Envelope Pillow Cover Tutorial

Do you like to save money on home decor?  Of course you do, and so do I! Great minds think alike!  My envelope pillow cover tutorial is perfect to add some seasonal color to your living space without breaking the bank.

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Have you noticed a theme on my blog the past few weeks?

It has something to do with BUFFALO PLAID!  Not sure why I’m so obsessed, but that’s just the way it is for now, so I’m going with it.

You likely saw my Buffalo Plaid Table Runner Tutorial.  Or, maybe you saw my Inexpensive Pillows on Amazon post?  If not, I’m sure you read my tutorial for making Christmas gifts sacks made out of, you guessed it, Buffalo Plaid!

(Interested in the stag head pillow above, grab yours here!)

I’m going to warn you now that today’s post isn’t the last buffalo plaid post you are going to see from me, so stay tuned for that to come out in a couple of days (I think you’ll love it!).

BUT, let’s get back to today’s post. My easy envelope pillow cover tutorial will make you want to make pillow covers for every season!

I was inspired by the below fleece buffalo check blanket I found as a doorbuster deal at Michael’s.  As soon as I saw it, I knew it would be getting a transformation.  It measured 59″ X 54″.  The pillows I wanted to cover were 20″ X 20″, so there would be fabric to spare.

BUT, you could use any fabric you would like to complete your pillow covers!

SUPPLIES for Envelope Pillow Cover:

• Sewing machine. (This is my machine)
• Scissors
• Thread to match your fabric
• Straight sewing pins
• 1 1/2 yards of fabric if you are covering two 20″ X 20″ pillows (Here is a link to some Buffalo Plaid fabric by the yard on Amazon) OR, perhaps you can find an inexpensive throw blanket like I did and use that!
• measuring tape

I referred to an awesome tutorial from Beth at Home Studios A to Z, but as per my usual, I made a few changes along the way. Beth provided a great explanation regarding how much fabric you would need for a specific pillow size.  These were the measurements she suggested:

Pillow Size:             Measure Fabric:
16″ x 16″                       16″ x 38″
17″ x 17″                        17″ x 40″
18″ x 18″                       18″ x 42″
19″ x 19″                       19″ x 44″
20″ x 20″                      20″ x 46″

Fleece Blanket before I transformed it into pillow covers!

Envelope Pillow Cover Tutorial:

Step 1: Cut fabric into size needed for pillow cover.

See specifics above regarding what fabric measurements are needed for specific pillow size.

I made 2 pillow covers out of this particular fleece blanket and saved the remaining fabric for a project I’ll post about in a few days.

Step 2 and 3:  Iron ~ 1/4 inch from edge of short side of fabric, turn edge over another 1/4 inch, then sew straight seam.

Step 4: With the pretty side of the fabric facing inside, fold the pillow cover to the size of your pillow.

In my case is was 20″ x 20″.  The ends you just sewed will overlap.  This will be the “envelope” portion of your pillow cover.

Step 5: Pin the edges that are open and sew together.  Do this for both sides.

Step 6: Flip it right side out and stuff your pillow into your new envelope pillow cover.

You are done!

This was a fairly simple project that I can’t wait to repeat for different seasons.  Once again, a special thanks to Beth at Home Stories at A to Z for inspiring me to try this myself!

Envelope Pillow Covers

What do you think of my envelope pillow cover tutorial?  I already have 100 ideas of the pillow covers I can make for other seasons!  What projects do you have going? Leave a comment below, I’d love to hear from you!

If you like to work with material, take a look at these beginning level projects:

• Reusable Fabric Gift Sacks for All Occasions
• No Sew Fleece Blanket Tutorial
• How to Make Christmas Gnomes (Sew and No Sew Options)