so that it is a long rectangle, and spread it out somewhere flat (I find that my floor is great for this). Set your pillow directly in the center of the rectangle, so that there is a longer bit of fabric on the top and bottom of the pillow. Now, fold the bottom upward so that it is snug with the bottom edge of your pillow. Mark the line where the fold ends.

Next, make a 2" seam on the top of your other end. This seam will create a smooth pocket edge that covers the raw edge on the bottom. Mark the line where this fold ends.

Finally, fold the top down (leaving the seam folded in) so that it overlaps the bottom edge. Mark this line as well. See Illustration 01.

Pin and Sew the Pillow Covers

We're nearly ready to sew these babies up. First, we need to pin everything in place so that our pillow covers come out right.

Turn your fabric over, wrong side out (or ugly side facing you). Using the lines you marked, make your folds again - this time, without the pillow in place. Use a few straight pins to hold the fabric at each line so it doesn't slip around while you work and mess everything up.

The only tricky part here is making sure that your seam fold goes to the outside. It has to go to the outside or it won't cover the raw "bottom" edge of the pillowcase. To do this, just make sure you pin the seam folded side down first, and then overlap that fold with the bottom cover edge. See Illustration 02.

Sewing is super easy. All you have to do is sew a straight line down each side of your pinned fabric. Unpin, turn out, and try it on your pillow. You might find that you need to make sew in about a half inch or so to make the pillow cover really tight against the pillow.

Add Snaps to the Pillow Covers

Last step! This is, to me anyways, the funnest one. For my covers, I wanted to accent the solid colors with something a little bit flashier - but nothing overdone. I chose to use pearl snaps that I fastened with an eyelet tool (they're really cheap, and add a professional touch to a lot of things).

You can also choose to do a series of buttons, making the button holes on the seam (or top) side of the cover and attaching the buttons beneath. Another cool idea would be to actually use eyelets and "lace up" the pillow case.

Make your fastening option work with your decorating, and balance it with what you've used for fabric. If you've done a printed fabric that's splashed with flowers, 3" flower buttons might be a bit too much. On the other hand, if you've opted for a solid color, teeny-tiny metal snaps might not be enough.

Whatever you decide, lay the snaps (or buttons, eyelets, etc) out on top of the case along the seam line before you attach them. This way, you can mark placement and visually judge whether or not you like the look.

See? Super easy, and plenty of room for creativity. Have fun!