It’s a DIY circle pillow! Lately I’ve been spotting round pillows in some of my favorite shops, so I decided to try making a few myself. They’re surprisingly simple to sew and much cheaper to make than to buy. Below is an easy tutorial to stitch your own circle pillow in under 30 minutes.
The patterned fabric shown in the step-by-step images came from a large dust cover from an old Clare V. bag that I saved; Emma cut and sewed it into a pillow. If you think beyond typical yardage, you’ll find great fabrics and unique prints in unexpected places. The yellow pillow is made from leftover linen from a recent cocktail napkin project (my favorite of the two).
Materials for DIY Circle Pillow
- Fabric (yardage depends on the pillow size you choose)
- Polyfill or fiberfill (amount depends on pillow size)
- A round template to trace (a large bowl or plate works well)
- Needle and thread that match your fabric
- Sewing machine (optional but speeds things up)
Step-by-Step Instructions
1. Lay out your fabric and trace the circle template onto the wrong side. A large bowl, platter, or any circular object the right size will work. Cut out the circle.
2. Repeat the tracing and cutting to create a second identical circle.
3. Place the two fabric circles together with right sides facing each other, and pin around the edges to hold them in place.
4. Sew around the edge of the circle, leaving a gap of about 3 inches (7–8 cm) so you can turn and stuff the pillow. Be sure to backstitch at the beginning and end of your stitching to secure the seam.
5. Turn the pillow right side out through the opening and push out the edges so the circle is smooth. Fill the pillow evenly with polyfill until you reach the fullness you want.
6. Close the opening by hand-stitching it with an invisible ladder stitch (also called a blind stitch) or a small slip stitch for a neat finish.
Sewing: Emma Spear / Photography: Brittni Mehlhoff
Have you ever made your own pillows? If you enjoyed this project, try more pillow DIYs to explore different shapes, textures and finishing techniques.