Placemat to Pillow: DIY

I was on the hunt for pillows with some turquoise in them when I found these placemats on clearance at TJ Maxx.

blue placemats

I liked the colors and the pattern but I didn’t need more table linens.  And then I thought:  wait, there are four of them.  Why not make pillows with them?!  So they came home with me.

I already had some 11 by 14 inch pillow forms in my basement.  They were the perfect size.  I didn’t want to cut up the placemats because the seams would be so thick.  I also liked the back and the gentle scallop around the edges.

blue stripes on placemats


scalloped edge placemat

So I decided to just sew the pillow inside the two placemats.  If I ever get tired of them, I’ll just unpick the seams and have placemats again.  It was the easiest pillow I ever made (as in, 5 minutes per pillow.)


I figured out where on the placemats I needed my seams to be so the opening would be the right size.  Then I simply sewed the placemats together on three sides, leaving one of the narrow ends open.

opening in pillow

Then I simply stuffed the pillow form inside.




I carefully sewed the opening shut, making sure I didn’t sew the pillow form into the seam at all.


That’s it!  Done.

blue placemat pillow

Nobody would ever guess that these were clearanced placemats.  They’re perfect for my space, and they have a nice shape to them BECAUSE of the floppy scalloped edges all around.

placemat pillow

The fact that you can see the striped back if you peek only adds to the charm.


You can’t beat $4.00 per pillow, either!  As far as I’m concerned, it’s a success all around.  It was inexpensive, I used materials on hand (pillow inserts), it was quick (10 minutes) and I was able to be creative.   My new pillows are now at home in this room .

white couch with pillows

Try it sometime!  They’re fun and easy to make.
This post is linked to Kimba’s DIY Day .

4 comments

  • So simple and yet this is the first time I’ve ever seen it! Nice work! There are always placemats I love that I don’t want to get dirty. Great solution!

  • they look like mini shams, so cute!

  • Barbara Eberly

    I have 4 placemats in ivory that are quilted, very similar to yours. I was going to sew along the scalloped edge, but now that I see your method, I am going to sew them they way you did!! Brilliant!! Why didn’t I think of that??? lol I have been stalling on the project… Now I know why!!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *