Picture this: you’re walking through your living room midday. The sun is high in the sky, streams of light falling through the window. And something catches your eye. From the corner of the sofa something screams: ugly.
I know you’ve thought it at least once; we all have. “Why is my sofa haunted by hideous throw pillows?”
Unfortunately, the throw pillow, while an almost essential decorating tool, can be an eyesore or, at best, an expensive bother. With the right tools, though, you can learn to reinvent your pillows as whimsy finds you. Change them often to give your living room a refreshing facelift.
Below, I will guide you through the process of recovering old throw pillows using cloth placemats–we can call it the Placemat Pillow Makeover:
Step 1: You need to gear up. The key to success is choosing the proper placemat: it should be made of fabric and have two separate layers.
Next, select your pillow victim, keeping in mind that it needs to fit snugly within the placemat–which means only fairly small pillows will work. Or, you can buy 100% Polyester Fiberfill from a craft or fabric store and stuff it inside of the placemat, making your own “pillow.”
Additionally, you’ll need a seam ripper, pins, coordinating thread, and the good ol’ Singer. For those of you who are sewing dysfunctional (I’ll kindly refer to you as the S.D.) I recommend fusible tape (like Stitch Witchery), and an iron and ironing board, instead of thread.
Step 2: Choose one side of the placemat and use the seam ripper to tear open the seam along the middle two-thirds of that side, avoiding both corners. Carefully stuff the pillow into the opened placemat, making sure to push the cushiony goodness fully into the corners for a snug fit.
Step 3: This is where we diverge. If you’re a member of the S.D., place the fusible tape along the seam and pin every few inches. Follow the directions on the package to iron your layers together. For you who are sewbugs, the next step is to tuck your seams under and pin them together. Your finishing stitch can be done by hand or machine.
Eh Voila! You are officially empowered, and your sofa is happier as well!
Photo Credits:
anthopologie.com
thenester.com