How to Stuff a Pillow

How difficult can it be to stuff a pillow? All you have to do is take some filling and put it in, right? Wrong. That’s how you end up with an uneven, lumpy pillow. If you want to stuff your pillow correctly, it involves some more steps and some extra tools.

The best pillow brands do not randomly stuff the filling into their pillows. There is a distinctive process that goes into stuffing your pillows, which is what gives you that comfortable sleeping experience.

In this article, we talk about how to stuff a pillow, what kind of filling to use, and which tools you need to stuff a high-quality pillow.

Before you start making a pillow for yourself, you will need a proper pillow shell with a zipper. Cotton fabric is generally preferred for pillow shells because of its breathability, durability, and ease of cleaning.

The type of filling you use can also depend upon a number of factors. The most common balance between price and comfort is feather filling. It’s readily available, affordable, and responds well to body heat. If you don’t like feather filling, don’t worry. There are other filling types that you can use.

Filling Types — Pros and Cons

Down: Down is obtained from the lower end of bird feathers. This makes it much softer than feather filling, but is also more expensive. It is highly durable and lightweight, resulting in super soft down pillows.
Polyester: If you’re working on a budget, polyester fiber filling can be your best choice. The filling is very affordable and easily available, but you should not expect the best quality pillows with it. It has a much shorter lifespan than feather or down pillows and can clump quite easily.
Cotton: Cotton filling is another common stuffing for pillows because of its softness and comfort. It also makes washing pillows quite simple. However, like polyester options, it can lead to clumping after extended use.

How to Stuff a Pillow — Step-by-Step Guide

Once you have figured out which filling you are going to use, the tools you can use to stuff your pillow can include a wooden spoon, a chopstick or a pencil. You will need the long ends of these tools to make sure that the pillow is stuffed evenly.

Step 1: Take a handful of stuffing and pull it apart. Every kind of stuffing you will get will have some level of clumps in it from being stored, and pulling it apart will get rid of these clumps. Pull it apart around 3 times before you stuff it into the pillow.

Step 2: Start with a corner of the pillow. Use your hands to push the now clump-free filling into the corner. Once this is done, use the back of a wooden spoon, the eraser end of a pencil or a chopstick to make it more secure.

Step 3: Repeat Step 1 for the second corner of the pillow. When you’re using your hands or tools to fill up the pillow, be firm. However, do not force too much filling into small areas, as this might make your pillow too thick and stiff to be comfortable.

Step 4: Work your way out from the corners by evenly filling up all areas of the pillow. Pull the filling apart a few times, stuff it in, and use your tools to make it even.

Step 5: Make note of how the outside of the pillow looks as you work your way out from the corners. If you see some uneven areas or lumps forming on the outside, this means that you have either understuffed or overstuffed the pillow. You might have to add or remove some filling accordingly.

Step 6: If you find an area that shows clumping from the outside, you can gently squeeze it to see if the lumps eves out. If it doesn’t, you might have to remove it and restuff it for a more even feel.

Step 7: Keep in mind that pillows generally get slightly flatter with a few uses. However, avoid stuffing your pillow to the point that it’s too stiff to be comfortable. There should be some give when you squeeze it.

Step 8: When you’re done filling up the pillow, you will need to sew it up from the top. The best way to do this is to make small lengths of stitches as you’re filling the pillow. You won’t want to fill up the whole thing and then try to sew it in one step. This will help you avoid having a tight edge on one end and a loose edge on the other.

Taking Care of Your Pillow

To increase the lifespan of your pillow, make sure that you use a pillow cover on it, wash it every few months to get rid of dirt and make sure it gets some exposure to heat. Heat helps pillows stay soft and fluffy without developing clumps.

Bottom Line

Stuffing a pillow is not as easy as it sounds. Taking proper care of the filling both before, during, and after the stuffing process can help you achieve an even look and feel to your pillow. It will also make it softer and more comfortable to sleep on.

In this article, we have outlined easy steps and common tools that you would find around the house. Your pillow fabric and filling has more of an impact on your sleep, comfort, and overall health than you realize.