How to make a no sew bolster pillow

Do you know why I started blogging?

Truly?

I started this blog because I live in the middle of the country.

To get here take a right at no where and a then a left at no idea where you are….drive by the cornfields….

….and at the end of a long winding road you will find my house.

And when we finished remodeling and working on the house and I was ready to show off my chalkboard calendar and my faux transoms and my new kitchen and the fresh flowers in the garden I cut for the house…..I looked around…..and remembered my closest neighbor was four pastures away.

And way too busy rounding up cows to look at a new lampshade I bought for the living room. 🙂

Adding a bolster pillow to your chair is a great pop, and it's easy to make your own.

And so I started a blog….

….and found all of you.

And when I have a new project I just finished or a new room I painted or a porch I decorated for summer…..

….I can share it with you.

Like today.

I couldn’t wait to show you this no-sew bolster pillow that I made from a clearance rug from Target….because isn’t that what friends are for.

And I’m so thankful to have a no-sew pillow appreciation friend….

….just like you. 🙂

Step by step instructions for a no sew bolster pillow

No Sew Bolster Pillow

(extra picture how-to’s)

You won't need too many supplies to follow this step-by-step tutorial

Supplies

throw rug

roll of quilting batting

fabric glue

embroidery thread

scissors

safety pin

Secure the bunting with embroidery floss

Step 1:  Remove batting and secure with piece of embroidery thread

The piece of batting will be your form for the pillow.

It’s so much less expensive to use batting instead of a traditional bolster pillow form; however, you want to secure it with a piece of thread so it doesn’t unroll.

Wrap the rug around the pillow form to measure the size you'll need.

Step 2:  Trim your rug to fit

Wrap rug around your batting form to determine the size of your pillow.

My rug was a 2’ x 3’.  I cut about 6” off the sides to make it the size I needed.

Secure the rug around the pillow form with a safety pin before you proceed.

Step 3:  Wrap rug and secure with a safety pin

Turn your rug inside out and wrap around the batting form.

Wrap the rug around the pillow form and secure with safety pins

Hold in place with a safety pin.

Tie each end with your embroidery thread

Step 4:  Tie ends with thread

Gather the end of the wrapped rug and secure with a piece of thread.

Tie tightly and wrap and re-wrap it until it is completely secure.

Repeat with the other end.

It should look like a piece of candy right now.

Secure both ends of your form with thread.

Step 5:  Remove batting

After you remove the batting the form should look like this.

Then turn it inside out.

Next you'll turn the form inside out and remove the batting.

After you turn it inside out your pillow should look like this.

You'll reinsert the batting and secure it with glue.

Step 6:  Reinsert the batting and glue

Replace the batting form inside the pillow and glue it closed with fabric glue (I used Fabric Fusion).

Let dry according to directions.

Here's an option for back up stitching for added security.

Here’s a decorative kind of sew option I finished it with embroidery thread.

Or you can just leave the glue.  When it dries it’s enough to secure the pillow closed.

This cute bolster pillow adds a pop to almost any room.

It’s a fun and easy way to make a pillow without sewing a single thing.

I wanted to shout it from the rooftops.

And the very best thing?

I didn’t have to visit four pastures away….

….because you were right around the corner. 🙂

Want to know how to decorate your home for free?
Click here to get my FIVE BEST secrets.

Comments

  1. Image for Heather {Woods of Bell Trees} Heather {Woods of Bell Trees}

    I started giggling when you said your neighbor was too busy to see your latest project...that's one of the reasons I started! Hehe A long time ago I tried my hand at a bolster pillow and just tried to wing it...I wish I would have thought of this idea because it's brilliant!

  2. Image for Marisa Franca @ All Our Way Marisa Franca @ All Our Way

    We are truly right around the corner -- just a quick holler away. Holler -- I don't know if they use that term in Kentucky but when we lived in the boonies in Indiana they called a gully a holler so I guess you had to yell over :-( yep it kinda confused me too. Anyway you've created another masterpiece and I am bowing to your ingenuity. Brava, brava, mia amica. Abbracci!!

  3. Image for Debbie Debbie

    How clever, it is really cute. I do not sew (but wish I could) but I will try this and I hope it turns out as adorable as yours. Great job and thanks for sharing. We non-sewers appreciate these ideas more than you know.

  4. Image for Thrift My House Thrift My House

    Brilliant! I need pillows and I don't want to drag out my sewing machine! This is a great idea and I especially love that you found the rug on clearance and decided that it would make a great pillow... LOVE the way you think! Sherry xoxo

  5. Image for Cheryl at Snaps of Ginger Cheryl at Snaps of Ginger

    I'm so glad we're "neighbors"!!! Loving this idea. I was looking around my living room over the weekend and thinking about changing things up a bit. I thought, Pillows! But I don't sew. Thanks to you, problem solved!!

  6. Image for Alice Alice

    KariAnne, you are the bees knees! My morning chuckle and just a holler away! Love your bolster. I made a no sew bolster out of a valance and body pillow (leftover from grandchild) . Wish I would have thought of the wrong side out cause I have tails ! Oh well! Keep the clever coming! Smiles, alice

  7. Image for Kelly @ JAX does design Kelly @ JAX does design

    Now that's my kind of pillow project - I can't sew, but I can definitely glue! Plus how fun is the looks-like-a-giant-candy stage :-D I would love to live at the end of a long winding road. The farther away from people and traffic, the better!

  8. Image for Lisa Campbell Lisa Campbell

    I have a looong bolster on my bed - still dressed in its white cover I have extra fabric from my bedding and now I know what to do! I don't like having tails on bolsters. Thank you for the solution !

  9. Image for Marian@Gathering Branches Marian@Gathering Branches

    Ok, so this just explains so many things about you for me. Yay for the internet, so you busy bee small town girls have a place to talk about all the things you do with your small town "slower" pace of life. And what even made you think of turning a rug into a pillow? Love the stripes, but would not have made that connection. Maybe that's why you're famous and I'm not....yet. Smooches, The Other Marian

  10. Image for Regina Regina

    Four pastures away, or a county-and-a-half away, like me! :) So cute!! And I like the idea of using the batting instead of a form!! Rain, Rain, Go AWAY!!!!! Happy Tuesday, friend!

  11. Image for Gwen Gwen

    Well I climbed over the dry riverbed, over dry foothills, the tallest mountain in the continental US and finally trampled someone's pasture and possibly a bit of alfalfa and steered clear of any ahem mudpies---to check out your new pillows. Okay. I'm impressed!! I've squished an old pillow to make my filling and tied my endings but then oops--a gaping hole. Oh well--I can't recall what I did since my days of 30 years of sewing and I have parted ways. Now I know what to do!!!! And I need fabric glue for another project. Have a name now. I think ill fly home though okay? It's that turn at the end that got me mixed up. I ended up in Chicago so I decided enough!!! I'm back home waiting to go up to Michaels for glue. It's just left and an immediate right where you take the turn around , then the first right, second left and the building is straight ahead but you enter to the front left. If we get lost we may end up at the one that's seven or eight miles away. That's okay. They have JoAnns by them. One of them is bound to have your glue. And I promise: no ahem....mudpies!!!

  12. Image for Pam Pam

    What a cute idea dear girl! I love the no see options. Recently I have been on a pillow making kick for some cozy outdoor seating areas. I was appalled at the price of pillow forms! So I went to the thrift store and bought toss pillows for under $2 and sewed up a few covers with envelope backs so I can toss them in the wash if I need to. You are such a wonderful inspiration and I wish we really were neighbors. I've got a hankering for sweet tea as I write this.

  13. Image for PATCOX PATCOX

    Glue Velcro on and baist with embroidery thread, then you can change covers, or you can use the batting when needed to quilt. Love your blog and pattern.

  14. Image for Denise M Denise M

    Brilliant idea! I've been wanting to make one of these for years! Think I'll do mine with a velcro closure so that I can wash it when needed. Thanks so much for sharing!

  15. Image for Colleen M. Colleen M.

    Your posts always make me smile! I love the tips and ideas, too, of course, but just love the charming way you have of saying things! Wish you were my neighbor!

  16. Image for ZoeAnn ZoeAnn

    KariAnne I do wish we were neighbors… I would be over there in a heartbeat to see that bolster pillow! Thank you as always for sharing… I am going to Target tomorrow - I need a bolster for my guest room day bed! I'm so glad you are my brilliant blogging friend.

  17. Image for Megan Megan

    LOVE the pillow!!! AND the coral on your media stand! Do you know what the color name is?? And would you share it?

  18. Image for Kristine Washburn Kristine Washburn

    What a great idea, and no sewing makes it even better. Thank you KariAnne. I live in the Adirondack Mountains so I know how you feel. I do have neighbors that are fairly close.

Comments are closed.