Pillow Cushion Project Instructions

Pillow cushions can be placed anywhere – on a bed, a chair, couch or even on a bookcase. They make great gifts or treasures to be passed down to future generations. Best of all, they are so easy to make.

To make a pillow cushion, use stuffing or a pillow form for the cushion, and fabric for the back and sides of the pillow. The front of the pillow cushion is where your cross stitch design will be placed. First, choose a design to cross stitch. Center the design on aida cloth and stitch as normal. When you have finished cross stitching, leave at least two inches of aida cloth on all sides of the design. Next, determine what colour and type of fabric that you would like to have on the sides and back of the pillow. The colour of the fabric can be either a neutral colour that will match with any décor; a colour that will highlight a colour used in the cross stitched design; or a colour that will complement the colour of the piece of furniture where the pillow cushion will be placed when it is finished. The fabric can be any type and texture. Consider where the pillow cushion will be placed and what type of wear it will have to endure. For a high traffic place, such as a chair or couch where the pillow cushion will often be leaned on, choose a fabric that is durable and is easy to wash. When the pillow cushion will be used mostly as decoration, you will have more flexibility in the type of fabric you choose. The fabric can be silky to create an air of romance; it can be a soft chenille to create a feeling of gentleness in the room; or use suede or leather to give the room a more masculine feel.

Based on the size of this design, select either stuffing or a pillow form to use for the cushion. Pillow forms are usually filled with a 100% polyester fibre filling. They keep their shape and do not wear out easily. Pillow forms come in a variety of sizes, such as 12 x 12 inches, 16 x 16 inches and can even be as large as 24 x 24 inches. With pillow forms you are limited to the size of the pillow form; however, stuffing allows you to choose any size and shape you wish. Keep in mind that the stuffing will tend to shift over time and will need to be fluffed periodically.

Once you have selected the cushion, you will need to cut the fabric. The fabric should be cut large enough so that the cushion can be slipped in easily. For example, if your pillow form is 16 inches by 16 inches, the back of the fabric should be 17 inches by 17 inches. For the side of the pillow cushion, cut 4 strips of fabric that are 19 inches long and 2 inches wide. Next, sew one strip of fabric to each side of your cross stitched design. Then sew the back fabric to the sides and the top. Leave the bottom open and insert the pillow form or stuffing. The last step is to sew a strip of Velcro at the bottom, which will close the bottom side, yet make it easy to take out the pillow form or stuffing if you need to wash the pillow cushion.

Looking for a cross stitch pattern for your next pillow?  Check out the wide selection of Cross Stitch Patterns & Kits that we have to offer.

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