How to Sew a Pillowcase: Easy Home Project

In our previous post, we showed how to sew a beautiful versatile organizer basket. To add something extra to our rooms, we want to continue working in the same color scheme and make another great looking piece. Today we will talk about how to sew a pillowcase. Depending on the type of pillowcase you want to sew, you can choose from several fabrics. If you wish to make a decorative pillow, use a heavy-duty, outdoor fabric that keeps shape well. If you prefer to sew a pillowcase for sleeping, use a softer fabric like cotton. Linen works for both: it is natural and heavy.

What You Need:

Sewing Machine
90-degree angle ruler, scissors, pins, chalk, thread
Outdoor/cotton/linen fabric (take measurements to decide on yardage)

Step 1: Create Your Pattern

Since we all have different pillow sizes, we should take measurements of each pillow that you would like to sew a pillowcase for. Our pillowcase will not need zippers or button as it will close with an overlap at the center back of our pillow, and we will include this into our calculations. There is an easy formula we use to calculate the sides of the pattern. This pillowcase will be built out of 3 pieces of fabric: 1 front piece and 2 back pieces.

Front piece:

Length (longer side of your pillowcase) = Length of your pillow + 1’’ (seam allowance)
Height (shorter side of your pillowcase) = Height of your pillow + 1’’ (seam allowance)

Back piece:

Length = Length of your pillow/2 + 2.5’’ (overlap + seam allowance)
Height = Height of your pillow + 1’’ (seam allowance)

After you have finished your calculations, build your pattern on the fabric using a ruler and chalk. Keep in mind that you should build the front piece on a single layer, and you can build the back piece on fold to cut both pieces at the same time.

Step 2 (Optional): Decorations

If you would like to add any decorations to the front piece of your pillowcase, now is a good time to do that. All decorative pieces should be stitched on before the project gets assembled. We have these amazing bright lemons that we will sew on the front piece of our pillow with zigzag stitch all around.

Step 3: Prepare the Back Pieces

First, we will work with the sides of the overlap.

Your overlap will be parallel to the height line of your pillowcase, so you need to find one height side on each back piece.
Finish the raw edge of the height side with an overcast stitch (stitch #8 on the Brother Project Runway sewing machine)

When your raw edges are done, you need to fold them ½ ‘’ toward the wrong side of your fabric, pin them and stitch with a basic stitch along your overcast stitch. Don't forget to security stitch at the beginning and the end. This way your overlap edges will look nice and clean.

Step 4: Assemble Your Pillowcase

Once the overlap edges are done, we can assemble our beautiful pillowcase.

Put the front piece of your pillowcase with the right side facing up.
Place the first back piece on top the front piece with the right side facing down. Align the edges.
Place the second back piece on top of the previous two layers with the right side facing down. Align the edges.
Pin all pieces together and stitch all around with a basic stitch (stitch #1 on your Brother Project Runway sewing machine, length 3.0). Keep your seam allowance at ½’’.

Step 5: Turn Your Pillowcase Inside Out

Cut off all thread leftovers and turn your pillowcase inside out. Work well with the corners. You need to push them out so they look nice and sharp. Press the pillowcase with hot iron and steam it. Put your favorite pillow inside and enjoy your new creation!

Congratulation! Your pillowcase is so lovely. This is truly a fun and easy project to make, and you can be creative when it comes to decorations and appliques. For a more detailed explanation on how to sew a pillowcase, watch our video tutorial. Have fun!