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If you use a body pillow, it comes in contact with a lot of your body, but it’s not always practical to wash a body pillow every week, especially with the large size. The best way to get over this problem is to put a cover on it, just like you would with any other pillow. Body pillow covers can be washed and changed easily but you might be able to find the perfect one for your pillow as easily as you’d think, so we have the guide how to make a body pillow cover yourself.
The good news is that it’s easy to make your own cover at home with just some fabric, even for people new to sewing. In this article, we talk about how to make a body pillow cover by following some simple steps.
How to Make a Body Pillow Cover
Making a cover for your body pillow is slightly more complicated than sewing one for a regular, conventional pillow. This is because of the irregular shape of the pillow, which adds a few steps to the sewing process.
Before You Start
You will need fabric, a needle, thread, pins, some laces, and a tape measure before you start making your cover. You’ll also need to do some prep work before you start the sewing process:
- Measure the length and circumference of your pillow. You’ll want the length of your fabric to be six to eight inches longer than your pillow, while the width should be about four inches more than the circumference.
- Try to use lace and thread that are either the same color as the fabric or complement it well. This will make your finished pillow cover look more professional.
- Since a body pillow is in contact with your face and skin for long periods of time during the night, choose a fabric that is breathable, durable and easy to clean. Fabrics like cotton and linen are more suited for body pillow covers.
- Try to stay away from fabrics like suede, satin, or velvet, because these are not breathable and will make you sweat during the night. This sweat will eventually cause residue to build up in your pillow cover.
Once you’ve taken care of these steps, it’s time to start sewing.
Making the Shape of the Pillow
Step 1: Because body pillows are cylindrical, you will only have to sew one seam along the length of your pillow cover. Keeping this in mind, lay your fabric down on a flat surface and fold it along the length. If there are any crooked lines or extra fabric, straighten it out.
Step 2: Make sure that the exterior side of the pillow cover is facing up at this point. This is because you’ll turn the pillow cover inside-out after sewing, making your stitches look smoother. Leaving about 1.5 to 2 inches from both sides of the edges, start adding straight pins along the length to fix it in place.
Step 3: Now it’s time to start sewing. Use a threaded needle to sew along the length of the edges. Leave about an inch extra on both ends for the laces so that it’s easier to sew them on later.
Step 4: Loop the thread and tie it into a knot once you reach the other end of the cover. This will ensure that there are no accidental thread pulls.
Step 5: Cut off any extra fabric from the stitched end, and cut off any loose threads from the end of the thread knot to reduce chances of stray threads.
Making the Lace Loops
Once you’re done making the pillow cover, you have to sew in the loops for the laces on both sides of the cover. These laces will let you tighten both ends of the pillow cover around your body pillow and ensure that it does not slip out of the cover during the night.
Step 1: Put your laces on both ends of the cover. The length of the laces should be just slightly longer than the edge itself.
Step 2: Fold the edges back over the lace, making sure that it results in a slightly loose fit. Do not make it too tight, or you will find it difficult to move the lace when you’re tightening up the ends.
Step 3: Use pins throughout the length to fix the lace and the casing for it in place.
Step 4: Using a threaded needle, sew along the edges until you close the casing. You should have each end of the laces coming out of the ends of the casing. Tie the ends of the laces together so they do not get lost inside the loop. Repeat these steps for both sides of the cover.
Step 5: You’re done! Insert the pillow in your cover and tighten the laces around it. If you want a more secure fit, you can tie both ends of the laces into a knot. This knot will be easy to undo because of the closed-loop of the laces.
Bottom Line
Sewing a cover for your body pillow is a simple task that can be carried out regardless of your level of sewing experience. This will significantly improve your sleeping experience while also eliminating the need to wash your body pillow every few weeks.
While making a body pillow cover might be slightly more complicated than making a conventional pillowcase, the advantages that come with it outweigh the effort.