Don’t Cost A Dime: Ruffle Pillow

I love projects that don’t cost anything. They are some of my favorites. It makes me feel so resourceful to be able to complete something just by using stuff I already have around my house. And, I can usually complete them faster because I don’t have to run to the store. Yesterday, I got an idea for a pillow using what I had on hand and I whipped it out in no time flat. And a bonus, I love it!

A long time ago, I posted about how I wanted to make this pillow and then I forgot about it. Then, just this week, I saw a similar pillow (here) and it got me thinking that I never made that orange pillow. As I was thinking about it, I recalled that I have some perfect materials on hand.

First, I had a pillow cover that I was no longer using that would be the perfect color for the living room. It already had a zipper in it so it was easy to remove and work with (and I think originally it only cost $3!). Next, I gathered some scraps of fabric I had left over from my couch. Remember how I said I tacked up the skirt on my new old couch so you could see the legs? Well, I actually had to cut some of the skirt off first or it would have still hung down a bit and I saved the remnants just in case. I’m so glad I did because they were perfect for this project.

I cut out a gazillion circles using my accucut machine out of the remnant couch fabric. I didn’t actually count out the circles but I ended up only having a few left over when I was done!

Next, I started sewing them on. I just pinched them in the center and sewed from the backside of the pillow fabric and made a small x on each circle. I placed them really close together so they would bunch up.

I decided to just sew a band instead of the whole pillow because I wasn’t sure if I would have enough of the remnant material. I’m glad I did too because I really like the way it turned out with the color combination.

Cute, right?! I’m not sure if I’m going to leave it on this chair but it works good for now. Here is how it looks on the chair:

And yes, my amazing Mom gave me the footstool that I wanted so much. Thanks Mom!

Now I need to get busy with the rest of the pillows for the living room. I sort of took a break from this room and focused on other things but I really need to work on it because it still looks pretty plain! I guess that is what weekends are for!

For those of you who are wondering, I think this took me about 2 1/2 hours which includes an hour to cut the circles and 1 1/2 hours to sew them onto the pillow. You could of course make your own pillow form too which would add onto the time it would take to make it. Happy sewing!