Make Your Own Ghost Pillow

Two years ago, I took a quilting class because I couldn't find a bed cover I liked. Three years before that, I learned how to crochet because I couldn't find a hat that I liked. What you call pickiness and indecision, I call fuel for creative greatness.

Behold my latest creation: a ghost pillow:

I like switching my pillow covers because they add character to my living space, yet they're cheap to make and easy to store. Here is how I put this one together:

Ingredients

1 Yard white/off-white upholstery-grade fabric

Scrap black fabric (mine was 8" x 5")

Pillow Form (my pillow was 18" x 18")

Ruler

Fabric Scissors

Rotary Cutter

Fabric Marker

Straight Pins

Cutting Mat

Sewing Machine

Step 1

Cut 1 19.5" x 19.5" square for the front of your pillow, and two 19.5"x 12" rectangles that will form the back envelope portion of your pillow.

Step 2

Draw your eyes. I free-handed mine, making sure to leave space for seam allowance between the eyes and the edge of the square (remember that once the pillow is stuffed, the edges of your pillow will wrap around the pillow form and it won't seem like theres so much negative space). You can also use a candle, lid, or any round object as a tracing guide if you prefer rounder eyes.

Step 3

Cut a circle out of each eye that is approximately 1/2 inch smaller than your eye holes.

Step 4

Make 1/4-1/2 inch cuts from the inner circle you just removed to almost the edge of the eye hole. Do not cut all the way to your guideline.

Step 5

Pin back the flaps made by the cuts you just made. Pull the fabric just enough to make sure that all of your cuts are now folded on top of the fabric, but do not pull so much that your fabric becomes distorted. If you want smoother lines, you may also iron the flaps down, but I prefered a not-so-perfect look.

 

Step 6

Measure the width of your eyes from the left side of the left eye to the right side of the right eye, and measure the height of the tallest eye.

Step 7

Cut your black scrap peice of fabric to the size you just measured. 

Step 8

Line up the scrap fabric to cover both eyes (right side down) and pin in place.

Step 9

Flip over the fabric, and you should see this. Wa-la!

Step 10

I won't lie, this part was a little pain-staking. Line up the eyes and sew as close to the edge of the white fabric as possible. There was some finagling required to remove the pins, but if you get past this part, you're home free.

 The hard part is done!

Step 11

Now to make the envelope!

Take your two 19.5" x 12" rectangles of fabric and fold over one of the 19.5" sides about a quarter inch. Fold over again one more quarter inch. Iron this seam and pin in place.

Step 12

Sew as close to the edge of your fold as you can to finish this edge.

Step 13

Lay your large square right side up and one of your smaller rectangles right side down (the right side is the side that was facing up in Step 12). Line up the unfinished 19.5" edge of your smaller square with the bottom of the larger front square of the pillow.

Step 14

Sew a quarter inch around the 3 unfinished edges of your smaller rectangle, securing it to the front of your pillowcase.

 Step 15

Repeat the process with your remaining smaller rectangle, only this time, line the unfinished 19.5" edge up with the top of the pillowcase front. This last rectangle will overlap with the rectangle that is already secured by a couple of inches.

Step 16

Slice off the corners of the completed pillowcase, so that you don't end up with a bunch of fabric jammed in there once you turn the pillow case right-side-out. Make sure not to cut into your seams!

Step 17 

Turn your pillowcase right-side-out and stuff with your pillow form. Wa-la!

Level two is the mummy pillow. Like this post if you want to see the how-to!

*Post written by Sharae Terrell: quilter, crafter, and Digital Marketing Associate for Redwood Living