Remember how I told you that I was mad for plaid and cable knit crazy? Remember how I said I had some simply brilliant ideas on how to incorporate both elements into my winter/holiday decor? Remember all that?
Well, I’m back to show you what I did. And, let me tell you, it is so stupid easy. And cheap. Seriously.
Step one: go to your nearest thrift store and buy mens (or large womens) plaid shirts and cable knit sweaters. Go ahead. I’ll wait…
You back? Good! Now take all that stuff you just bought for less than a meal at Chili’s and cut it all up.
Wait…what?
That’s right. We’re gonna slice up those shirts like Edward Scissorhands and make some pillow covers! Here’s how I did it:
Take your plaid shirt and button it up. Turn it inside out. Using the plaid “grid lines” as a guide for a straight line, measure the width and height of your pillow. Mine were 18 X 18. I added an extra inch on each to give me a 1/2 inch seam allowance so my plaid shirt was cut to a 19 X 19 square.
Now pin the two pieces of fabric together (you know, the front with the buttons and the back of the shirt). Then sew all sides together.
Now unbutton the buttons, turn the pillow cover right sides out and stuff your pillow in. Button up and VOILA! You have just made a plaid pillow cover.
The cable knit sweaters are just slightly more difficult. Out of my four sweaters, only one had nice big buttons going down the front and I sewed that one up just like the plaid shirts. But the others were regular old sweaters so I simply measured to the size of my pillows, adding an inch for seam allowance, cut, pinned and sewed three sides. On the fourth side of each sweater pillow, I sewed about two or three inches from each corner and left the middle open in order to stuff the pillow inside. Then I just hand stitched the pillow shut. Granted, when it’s time to take the winter pillow covers off, I’ll have to cut open the hand stitches, but I don’t mind that. If you’re super crafty, you could put a zipper in there. But I’m not that ambitious. Anyhoo…
There you have it! Super easy and quick and CHEAP plaid and sweater pillow covers! Now, why on earth would anyone go to Pottery Barn and buy a sweater pillow for $60 when you can do your own for $2?
While I was at it I made a sweater pillow for Big Bertha and a faux grainsack pillow for Eloise.
I have some other ideas for the remnants of my plaid shirts, but they are for Christmas. I’ll post that little piece of brilliance closer to the time. Meanwhile, how do you like the pillows? Let me know if you decide to give this a shot. I’d love to see how yours turned out!
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Oh my goodness! I am so going to do this! I would have never thought it would be that easy. They look wonderful!
cute! how did you make that B pillow? Not that I’ll actually make one, but I’m curious nonetheless…
Ok when I met you in Austin, I didn’t put two and two together – you are one of my favorite blogs! Love this idea, I’m a big fan of cable knit, I might have to try this
Just found your blog when searching upholstery projects ( as I have a couple that I need to take your attitude & just jump into em) ANyway, you can lightly felt 100% wool sweaters & they will still retain cables…then sew with no problem of them unraveling…in case you’re still on the wool sweater kick!!LOL
Love those cable knit pillows…your method is much faster than mine. What do you think of thishand knitted one
oh wow!! I love this thank you so much for posting it 😀 glad I stumbled on the blog!
Wow! What a great idea. To maximize your ipcycling in the cable knit sweaters– you can cut the sleeve off and use it to cover a boring flower vase. Voila! Matching decor.