Part 1: Pillow Forms

• 1 yard muslin fabric
• Poly fill stuffing (in the name of sustainability, you could also use fabric scraps if you have enough lying around to stuff two pillows.)
• Thread to match
• Hand sewing needle
• Straight pins
• Fabric Scissors
• Ruler
• Marking utensil (i.e. heat erasable marker, chalk)

Time:

1-2 hours

Difficulty:

Easy

LET'S GET STARTED!

1. Cut 4 squares that measure 15" x 15"
2. Using a 1/2" seam allowance, sew two squares together all around except for a gap on one side large enough to fit your hand through.
   
   
3. Clip your corners and flip right side out. You might want to use a point turner or something similar to get your corners looking nice and sharp.
   
   
4. Use your poly fill to stuff your pillow forms to your liking. I like to make sure mine are nice and full. Once you are satisfied, pin the gaps closed and slip stitch them shut by hand.
   
   

Part 2: Candy Cane Striped Pillow Covers

• 1 yard polyester wool in red
• 1 yard cotton flannel in white
• Thread to match
• 6 buttons that are 3/4"
• Ruler
• Straight pins
• Fabric Scissors
• Marking utensil (i.e. heat erasable marker, chalk)
• Hand sewing needle

Time:

5-6 hours

Difficulty:

Medium

LET'S GET STARTED!

1. Using your white flannel fabric, cut two squares that measure 15" x 15" and four rectangles that measure 15" x 10.5". The squares will be the fronts of your pillow covers and the rectangles will be the backs
   
   
2. Take one of your rectangular pieces and press up 1" along one of the long ends. Press up another inch and pin down. Hem in place 1/8" away from the edge. Repeat these steps on the rest of your rectangular pieces.
   
   
3. Starting from the left side of one rectangle, measure 3" in from the edge that you hemmed and mark a buttonhole that is 3/4" long. There should be 1/2" of space free at the bottom edge. Mark two more 3/4" long buttonholes that are also 3" apart. Repeat these steps on only one more rectangular piece.
   
   
4. Sew your buttonholes using your sewing machine's buttonhole function. (If you are afraid of doing buttons and buttonholes, velcro or snaps are a good alternative.)
5. Place a rectangular piece with the buttonholes in them on top of a rectangular piece with no buttonholes and overlap their hems by 1". Take a marking tool and mark your button placement. 
   
   
   
   
6. Sew your buttons on according to the marks you made in Step 5. 
7. Take your red wool fabric and cut 2" wide and 1/2" wide bias strips. You will need about 60" worth of 2" wide bias strips and about 150" worth of 1/2" wide bias strips. A rotary cutter might make this step easier but fabric scissors work just fine. 
8. Take your bias strips and lay them out diagonally on your pillow fronts, pinning in place as you go. For my first square, I started with a 2" wide bias strip going across the center. From there, I measured 2" away from either side and placed a 1/2" wide bias strip, then two more 1/2" wide bias strips 1/2" apart from each other. Then 2" away from those, I placed another 2" wide bias strip. For the second square, I followed this same pattern except I started with a 1/2" wide bias strip going across the center. Leave some excess from each strip going off the edge of your pillow front just in case. You can trim these later. (I had already cut and pinned all my strips down when it occurred to me that proper appliqueing technique would have me apply heat n' bond to the back of my red fabric before cutting it into strips and ironing it into place on my white fabric before sewing it down. It worked out fine for me without the heat n' bond on this project but I've included how to use it for Part 3 of this tutorial.)
   
   
   
   
   
   
9. Stitch in place using a tiny zig zag stitch on either side of each strip. I set my machine to a 2 x 2 sized zig zag. Afterwards, trim away any excess from your strips.
10. Take the rectangular pieces with buttonholes in them and pin them right sides together with your pillow fronts. Then take your rectangular piece with the buttons and pin them to your pillow fronts with right sides together, keeping that one inch of overlap from before. Stitch all around using a 1/2" seam allowance. Clip your corners and turn right side out.
    
    
    
    
11. Grab your pillow forms from Part 1 and stuff your pillow covers, closing them using the buttons and buttonholes. The best part about this is that once the holidays are over, you can just switch out the pillow covers to something less seasonal.
    
    
    
    

• Leftover fabric from Part 2
• 1 button that is 3/4"
• 4" piece of 1/4" wide elastic
• Thread to match
• Ruler
• Straight pins
• Fabric Scissors
• Heat n' Bond

Time:

1-2 Hours

Difficulty:

Easy

LET'S GET STARTED!

1. Measure your coffee cup around its widest point and its narrowest point. Mine measured 10" around its widest point and 9" around its narrowest point.
2. Cut out two pieces as shown in the photo (this is with 1/2" seam allowance added all around.)
   
   
3. Cut out a 13 x 13" square of your red wool fabric and your heat n' bond. Iron the side of the heat n' bond that is free of paper to your fabric. (The paper will be removed later.)
   
   
4. Cut out a 1" wide bias strip from the square you made in Step 3. (I thought with the heat n' bond, I would be able to cut out my strips on the straight of grain but I would go on to regret this later because even with the heat n' bond, my fabric still frayed. I think it's because of how thick it is.) 
5. Remove the paper from the back of the bias strip you cut in Step 4 and place it with the sticky side down going across the center of your white flannel fabric. Cut to fit white flannel fabric then press in place. (You may want to lay down a pressing cloth over your ironing board to protect your ironing board cover just in case.)
   
   
6. Cut 1/4" strips on the bias from the square you made in Step 3. Start by placing them down 1/2" away from either side of your 1" strip. Then place two more strips 1/4" away from those. Cut to fit and press in place. 
   
   
7. Stitch in place using a small zig zag stitch on either side of each strip. 
8. Take your 4" piece of 1/4" wide elastic and pin to the left side of your coffee cup cozy in the center. Stay stitch in place.
   
   
9. Pin right sides together with the other piece of white flannel you cut in Step 2. Stitch all the way around, leaving a 3-4" gap at the bottom so that you can flip it right side out.
   
   
10. Clip corners and grade your seams, cutting the side with the red stripes down to 1/4" to reduce bulk. 
    
    
11. Flip right side out and press. Pin closed the gap from Step 9 and topstitch all the way around 1/8" away from the edge. Mark your button placement and sew your button in place. 
    
    
12. Finished!