Quick and Easy Patriotic Throw Pillow Covers
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It’s impossible to choose a favorite holiday. Do you have a favorite holiday? I think my favorite is always the next holiday, as I’m excited to decorate and prepare and plan! Summertime is all about the stars and stripes, the flag, and red, white and blue. Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, they’re all about our country and those who have
And while I love decorating, I live in a small 1950’s house without a lot of storage. Holiday-themed throw pillows add fun and charm to my living room, but pillows take up so much space to store! One day, it hit me that I just needed pillowcases for each holiday, not the whole pillow! Plus, they’re easily washable, a real plus when you have little kids!
Simple hand embroidery adds SO MUCH to projects. So, I worked out designs that didn’t take a lot of time or talent but still were charming. So, voila, quick and easy patriotic throw pillow covers.
Fat Quarters are awesome. You can use any fabric scraps you have, and probably there are far cheaper options, but I frequently find myself admiring the fun patterns of the fat quarters at Walmart, Joann’s, or your other favorite stores. Part of it is that I don’t have to wait for the cut table, part of it is that I have limited time and a small piece of fabric represents a small project I have time for. The other great thing is that they’re basically the perfect size for throw pillow covers!
Typical throw pillows are somewhere around 17″x17″, give or take a bit. Measure your pillows to make sure yours are approximately that size, and if not add or subtract from the pattern.
Embroidery
Great news! I’m not an embroiderer. Anyone can do these simple designs. For the center embroidery pieces, I ordered stronger embroidery cloth and an embroidery starter kit. The cloth was cut to 10″x10″.
The one
My favorite is the truck design. The truck uses this free pattern and I’ve made it into an applique. Cut the fabric in the shape of the truck, and (depending on the interfacing you use) iron/sew it to the interfacing and then again iron/sew it to the
Most time-consuming was the heart. It’s basically a sampler of embroidery stitches, and while they’re simple and easy stitches, it just took me an hour or so to sew it all. I traced a heart onto the fabric with chalk and then just started sewing in the middle and worked outwards.
Assembling the Pillowcase
As for actually assembling the pillow covers, here are the measurements I used.
All the seams allow for a 1/2 inch seam. To sew the front pieces together, I start in the upper right corner of the center 10″x10″ piece, go about a half inch to an inch down, and begin sewing it to the right piece. Then I sew the bottom piece to those two, followed by the left piece. Finally, I add the top piece and that half inch/inch space I didn’t sew (middle to right pieces) allows me to connect it all together.
Instead of a side open to put the pillow in (like the pillowcases you sleep on!), I prefer to have an open seam in the back. It seems to give it a bit more finished, more formal look. That means for the back I fold over a half inch or so for a finished edge (the right edge on the left piece, the left edge on the right piece.) My measurements allow for the two pieces to overlap (just in case your normal pillow look totally clashes with the pillow cover!)
Then, right sides together, I sew the front to the back (my back is actually still two pieces, so I pin it all together to hold them in place), trim the excess, and turn it right side out.
And there you have it! Even with work and kids, I did these all in one day. They’re simple, quick and easy. Add that patriotic touch to your home and then throw that BBQ!