Easiest No-Sew Pillow Cover: Make For Every Season
Do you want custom designer throw pillows without the custom designer price? I’m going to give you a quick tutorial on how you can make no-sew custom washable throw pillows.
In this tutorial, you will learn:
- How to cut fabric pieces for perfect-fitting covers
- Simple gluing technique for durable results
- Tips for choosing the right fabric

Here’s a supply list of what you’re going to need:
- pair of scissors
- Liquid Stitch
- measuring device
- fabric
- throw pillow
I’m using a 22-inch throw pillow, so the dimensions that I’m going to show you are for a 22-inch pillow. Here are the fabric sizes you’ll need for a 20-inch and 24-inch pillow:
- 20″ pillow: you need (1) 20″x 20″ and (2) 20” x 15″
- 24″ pillow: you need (1) 24″x 24″ and (2) 24″ x 18″
The first thing you’re going to want to do before you get started is wash your fabric. Washing first means you don’t have to worry about fabric shrinkage if you wash it later. I also like to iron the fabric, even though I hate ironing. When the fabric is ironed, I feel like I get a more accurate measurement.
If you’re making a 22-inch pillow, you’re going to want one piece that is the same size as the pillow, 22 by 22 inches. Then, you’re going to want two pieces that are 22 by 16 inches.
Tips for Choosing the Right Fabric
Let me go over why the right weight of fabric is important. You want to look for fabrics that say they’re suitable for home decor. Upholstery fabric is a little bit heavier and harder to make the pillows.
Also, I want to explain why pattern is important. If you have a pattern like this that has a repeat, you have to consider that design.

Your piece that is the front of your pillow needs to display the pattern facing the right way. If it’s a floral, I like a big flower right in the middle. Keep in mind to have a little bit more fabric if you’re working with a pattern so that the front of your pillow looks the way you want.
Step 1: Measure and Cut Fabric

The first step is to measure the 22-inch width. I like to mark it with a pencil. If I had a yardstick, I would use it, draw a line, and cut along that line. But, you have to work with what you have.
Cut two pieces for the two panels that are the back of the pillow measuring 22 x 16 inches. Cut one piece for the front of the pillow; it’s 22 x 22 inches.
Step 2: Finished Edge for Back Piece


The next step is that I’m going to fold over along this line. This is my back piece, a half-inch fold along the 22-inch edge. This is basically going to create a finished edge to the back of my pillow. It’s about a half-inch. I like to iron it first and then close it with Liquid Stitch.
The thicker the fabric, the more Liquid Stitch that you’re going to need to hold it down. This fabric is pretty thin. I’m just going to put the Liquid Stitch all along the edge like this, then I’m just going to press it down.
Then I have one finished edge for the back of my pillow.
Step 3: Glue Front and Back of Pillow Cover Together


This is the front of my pillow, and this is the back of my pillow. I’ve got the right sides together, so I’m going to glue along each seam. I’m going to lift up the panel of fabric and glue inside all of the edges. When you’re gluing, it can be a good idea to put something down that you don’t care if it gets glue on it.
For each seam, I’m going to put a line of glue and press it down. If it’s thin fabric, you have to use less glue. When I’m gluing, I’m going to rotate it. Do the bottom first, and then the next side. Then do the other side.
If the sides are uneven, you can trim them up. In this case, I guess I didn’t do a very good job cutting. I even them up as I go. The glue will kind of start to get on your fingers.


My edges don’t match up exactly. I trim it a little bit so it’s a cleaner edge. If you have a sewing machine, it’s probably even faster to sew it than glue it because you would just sew a straight line. But I get out my sewing machine so infrequently that it always takes me forever to figure out what I’m doing.
Step 4: Turn Pillow Cover Right Side Out and Stuff

The final step in the pillow, after it dries, is to turn it right side out. I’ve still got one edge that is not sewn. This is where I flip it right side out. You’ll want to poke through the corners with your finger to kind of get the points out. Just take your finger and poke the corners through.

Once you get the pillow the right way, you just have to stuff the pillow in. This is where I prefer to use a down pillow because you can mold it a lot better. You need to do a lot stuffing until you get it properly into the corners, and it’s just much easier to do with down-filled pillows.
And that’s it! Once you try making one of these, you’re going to want to make more because you can literally make them for any season. Plus, pillow covers store away easily. If you have a sewing machine or want another challenge, see my DIY Pillow Covers for Beginners.