I’m convinced you can never have too many pillows, so today I’m sharing a very simple reversible pillow DIY that lets you create your own hand-painted pattern on fabric. It’s quick, affordable and makes a great accent for any room.
Believe it or not, the mustard pillow in the front started life as a plain placemat. Read on to make your own reversible pillow and see how the pattern and color look on each side.
Materials for DIY Reversible Pillow
- Two plain placemats of identical size OR two pieces of heavyweight canvas cut to standard placemat dimensions (12×18 or 14×20)
- Two paint markers made for fabric (I recommend buying two because one may run out mid-project)
- 12–16 ounces poly-fil stuffing, depending on how firm you like your pillow
- Straight pins
Instructions for a Reversible Pillow
1. If you want a painted pattern, do it before sewing. I used two fabric paint pens and created a simple “mud cloth” inspired motif with lines, dots and horseshoe shapes. I painted a different pattern on each placemat so the pillow has two distinct looks when flipped.
2. After the paint has fully dried, place the two placemats wrong sides together (so the painted faces are on the outside). Pin the pieces along three sides if you like—pinning helps keep everything aligned, but it’s optional.
3. Sew along the pinned sides, joining the two placemats. Backstitch at the start and finish to secure the seams. In my example I sewed about 1/4 inch in from the fringe to avoid sewing over the edge; use whatever seam allowance works for your placemats.
4. Turn the sewn pocket right-side out and fill it with poly-fil until you reach the desired loft. Pin the final open side closed and sew it shut, again backstitching at the beginning and end.
That’s all there is to it—your reversible pillow is ready to use. Including all materials, I made this pillow for around $10, and it looks much more expensive than that.
I love projects that don’t look like DIYs, and this one hopefully fits the bill. Tell me what you think.
My favorite side is the mustard one—I took the most photos of it—but the black-and-white side is wonderfully simple and offers a completely different look. Reversible pillows are great because they instantly change a room’s mood without extra cost.
Photography Brittni Mehlhoff // Sewing Emma Spear
Which side do you prefer on this reversible pillow? Do you have placemats or fabric scraps you could repurpose for a quick pillow project?