Star pillow tutorial! Is there anything more festive than metallic star pillows during the holidays? TBD. But either way, these Christmas throw pillows are too fun to pass up.
I’ve made plenty of DIY pillows over the years, but none as shiny as these, until now. If you’re into metallics, the holidays, or star shapes in general, these star pillows are for you.
And once the holiday season is over (this pillow works for Christmas and New Year’s), you can repurpose the (free) star template download I’ve included in this post for a less flashy option. Maybe a stone washed linen or cool pattern fabric?
Making a Star Pillow
Christmas throw pillows are a great way to add a little holiday home decor to your home without going completely overboard, since pillows are generally a safe bet when it comes to holiday decorating.
These DIY star pillows fly under the radar (in a good way), while giving off those holiday spirit vibes. The metallic gold and silver (shiny) fabrics scream Christmas, BUT since stars are generally a more universal shape, they can stay out long after the holidays are over.
For example, I’ve been using the finished star pillows in my son’s room, since the shape kind of lends itself to a playful nursery like ours. But they’d also look great (year-round) sitting on a rich, velvet chair or a cozy (but still modern) sofa.
With the downloadable template (linked in the materials list below) you can make large star pillows like mine, OR smaller star pillows for a completely different (and more casual) look.
Like these best for the holidays? Try tucking them under the Christmas tree for an impromptu movie night surrounded by twinkling tree lights. Or throw them in the car for a cozy themed picnic under the stars (literally). Ha.
Materials Needed
- star pillow template* (click link for free template)
- metallic fabric
- thread
- poly fill (I buy mine from Amazon)
- scissors
- pencil
- straight pins
- sewing machine
- needle
*If you want a larger star pillow (like the ones I have), you’ll need to get this template blown up to the size you’d like. A good guide for how big to make it…blowing up to roughly twice the size will make similar size pillows as mine.
Note about Metallic Fabric
The metallic gold and silver fabric I used for the star pillows is from Joann’s. It’s a pretty stretchy fabric and as a result, honestly, was not super easy to work with. So, I’d suggest looking for a non-stretchy metallic fabric if you’re not an experienced sewer.
(Instructions) How to Make Star Pillows
Step 1: Begin with your star template printed and cut out. Fold your fabric right sides facing each other “hot dog style”, then fold the piece “hamburger style” so that you have 4 layers of fabric.
Trace the star shape along the folded edge with a pencil. Cut 1/2″ from your traced line for seam allowance. After cutting, you should have 2 identical star pieces.
Step 2: On the piece that already has been traced, flip your template over and trace the other side, so that you have a clear line to sew. Put your star pieces together, right sides in, and pin along the edges.
Step 3: Sew along the traced line with a zig-zag stitch making sure to leave a 4 inch gap from where you start and where you end to be able to stuff the pillow. *You’ll want to use the smallest zig zag stitch your machine can do.
Tip: For reference, the silver star pillow was the first one that was completed and a slightly larger zig zag stitch was used on that one. You can see a little bunching on that pillow as a result. Whereas the gold star pillow was done using the smallest zig zag stitch and has no bunching at all.
Step 4: Flip your star pillow right side out and start stuffing! Make sure you get each point of the star really stuffed so that it doesn’t look lumpy when it’s all done.
Step 5: After you get your pillow stuffed to your liking, it’s time to sew it up. Using an invisible stitch, hand stitch the gap closed.
What other types of shape pillows can I make?
- I designed these geometric pillows and asked someone far more talented in sewing if she could help me with them. They turned out really cute and there are lots of step by step photos.
- Made a monstera leaf pillow (in two sizes) for Hayes when he was a baby and he still loves them to this day.
- And this DIY circle pillow is another fun shape pillow to try, that feels a bit more neutral.
DIY Star Pillow Tutorial
Ingredients
- star pillow template click link for free template
- metallic fabric
- thread
- poly fill
- scissors
- pencil
- straight pins
- sewing machine
- needle
Instructions
- Begin with your star template printed and cut out. Fold your fabric right sides facing each other "hot dog style", then fold the piece "hamburger style" so that you have 4 layers of fabric.
- Trace the star shape along the folded edge with a pencil. Cut 1/2" from your traced line for seam allowance. After cutting, you should have 2 identical star pieces.
- On the piece that already has been traced, flip your template over and trace the other side, so that you have a clear line to sew. Put your star pieces together, right sides in, and pin along the edges.
- Sew along the traced line with a zig-zag stitch making sure to leave a 4 inch gap from where you start and where you end to be able to stuff the pillow. *You'll want to use the smallest zig zag stitch your machine can do.
- Flip your star pillow right side out and start stuffing! Make sure you get each point of the star really stuffed so that it doesn't look lumpy when it's all done.
- After you get your pillow stuffed to your liking, it's time to sew it up. Using an invisible stitch, hand stitch the gap closed.
Notes
What kind of DIY Christmas decor is on your agenda this year for the holidays?
3 comments | Click here to reply
Extremely Amazing work!!
NipponAw, thanks Paige. YES, you should totally make one. It’s an easy project and doesn’t take much time.
BrittniThese are so cute! I totally need to make one of these!
Paige
Paige Cassandra Flammhttp://thehappyflammily.com