How to Make Homemade Feather Pillows

In the old days feather pillows were common. Householders would take the feathers of chicken, ducks or geese and place them within fabric sacks called ticking. This art has been lost largely because of mass-manufactured materials made of plastic and petroleum.

The beauty in feather pillows is the pure simplicity of design. The only materials present in each pillow are feathers, cotton material and some pieces of thread. No flame retardant additives, no chemicals--just pure natural goodness for a soft comfy sleep.

Feather pillows have the unique ability to help keep the sleeper warmer in the winter yet cooler in the summer through the natural insulation properties inherent in the feathers.

Feather pillows are simple to make and require few materials. With a sewing machine a pillow can be ready to stuff in a matter of minutes.

Things You'll Need:
2-4 pounds feathers
30 inches feather ticking material
Thread
Sewing Needle

Step One:
Fold the ticking material in half lengthwise, right sides together.

Step Two:
Stitch a seam around the three sides, leaving a 6-inch opening for turning and stuffing. Double-stitch this seam for extra reinforcement.

Step Three:
Turn the pillow ticking right-side out.

Step Four:
Fill the pillow to the desired thickness with feathers. Some recommend lightly pinning the bag containing the feathers to the pillow opening and shaking them in to minimize mess and feather loss.

Step Five:
Sew up the opening in the feather pillow.

Step Six:
Hang the finished pillow in the sunshine to air out for several hours. This step blows the down off that may be sticking to the outside of the tick and fluffs up the feathers.

Caring for Your Feather Pillow

To care for your feather pillow hang it outside to air on breezy cloudy days. When you make your bed lightly shake the feather pillow to distribute the feathers within. If you hang your pillow out in the sunshine the heat will draw out the oil in the feathers and will decrease the lifespan of the feathers as a result.

When the ticking (fabric) on the feather pillow gets worn or dirty make another ticking and transfer the feathers to the new pillow and discard the old feather ticking material.

If the feathers get wet dry the pillow in the dryer in low heat or hang it in the sun until dry but take caution at the temperature that the feathers get to preserve the oil in the feathers.

Homemade feather pillows can last for several decades if properly cared for. Some feather pillows have been known to last for over 50 years--a far cry from modern pillows that barely last a year! Try making one today and experience the difference for yourself!

References:
Springfield Library: Feather Bedding
"The Foxfire Book Volume 1;" Eliot Wigginton, Editor; 1972.