10 Minute Pillow Cover & Lola's Pop Up Card

I’ve been really wanting a black and white living room for some time now. I’ve been obsessed. But recently, reality hit and I looked around at my collection of roadside finds and inherited odds and ends to realize it just wasn’t going to happen. I think somehow I thought if I changed the colors I’d have one of those rooms from Pinterest. You know the ones – the ones that make you hate everything you own instantly. But as I looked around at the worn rag rug and random mix of colors, I kind of loved it again. Well, that or I just settled. Either way color is back at Casa Hoyt. [Pictures after I settle in with it a bit more.]

In embracing the things we had, I decided to give a tangled mess of yarn from a failed arm knit blanket a new life. This matted bundle has been sitting there taunting me for a few months. I did eventually figure arm knitting out, but never took the time to unravel this guy to try again. Soooo, I decided to stuff it into a pillow cover instead. And for that I needed a pillow cover!

Enter the shirt that has been patiently been waiting for me to either lose weight or to be donated. Instead of donating it (yep, you knew that would have been the end result), I chopped it up and created the world’s fastest, and most imperfect pillow cover. But it works and it’s super soft!

You’ll need:
Button-down shirt (Men’s or a boxy cut would work best, but I used a Ladies)
Pillow form (or batting, old t-shirts, or giant mess of yarn like me)

I knew my shirt wasn’t going to be a perfect square or rectangle because of the darts and curved seaming – but I was okay with that. Pillow covers are incredibly forgiving and the kids are going to have their feet all over it anyway!

I buttoned the shirt and then cut the top portion with the arms and collar off. I was super precise in my measurements cutting armpit to armpit. That’s a technical term, right? Don’t feel bad if you can’t hang with my highly advanced sewing techniques. After removing the arms and the collar, I left it buttoned and turned the shirt inside out.

Then I sewed a straight line across both the top and the bottom. This could even be done no sew with hem tape or a glue gun!

It’s pretty easy to open the buttons even when the shirt is inside out.

Turn it right side out and straighten your corners. You could press it here if you wanted, too. Ummm, I didn’t. Again, the small people will be putting feet on it and/or launching it at one another shortly.

Next I stuffed the Flying Spaghetti Monster mess of yarn into the cover, making sure to get enough in the corners and make it as lump-free as possible.

I quickly buttoned it up concealing the yarn, hairy chest inside. This Tom Selleck pillow will be our little secret, internet.

Then I threw it on the sofa and took a nap. Okay, so I can only dream about the nap part. But you should totally add that to your steps!

This one really was a “quick, easy DIY”. I have some men’s shirts stashed away with proper pillow forms. Maybe they should ~~finally~~ become pillows, too!

How about you? Go raid the closet or the thrift stores for some button or snap front shirts to make some of your own!

But before you do, Lola made a pop-up card that she really wanted you guys to see. Don’t you just love it?! She says it’s the two of us dancing until a giant smashes us in a book. Alright then.