Tutorial: How to Design a Color Block Pillow
This color block pillow tutorial will teach you how to use leftover scraps of fabric to make a small pillow. I’ve included a sewing pattern for this design. The final pillow will be a 7″ square that you can make using small scrap pieces.
Supplies Needed:
Pattern includes:
(all of my patterns include 1/2″ seam allowance)
Step 1
Cut out your fabric pieces
You want to make sure to cut out 2 of each piece so that you can have it for both the front and the back of the pillow. I also recommend laying the pieces out like I did in the photo above, so you can have a clear idea of which pieces go where.
Step 2
Sew the center Design
with 1/2″ seams, sew each of the center pieces together to create the design. You can clip off the remaining tabs that poke out of the sides.
note: these tabs happen because you need to line up the seam line of the fabric pieces, not necessarily the edge of the fabric.
Step 3
Sew the two side pieces to the center
One by one sew the two side pieces to the center design. Just like above, you can trim off the excess tabs that poke out from the side of the pillow.
Step 4
Make the Other side of the pillow by repeating steps 2 and 3
Note: I’ve created a tutorial for the second side of this pillow that uses a different method for using leftover scraps in your pillow construction (check out the tutorial here)
Step 5
Sew the two sides of the pillow together
With right sides together, sew your two pillow faces together. Be sure to leave a small gap on one side of the pillow so that you can turn it right side out.
Step 6
Turn to right side
Clip your corners (be careful not to cut the stitches) and turn your pillow to the right side through the small gap.
Step 7
stuff the pillow
You can use whatever you want to stuff your pillow. I like to use leftover fabric scraps that are too small to use for anything else as my pillow stuffing, but this does make the final pillow a little more lumpy than it otherwise would be. So, if you don’t like that, you can always use polyfill or another type of pillow stuffing material.
Step 8
Sew up the Gap
You can hand sew this closed if you want a seamless finish. I tend to get lazy at the end of my projects and will usually machine sew it closed with matching thread. It just depends how perfect you want your final pillow to look.
Finished!
