How to Make Pillows, Table Runner, Place Mats, Napkins Etc…From a $20 Tablecloth

Need a little quick change for your seasonal decor, but don't want to spend a lot of money? Freshen up a room with new pillows. I've had the same pillows on our couches for a while. I still love them, but they have more of a fall color scheme. I really wanted a brighter look for spring and summer, but it is difficult to find color to match a dark sage green living room set.

Here's the before of the couch and pillow. We can't afford to change out the furniture either, so new pillows it is!

Here's the after. I added a few blue accents to match the new pillows and I'm done!!

Come on in to see how easy they are to make using a tablecloth!!

This is the tablecloth I bought at Target for $20.00. It had the sage green I needed and the spring/summer colors of the ecru and light blue.

I bought the biggest they had 60 inches by 104 inches.

Here's the fabric cost comparison…

Decorator weight fabric at any fabric store can run $25-$45 a yard and up. Even with a coupon, it can be pricey.

Most all decor fabric is 54 inches wide, so this table cloth is 60 inches giving you 6 inches more for width. If you take the 104 inches of the length and divide by 36 to find out how many yards there are…that would be 2.88 yards of fabric for this particular size tablecloth

Now divide the $20 I spent of the table cloth by the 2.88 yards, that's only $6.94 a yard!!

This is the before pillow. I love it because of the fall colors and because it has goose down feathers in the pillow form.

If your pillows have a zipper on the end, "most" of the time that means there might be a pillow form of some kind in there. A pillow form is another fabric pillow filled with feathers or fiber fill.

When they take the time to put a zipper in, it's for a reason. If a pillow is just sewn shut, then it's probably loose fiber fill.

Either way, you can still make the cover for the pillow if there isn't a pillow form in there.

If you have a form, just remove it and store the fabric cover for another season.

Measure either your pillow or the form with a fabric tape measure. The fabric tape measure conforms to the pillow shape better for more accurate measuring.

Measure across from one side seam to the other.

Mine is 20 inches, so I will be adding one inch when cutting for the 1/2 inch seam allowance.

Now take out your tablecloth and fold it in half lengthwise, so you have a piece that is folded 30 inches wide and 104 inches long.

Make sure the hemmed edges meet at the top. The long hemmed edge is going to be important later on in the tutorial.

I will be using the hemmed edge for the openings of all the pillows, because it's already finished for me.

I did cut off the side hem to reduce the bulk when sewing the seams.

Now measure your pillow size…

and mark with a pencil.

Cut out each pillow to the size you need. See the top edge has the hem?

Now pin and sew with a 1/2 inch seam.

Start on the hemmed edge, just 2-3 inches from the corner.

I sewed just next to the sewn edge of the hem.

Use your "needle down" option on your machine if you have it.

Mine looks like this on a Bernina.

When you come to within a half inch from the corner...needle down, lift presser foot, turn fabric and sew the next side.

Having the needle down on the pivot corner makes it so much easier to control the fabric.

Continue to sew all around leaving an opening big enough for your pillow.

See, the hemmed edge is now your finished opening!!

Clip the corner fabric to reduce the bulk.

Turn inside out.

I use a chop stick to poke the corners.

Makes it looks better.

Iron all the seams.

Gives it a finished look.

Now you can do whatever you'd like with the opening.

Sew it closed, add a zipper etc.

You can also add velcro tape to each side.

Here's the finished pillow.

Stuff with your pillow form and close it up!!

 Summer here we come!!

See you later fall.

Now, for the rest of the tablecloth…

I cut out 3 more pillows, but see that folded edge on the bottom of the table?

If you open that up, you can make a table runner, place mats, napkins, smaller throw pillows etc.

I still had this piece left over at the end too.

You can get a ton things out of one $20 table cloth and the fabric is definitely decorator weight, so you can do anything with it…I've even made curtain panels from tablecloths in the past.

So, the next time you're out shopping for fabric, try a tablecloth first!!!

Thanks for stopping by,
~Karen~