6 Easy (and Awesome) Pillow Makeovers

By Amy

Let's talk pillows.  I've got to talk to somebody, cause my husband is less than thrilled with my obsession.  Pillows are such a great way to change the look and feel of your room, without spending too much dinero.  A quick fix for a design junkie like me who is trying to live frugally.  So I thought I'd tell you about...

Remember these pillows from Goodwill?  Well, I knew when I bought them that yellow chevron wasn't really how I wanted them to stay, (I feel like chevron's kinda overdone at this point) but for the time being, I wanted to modify them without sewing.  This is the best kind of project: a quick and easy make-over.  Let me introduce you to my leettle friend:

1. THE FABRIC MARKER.

Here are the marker's masterpieces:

From Chevron to Herringbone!

Now there's some variety to lessen the overdose of chevron.  So easy with a marker!  (That's how I did the love song lyrics on this pillow...)  Except my son saw me drawing on a pillow, and got a little too excited, so we had to have a talk about how only MOM can draw on the pillows.  Ha.  (Should have waited till after bedtime.)  With their simple make-over, these pillows will work until I find the perfect fabric and the motivation to actually sew new covers.

These navy blue pillows have been laying dormant behind my couch for about a year--they looked too plain and matchy-matchy with the curtains--so they too got little mini-makeovers!  I used....

2. Fabric paint. I loved what I could create with this, but I need to find a better brand cause the paint dried hard and scratchy.  Ain't nobody wants a lacerated face after they cozy up to a pillow.

I love the dots!!!

While I loved the dots, the paint dind't work as well for lettering.  I just wasn't happy with the scratchy texture on the "hello" pillow.  (Especially since three family members ended up in the ER with bleeding faces.  Ok no, but it COULD have happened!)  Also, since the fabric was a little fuzzy, the writing on the cursive didn't have nice edges.  It just looked crappy.

So, nope.  Luckily, I had 4 navy pillows...so I tried:

3. FELT!

I traced out "hello" on a piece of felt, cut it out, and used fabric glue to set it; I loved how it looked, but the word kept peeling up and coming off. :(  So when my husband's grandma visited, she noticed, and like the saint that she is, asked for a needle and thread and made tiny little stitches all the way around the letters.  It was so easy for her, she just stitched while chatting it up with everybody!  That woman is a sewing wonder. (She also saved my wedding day; I couldn't fit into my wedding dress, so she let out the seams so I could zip it without passing out cold.)  Thank you Grandma Vione, your magical sewing fingers saved me again!

I seriously love my "hello" pillow so much, I would grab it while running out of my burning house. (Of course after making sure my family is all safe...come on, I have SOME priorities.)

As for the source for the sultry pillow coyly lounging back behind the "hello," my advice it to just...

4. Splurge and BUY a dang pillow.  Does everything have to be DIY???

Sometimes, you need a certain color or a specific size of pillow to make the arrangement perfect.  I've tried to explain to my husband, it's not a WANT, it's an aesthetic NEED.  This year, I bought these iconic black and white IKEA beauties, ($15 a piece...so worth it.) cause I LOVE geometric prints and I needed a little black and white in the room.  It's not always easy to find the fabric you want, and pillow inserts are spendy too, so....if you find the perfect pillow, already made, I say it's worth the money.  So just cough it up.  And apologize to your husband later. ;)

Then I matched all these up with the teal, diamond...

5. Used-to-be-a-sweater pillow that flatters my couch much better than it did my figure.  For you that find sewing simple, this is such an easy fix.  Find some lame pillow that fits the width of the sweater, then sew up the top and bottom.  (Hence why I hoard old pillows...they can easily be covered!)  Also notice my teal...

6. Scarf Pillow.  It's made out of a pretty scarf my brother brought home from Europe that I'm just really not posh enough wear.  Another easy way to make a cool pillow--use fabric from something you already have that has a great print, but doesn't get much use anymore, like a blanket, scarf, shirt, etc.

Oh, and I almost forgot the hand-me-down white, furry pillow I snuck from my parent's guest bedroom.  (Ha, It's ok, I asked my mom and she didn't care...She's pretty cool like that.)

Well, there you have it!  My happy little pillow family, updated and made-over.  Voila!  But I'm still not sure...with the yellow or without?  (And don't mind my couches...they aren't my favorite, but until it's in the funds, I gotta make what we have look the best it can!)  Truthfully, I usually end up with the yellow and teal pillows behind the couches.  I don't like to feel crowded sitting on the couch. But when I want the house to look cute, I pull them all out. :)

I should probably include the following pic, cause that giant monkey is on the couch almost more than the pillows are!  It's from my big brother.  It's pretty much Hayden's best friend.

I like "Monk" too--it's fun to leave in awkward places, like sitting on the toilet to freak out my husband when he comes home after work, or tuck him into our bed, or leave him lurking around a corner...good times.

Alright friends, what other pillow transformations have you seen/done?  I'd love to hear!  Post any links to your pillow projects too! :)  And, be sure to tell me if you like with the yellow or without.  Peace!

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