How To Make An Easy T-Shirt Pillow

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This project is super easy and will get your kids involved creatively while using math skills. The side benefit is it will up your recycling game, clean out your closet, and add to your home decor. Let’s get started with how to make an easy T-Shirt pillow.

DIY T-Shirt Pillow

How many T-shirts do you have in your closets? They are ubiquitous. We collect them, cherish them, can’t part with them, yet we don’t wear them!

I’ll show you how to make your favorite T-Shirts into fun pillows for Teen’s Rooms, Dorm Rooms, Man Caves, She Sheds, and general decor where you can admire, remember, and enjoy they fun they represent.

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Let’s Begin

Find a T-Shirt you love but don’t wear. If you take someones T-Shirt, be sure to ask first before you cut it up! Sewing requires a little math, sometimes even fractions. It is perfect for practicing practical math applications while tapping into your creative side.

How To Make An Easy T-Shirt Pillow
Select a T-Shirt

Tools:

How To Sew a T-Shirt Pillow
Pillow Form Options
How To Sew a T-Shirt Pillow
Purchased Bias Tape

Cutting Up The T-Shirt

If you are using a 16″ x 16″ pillow form, which is the optimal size for an adult M/L T-shirt, you will want your finished pillow covering to measure 15″ x 15″. Since the T-shirt has some stretch, this will give you a tighter, professional fit.

Start by cutting the sleeves and side seam off. You can draw a line and use scissors or use a rotary cutter with a matt and ruler. CAUTION: Rotary cutters are very sharp! They are not recommended for use by children.

How To Make An Easy T-Shirt Pillow

You want to remove the neckline from the T-shirt

How To Make An Easy T-Shirt Pillow

Since we want our pieces to be 16″ wide, you need to trim them down. Fold the T-Shirt in half, measure out 8″ and trim off the excess.

How To Make An Easy T-Shirt Pillow

You should now have two rectangle pieces that are 16″ wide and as long as the T-Shirt is. This one happens to have a curved hem, so it needs to be squared off. If it is already square, leave the hem, it will be one seam you don’t have to finish.

Sewing It Together

Measure the length of the front and back pieces to 16″. Fold up the excess hem on the wrong side (inside) of the front and back pieces. This will finish off your opening edge. Sew the short “folded up piece” to itself along the side (where it is pinned below).

How To Make An Easy T-Shirt Pillow
Measuring

With the bottom edge folded and stitched, the back of your pieces should look like those below.

How To Make An Easy T-Shirt Pillow
Folding The Bottom

Turn both pieces to face up (right side).

How To Make An Easy T-Shirt Pillow
Front and Back

Place the front and back right sides together (the pretty parts face each other). Stitch across the top and down both sides. Do NOT stitch the folded edge.

How To Make An Easy T-Shirt Pillow
Matching The Side Seams
How To Make An Easy T-Shirt Pillow
Sewing The Side Seams

Your basic pillow form is complete. The video below will show you how to fold your corners. You can also add ties to your pillow cover – see the next two optional steps.

Adding Optional Ties

Cut six (6), 12″ long ties from bias tape, ribbon, etc. Space three evenly across each folded opening.

How To Make An Easy T-Shirt Pillow
Pinning The Ties

Stitch the ties across each folded side separately. Don’t sew the cover together!

How To Make An Easy T-Shirt Pillow
Sewn Ties

The Finishing Touches

Seems like my dog Brin wants to make a pillow too! She loves pillows!

Brin Loves Her Pillows

Here is what I know about fashion. Everyone’s taste is different. The opinions expressed here are mine alone. I’m just a girl who loves to sew.

I hope you enjoyed this post about how to make an easy T-Shirt pillow.

For a more advanced T-shirt pillow, visit my YouTube channel: Ideas for a T-Shirt Pillow.

Happy Sewing,

Sandi

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How to make an easy t-shirt pillow

PS

I love my Bernette 38 Sewing Machine. It is perfect for sewing beautiful garments. 

Make your garments better with my 21 Tips To Take Your DIY Garment From Homemade To High End

Do you love Sew Alongs and Sewing Tips and Tricks? My Youtube channel Barrett’s Custom Design is filled with great sewing techniques served up with a few laughs. 

My Sewing With Sandi Etsy Shop has over 500 hard to find women’s, men’s, and children’s patterns. You will find little girls’ bows, a few sewing notions, sewing kits, but mostly lots and lots of patterns.  You will find little girls’ bows, a few sewing notions, sewing kits, but mostly lots and lots of patterns. 

18 thoughts on “How To Make An Easy T-Shirt Pillow

  1. What a great idea (my son has tons of t-shirts that he doesn’t want to part with). And love the corner technique. This will change some of my sewing for sure! Thanks.

  2. My husband has a ton of t-shirts that he is not willing to part with. I have been considering having them made into a quilt which is not something I would feel confident in doing myself. This pillow looks simple enough I would be willing to give it a shot. I think he would love it.

  3. I love this idea. Especially when one has kids that get attached to something yet it’s time for it to go. What a great option for mom to be happy and the kid.

  4. Cute, just what I needed. My daughter wants to make some Hamilton pillows and using t-shirts she has grown out of is perfect.

  5. I absolutely love this idea! I have some t-shirts from races I’ve run and events I’ve participated in that I don’t wear because they aren’t my favorite fit. I’m going to get my sewing machine out and try this! Thank you!

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