Saturday, July 14, 2012

Placemat Pillows: a tutorial


I'm moving apartments in August yet again, only to turn around and move in December. This fall is my last semester in College Station and then I'll be back in DFW for student teaching. After moving 4 times (5 in December) in 3 years,  I don't even remember what it's like to stay in one place anymore. There is a positive side to moving so much though. Each apartment is like a fresh canvas, ready to be brought to life.  I've accumulated more and more things at each place and have really started to develop a decorating style, at least for now. One thing I'm lacking is some good couch pillows. I love an opportunity to bring in color, so when I spotted these placemats at World Market, I thought they would be a great fit.

This honestly took me about a half hour to complete. And at only $4.99 each, (using recycled pillows) I   think I made out pretty well with these two new additions to my sofa. You could totally do this project without a sewing machine, either by hand sewing or by using a product like steam-a-seam to bind the fabric together. 

Materials:

Placemat(s)

Pillows to reuse or store bought fiber filling

Seam Ripper (scissors work too if you're careful)




Tutorial:

Select a side and start ripping out the seam.


Keep going until you have about a 6"gap, enough room for your hand to fit through.


Pull out the stuffing from an older pillow. If you don't have any you're willing to sacrifice, try looking at a thrift store or purchase a fiber filling at a craft store.


To avoid a lumpy look shred the fluffs by pulling them apart with both hands.


Stuff, taking care to reach all corners and sides of the placemat.


You can also use a recycled or store-bought pillow insert. This one fit perfectly for one of my pillows.


Pin the gap closed.


And carefully sew the seam shut again. Remember you can hand sew or use steam-a-seam for this step.



Until moving day they've found a place in my bedroom. 


And no-one will ever know it was once a placemat. Aren't I sneaky?


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23 comments

SLMPetersen said...

Great up-cycle project! They make a beautiful finishing touch to your bed for now, and will be great couch pillows later.

Breezy Brie said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Breezy Brie said...

This is awesome! I didn't know that placements would be two sided like that, but it makes sense, and that makes making it into a pillow so easy! LOVE this. They look so nice on your bed too - brightens everything up :)

Brie @ Breezy Pink Daisies

Kaitlin said...

These pillows are adorable! What a great idea, Katy! :)

Anonymous said...

That is awesome and simple! Definitely something I can do!

Allyson McGuire said...

These look so great!

Anonymous said...

Hi there :)

I just stumbled across your blog via your colour blocked dress tutorial I found on Pinterest....then I spent the next few hours reading through every single post...and i loved them all!

Just thought you might want to know you gained a new reader :)

I'm all inspired to go make something amazing, hehehe.

Lady Mockingbird said...

OH MY!! What a great find! These are Beautiful!! I never would have thought to make them into pillows... such a smarty.

~Amy
www.LadyMockingbird.com

Andrea (four square walls) said...

Love that print. Great way to save money, because store-bought pillows can be unnecessarily expensive. Thanks!

Katie @ My Darling Days said...

They look wonderful! Pillows are so darn expensive, this is a great alternative!

christine.evans279 said...

Freaking genius! I always see super cute place mats but have no dining room table (we just moved last week!) Thanks for the cute idea!

~Damita's Pretty Wrap~ said...

Hi there! I love your blog!! :) You have sooo many good things! I'm your newest follower!! Happy day to you! xo Holly

VickiT said...

Super cute idea and the placemats you chose to use are very pretty. Great job.
Thank you for the great tutorial.

Caitlin said...

SUPER cute! I had no idea that placemats were "hollow". I am going shopping tomorrow... maybe I will find some cute placemats to makeover! Thanks for the great idea.

Adventures in Dressmaking said...

Sooooo cute! I saw those at World Market and loved them, but don't use placemats--now I wish I'd bought some! Those look great!

Molly said...

You go to Texas A&M? I do too! I read your blog and would love to meet you this fall!

Aleksandra Nearing said...

Very cute! I may be tempted to pull out my sewing machine!

marox79 said...

Didn't know placemats could be double sided either. At least the ones I've seen are not.

Looks like something you could get at a really posh (meaning expensive) store.

Mary D said...

I tried this the other day after reading your tutorial. It turned out so amazing and my couch looks a lot more polished. The best part is it only took me about 10 minutes to do! Thank you for the great ideas and keep them coming!

Unknown said...

Great blog post! Thank you for including World Market and the pillows look amazing. We've pinned your blog post on our Pinterest Page under "Inspiration by Members" you can view it here: http://pinterest.com/pin/248331366924938453/

World Market

LJK said...

I love this! I have several placemats that my grandma cross-stitched and I have been tossing the idea around for awhile of turning them into pillows! You have definitely inspired me! Have any projects or ideas for old scarves/hankies? I have a TON of my grandmothers and I keep stumbling trying to find a way to use them approriately! :)

Unknown said...

wow..... Its amazing..Good job Katy .Thank you so much for your wonderful post . I like your post very much.Its very helpful for our dally house work.

Unknown said...

Great placemat pillows! And the fabric is wonderful! Thanks for the tutorial.
Have a great weekend!

Gretta Hewson
Eagle Pass Car Accident Lawyer

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