Make This: Easy Fat Quarter Pillow Cover Tutorial

We are excited to show you this super easy way to update your decor with new pillow covers. This is a great way to use up all those cute fat quarters in your stash, plus it’s relatively inexpensive. By using two coordinating fat quarters, you get two pillows in one! Just flip it around for a new look with a different print. Each pillow cover only costs about $7, and that’s if you pay full price for everything.
This is all you need for each pillow:

-2 fat quarters
-16″ zipper
-18″ pillow form

We will be making two pillows, each with 2 contrasting fabrics. The zippers shown are a tad bit longer than 16″, but they can always be shortened.

The first step is to square your fat quarters to 18″ x 18″. These particular cuts were a generous 18 1/2″, so we squared them to that, but 18″ is plenty. An 18″ down pillow insert fits nicely into a 17 1/2″ pillow cover.

Here are the cut pieces, right sides facing, ready for the next step. Let’s get cracking!

Sew a 1 to 1 1/2″” long (using a 1/4″- 3/8″ seam allowance) seam at both ends of the side where the zipper goes. Be sure to secure this with a back stitch.

Press the seams and opening flat, and it should look something like this.

Using your zipper foot, sew one side of the zipper to the opening, with it centered in the opening. If you’re not experienced in setting zippers, be aware that this seam needs to be narrow enough to catch the raw edge of the opening while the zipper is sewn in place. You also need to leave enough room for the zipper to work, so don’t sew it too closely.

When you get to the bottom, sew across the zipper and back up the other side. Then do a small tack seam across the top of the zipper as well.

Open the zipper halfway to get your hand through later. Lay the pillow halves together, right sides facing.

Sew all the way around the other three sides, using a 1/4″ seam allowance. Once this is done, finish your seams with a zig zag stitch or other seam finishing stitch to control fraying.

Turn pillow cover right side out through the opening in the zipper and press seams flat. Open the zipper all the way, insert the pillow form, and zip it closed.

Voila! They are finished and looking gorgeous.Can you believe how easy that was? The zipper opening makes it a quick change for the seasons or throwing it in the wash, and they feel soft and comfy. Now that these went together in such a flash, we want to redo the whole house for summer! This works just as well with outdoor fabrics for your porch and patio cushions.