How To Make A Bow Pillow

After I completed all the bedding for my new Beauty Room, I still felt the bed needed one more pillow.  You can never have too many throw pillows on a bed, right?  I decided I wanted to make a Bow Pillow for I felt it would be the perfect accent pillow for the glamorous room.

After searching various tutorials on Pinterest on "How to Make a Bow Pillow", I gave up.  They either seemed too complicated, weren't exactly what I had in mind, or they were a no-sew kind (which in my opinion is often more difficult than just sewing it in the first place).  So, I decided to venture out on my own, and this is what I came up with.

First, I needed a pillow.  Rather than go out and buy a new pillow form or stuffing, I just tore the cover off an old throw pillow that was previously in my son's old bedroom.  Waste not,  want not right?   This is what I found inside the pillow.  Some pretty mashed down stuffing.  I was surprised.  It felt like a pillow form when it was covered in fabric.  I decided to use it anyway and placed it on my cutting mat to measure it.

Once I had my dimensions of the stuffing, I simply cut two squares of pink silk fabric, adding 5/8 of an inch to each side for a seam allowance.  I did not buy this fabric.  I already had it in my stash.  If you've read any of my previous Beauty Room sewing posts, you would already know I have enough fabric in my house to open my own fabric store...so the fact that I already owned this pretty silk fabric wouldn't surprise you.  I use to work at a fabric store for six years, so I have accumulated a ton of fabric in all those years!

I used a rotary cutter and mat to cut this fabric, but getting a straight edge was nearly impossible so I eventually gave up.  The material is not only silky, but it's stretchy as well.  No matter how many times I measure and cut, it looked like this.

After several frustrating attempts to get a straight edge with this material, I finally just pinned them together.  You can tell by the picture below how one side is bigger than the other.

I then just sewed the two pieces together leaving an opening to stuff the fiberfill into.  Once the edges were sewn, I cut off the excess fabric and trimmed the corners.

Next, I put the pillow stuffing inside the pillow and hand-sewed the opening closed.  That was probably the hardest part of the entire project as I am terrible with a blind-stitch.

Now to do the bow.  I cut another piece of material 15 inches wide and 36 inches long.

I then folded it right sides together, pinned it, and sewed it.

 Then I turned it right side out and ironed it so that the seam was in the middle back.

 I then sewed the two ends together (it doesn't matter that they are unfinished, you won't see them on the completed pillow), then simply slid the band over the finished pillow.

 Now to make a knot.  I just cut a small square of fabric.  Mine was 4 by 4 but sizes are irrelevant in this tutorial because everything will be different depending on the size pillow you are making.

Similar to constructing the band, I folded the knot in half wrong sides together, pinned, and sewed.

 Then I turned it inside out and ironed it so that the seam was in the back.

Now, to put my knot over my band so it looks like a bow.  To make it easy for myself, I first used a thin piece of the material to tie a knot in the center of the band.  This holds my band/bow in place while I put the real "knot" on.

 I then take the real knot, and pin it in place.

Then I sew the raw edges together.  Again, it doesn't matter that the edges aren't finished.  You won't see them when the pillow is complete.

I then turn the seam/raw edges so that they face they are touching the pillow, and look...you have a perfect bow!  You do not see any raw edges or unfinished seams.

You could also tack your knot/bow down to the pillow at this point if you wanted to, but I didn't.

This is what the pillow looks like from the back.

And here is the finished pillow.  Pretty cute eh?  It looks really nice up against the grey satin bedding too!

To see more of my Beauty Room redecoration projects, go to these links:

The Beginning:  Tearing the Room Apart
Getting Somewhere:  The Drapes and Flooring
Making Progress:  Bed Construction and New Furniture
Personalized Art Work For The Room
A Custom Made End Table
Handmade Pillow Case and Duvet Cover
How to Make a Pillow Sham
How to Make a Bed Skirt

Have a Great Day!  Amy

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