I taught a basic sewing class on how to make an easy Envelope Pillow Cover with a Felt Heart applique this week and thought I'd share a little tutorial so you can see how FAST it is to make a Decorator Pillow Cover and for those who couldn't make it to the class.  

I added a doily inspired felt heart to mine but of course you don't have to add a heart. You can use this Easy Envelope Pillow Cover tutorial to make any decorator pillow. This is the easiest and fastest way to recover a pillow, it is made from one piece of fabric and the back has an envelope closure.

Make the Heart Applique

To make a template for the heart applique, fold a piece of paper in half and draw half of a heart and cut it out. Open the fold and check your sizing on your pillow form. Redraw it or trim it until you get it to look just how you want it. Use your template to cut out your heart from felt.

To make it look like a doily, trace a line on the back of the heart about an inch away from the edge. Then fold the felt on the line and snip little triangles out of it along the line about 1/2 inch apart. When you open it up these little triangles make little diamonds. Cut another line staggering the second line cuts in between the first line cuts

Easy Envelope Pillow Cover Tutorial

You'll need 1/2 to 2/3 yard of decorator weight fabric which is usually about 56"wide. Decorator weight fabric is heavier or thicker than regular quilting cotton. You can use quilting cotton,but if you do I would suggest fusing a fusible stabilizer to the back of it, such as Pellon SF101 or Fusible Fleece, so that the cotton holds up a little better and doesn't wrinkle as quickly during use.

• 1/2 yard for a 14" or 16" pillow.
• 2/3 yard for a 18" or 20" pillow.

Instructions for Sewing the Pillow

1. Cut out the fabric.

Here are the dimensions for some common pillow sizes.

• 14" pillow- cut 1 rectangle 15" x 36"
• 16" pillow- cut 1 rectangle 17" x 40"
• 18" pillow- cut 1 rectangle 19" x 44"
• 20" pillow- cut 1 rectangle 21" x 48"

2. Hem each short edge.

• Fold short side over ¼ in.  toward wrong side of fabric and press.
• Fold over again about ½ in. and press.
• Topstitch about 3/8 in. away from edge.
• Repeat for the other short side

3. Fold the fabric to make an envelope.

With right sides together, fold the finished edges toward the center overlapping them by about 4 1/2 inches to make an envelope. Most importantly, measure the distance between the folds and make sure that it matches the size of the pillow you are making. For example, if you are covering a 16 inch pillow, make sure the distance between the folds is 16 inches and adjust the overlap as needed. Pin along both sides.

4. Stitch along both sides.

Sew along each side about 1/2 inch away from the edge. Be sure to backstitch at the beginning and ending of each side.

5. Turn envelope right side out.

Don't forget to push out the corners. Press the seam flat and insert your pillow form.

Hope you had fun making this! Now you can use this tutorial to teach a friend to make one too! Let me know if you liked this project or if you have any questions in the comments below.

Happy Sewing!

For more Heart inspired projects checkout...

• DIY Heart Doilies
• Bursting Heart Pillow Tutorial
• Valentine Heart Garland
• Heart Zipper Pouch