Decorative Ruffles n' Buttons Pillow

search

Decorative Ruffles n' Buttons Pillow

This Decorative Ruffles n' Buttons Pillow from Shelley Detton would look striking on a black or white couch!  Easy free sewing projects like this are great weekend craft ideas or fun gifts to make for family and friends!

 Decorative Ruffles n' Buttons Pillow

Materials:

  • 2 15" x 8.5" rectangles, cut from black fabric
  • 2 3.5" x 35" strips of cream fabric (for ruffles)
  • 2 1.5" x 35" strips of contrasting fabric (for accent trim on ruffles)
  • Pellon Decorbond fusible interfacing, cut to 4.5" x 14.5"
  • Assorted fabric-covered buttons with shanks
  • 2 15" strips of ribbon
  • Hot glue gun
     

Instructions:

  1. Use 1/4" for all seams in this project. Stitch the accent trim, with right sides facing, along one side of each ruffle strip.

    Decorative Ruffles n Buttons Pillow

    Decorative Ruffles n Buttons Pillow
     
  2. Press seam toward accent fabric. With wrong side facing up, turn under 1/4" of the raw, unsewn edge of accent strip.

    Decorative Ruffles n Buttons Pillow
     
  3. Then fold strip in half lengthwise to completely hide the original seam, which is pressed away from ruffle. Stitch close to original seam to secure the folded edges of accent fabric. Press well.
     
  4. Create gathers in ruffle strip by using basting stitch on machine. Pull the bobbin thread to gather fabric sufficiently to fit along the 15" measurement of the black side pieces.

    Decorative Ruffles n Buttons Pillow
     
  5. Place gathered ruffle strip, FACE UP (as opposed to right sides facing) on top of the face up side piece. Arrange gathers to fit, pin, and stitch in place. Repeat with other side. Gently flatten the ruffles a bit with your hot iron to create creases in the ruffles.
     
  6. Fuse the interfacing on the backside of center piece, leaving 1/4" on all sides free of interfacing.

    Decorative Ruffles n Buttons Pillow
     
  7. Place the center piece, face down, on top of one side of the ruffle and side piece. Pin and stitch together, then press the seam toward center. Repeat with other ruffle and side piece.

    Decorative Ruffles n Buttons Pillow
     
  8. Stitch ribbon in place on both sides of center, sewing both long edges of each ribbon.

    Decorative Ruffles n Buttons Pillow
     
  9. Place the fabric covered buttons where you want them to go, leaving at least 1.5" on top and bottom without buttons or you'll have a hard time trying to sew the pillow together later on.
     
  10. Use a marker or fabric pencil and carefully put a dot beneath each button where the shank touches the fabric.
     
  11. Moving one button at a time, carefully poke through the fabric+interfacing at each marked dot with a tiny Xacto knife or other very small, poky tool. If the hole/slit is too big, you'll struggle later on. Gently push/coax the shank of the button through the fabric+interfacing. If the hole is small, the button will stay in place for now.

    Decorative Ruffles n Buttons Pillow
     
  12.  When all buttons are pushed through, carefully turn fabric over to access all the shanks poking through the backside.

    Decorative Ruffles n Buttons Pillow
     
  13. Using a hot glue gun, squirt a small but generous blob of hot glue around each shank, making sure that the glue oozes inside the little loop of the shank to hold it in place and keep the fabric from fraying around the hole. Let harden thoroughly.

    Decorative Ruffles n Buttons Pillow
     
  14. Stitch the raw ends of the ruffle in place in all 4 places.

    Decorative Ruffles n Buttons Pillow
     
  15. For the backing, cut 2 rectangles that are the same height as the pillow front (15") but the width is determined by adding about 3" to whatever the half point is on the pillow. In this case, the pillow front is 15" high x 21.5" wide. I cut 2 rectangles at 15" x 14" (14 = 11 + 3).
     
  16. Press under 1/4" of one of the 15" edges on each rectangle. Press under again to hide the raw edges. Stitch along that "hem".
     
  17. Place pillow front face up on table. Place the 2 rectangles face down, aligning outer raw edges so that there is about a 3" overlap over the middle of the pillow. Pin in place all around outer edge of pillow.
     
  18. Stitch 1/4" all the way around, clip corners to reduce bulk. Turn right side out, press edges. Insert pillow form and you're done!

    Decorative Ruffles n Buttons Pillow

Your Recently Viewed Projects

Leave a Comment

Rate

Cancel Reply to Comment

Thanks for your comment. Don't forget to share!

This is a very cute pillow and I love the black and cream middle. These colors go with a lot and the buttons gives it that pop. So simple and easy tutorial for this Ruffles n buttons pillow. If I was using it for more than decoration like putting behind your back I would use lace or something soft so the buttons would not hurt your back. All it takes sometimes to refresh your room is add some new pillows.What do you think?

I didn't see any measurements for the center piece though I suppose it would depend on the pillow form. This is a very cute pattern. I'm ready for new bed pillows, so I think I will try this in different colors of green, cream and yellow.

Close

Report Inappropriate Comment

Are you sure you would like to report this comment? It will be flagged for our moderators to take action.

Thank you for taking the time to improve the content on our site.

Close Window