Dump Boring Throw Pillows: A Cuter Way To Decorate Your Couch & Add Vintage Charm
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Name a feeling more satisfying than sinking into the couch after a long day. Don't ruin the moment with a generic pair of throw pillows. Of course, the textiles need to be comfortable, but they're also crucial in the aesthetics department. If your regular, old throws could benefit from a new cover, consider repurposing a vintage item you should never overlook: colorful quilts.
Sure, there are plenty of places to buy new quilts — and throw pillows, for that matter — but now that there's a hankering for lived-in environments that feel inviting and reminiscent of the old days, handcrafted details with wear and tear are in demand. If your blanket from yesteryear has a few blemishes, or is considerably smaller than you remember, why not give it a new life? TikToker Theresa's Thread's shows viewers that a quilt-turned-pillow-cover is a beginner-friendly sewing project, is cost-effective, and allows you the ability to customize your accessories the way no one else can. After some measuring, cutting, and sewing, you'll have a new accessory with a sentimental touch and charming, vintage flair.
Repurpose a vintage quilt into a throw pillow — and style it
First things first, select the pillow you'd like to retouch and remove any unnecessary decorative frills that could interfere with your DIY cover. Place the pillow on a flat surface and wrap the blanket around it, allowing for overlap and extra room before you cut. Keep in mind that the two, opposing, longer, seamed sides will remain uncovered as you prep. Then, lay the piece out to create and sew a hem along the shorter ends of the quilt; the hem size will be of your choosing, depending on the measurement of the project.
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Once that is set, wrap the blanket around the pillow once more, and fasten a clip to the top for marking. Remove the pillow, lay the covering flat, and cut excess fabric with a rotary cutter, like the Fiskars 45mm stick rotary cutter for about $11 on Amazon, after using a sewing ruler to ensure the proper measurements. Lastly, fasten clips along the longer ends and sew them together. Keep in mind which side of the quilt you'd like to have on display.
Accentuate your DIY with grandma chic decor to embrace a cozy mindset. Pair your quilt pillows with a little bit of chintz by creating upholstered headboards or chairs out of other quilts. You can play into the fabric's colors and give your bed frame or a nearby wooden chair a coat of a complementary paint shade. If you really want to pull out all of the stops, you can use other bits of fabric to frame your quilt in a shadow box. Make sure to incorporate natural materials, personal photos, and any other heartfelt elements to up the nostalgia factor. If you ever feel uncertain while decorating with your newly crafted pillow cover, just ask yourself this: "What would Grandma do?"