So you’ve picked yourself up a fabulous new pillow cover or two from the shop, and now you’ve gotta find the perfect insert. You could sew your own, but perhaps you want more instant gratification.

This post offers solutions for both the make and buy pillow insert (aka pillow form) options. Note: I don’t currently sell pillow forms/inserts in my shop because not only would I have no room to stock the inventory, but it actually seems to make more sense to give buyers the option of choosing their own filling (polyester, bamboo, down feather, faux down, recycled) and size (the same size as the pillow cover or slightly larger for a firmer, more filled look). If you disagree and think you’d be more likely to buy if I also stocked the pillow forms, please let me know!

Make your own pillow form
How to Make a Basic Pillow Form tutorial on eHow is one of the best online tutorials, with photos, that I’ve seen. What’s even better about making your own is that now you have a way to reuse those old t-shirts and sheets you might have lying around the house.

Before you shove that polyester fiberfill into your pillow, I also highly recommend following this video’s tip on pulling your stuffing apart first to help de-clump it. This step “airs out” the filling and really helps avoid the lumpiness you sometimes get with handmade pillows.

Who has time to make anything? Where can I BUY a pillow form?
Here are a handful of suggestions. I buy my inserts from IKEA and Jo-Ann, but I’m also considering ordering from one of the last two places on my list for some additional size options that IKEA and Jo-Ann don’t offer. For price comparisons between the shops, I’ve listed unit prices for polyester-filled 20×20″  pillow forms.

• IKEA
  • These aren’t available online, but if you live near an IKEA store you can choose from a slew of pillow form options including polyester-filled or down-filled. Except for the 14×14″ pillow form, none are quite as bargain-priced as the 20×20″ size.
  • IKEA’s 20×20″ INNER cushions are available for the bargain price of $2.99.
• Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores
  • You can get a pretty great deal on pillow forms from Jo-Ann if you can either wait for their pillow form sales (which would be advertised in their Weekly Sales Flyers) or use a coupon. To get coupons, you can either sign up for their emails or look in your Sunday paper (assuming they still distribute this way). Both methods can save you 40-50% or even more if you wait until the big holidays, where you can get a coupon for an additional 10% off your entire purchase.
  • Jo-Ann offers the 20×20″ Soft N Crafty Pillow for $15.99. Again I wouldn’t purchase this at regular price if you’re looking for a bargain, but at 50% off it’s quite a deal especially if you get it in-store!
• eBay
  • I’ve never ordered pillow forms from any eBay sellers before, but I’ve considered buying from the Pillowflex eBay store because of its good reviews. Pillowflex also has a non-eBay store where it seems that you might actually be able to save slightly on shipping, depending on where you live.
  • Pillowflex’s unit price for its 20×20 pillow forms is $6.73. Their eBay shipping is $10.50 for 2 pillows ($8 flat rate + $2.50 for each additional), while their non-eBay store shipping cost to my zip code is $8.98.
• Robey’s Fabrics
  • Robey’s Fabrics is another place that I’ve never ordered from but have bookmarked because of its competitive prices.
  • The Robey’s unit price on a 20×20 pillow form is $4.00. I’d have to register for a new account to see exact shipping costs, but on their Shipping & Returns page it says: “An order of 2 -3 pillows to a state close by will cost under $7 for the shipping. We do not charge a handling fee. We only charge actual shipping rates.”

So now that you’re armed with all this info on where to buy inserts of all shapes and sizes, go on and get yourself some fresh new pillow covers!

Similar Posts:

• New living room, new pillow
• I love Wednesdays

This particular Wednesday, I’m ALSO happy because I finished my first batch of Coupon Cases!

The insides contain a sweet treat of cheery color, too!

There are threads to be cut, a product name to be reconsidered and photos to be shot, but otherwise these are ready to go!

While I’m at it, I thought I’d also share a shot of my favorite new craft supplies storage solution. IKEA’s GRUNDTAL magnetic knife rack + their GRUNDTAL magnetic spice containers = the perfect storage system for my most frequently accessed supplies: fabric scissors, clothing labels, binder clips and elastic!

Similar Posts:

• New living room, new pillow
• Pillow talk

Although I’m a week behind with my craft fair production schedule, I rewarded myself anyways for finishing up last week’s first batch of products – eight Big Lugs – by sewing up a bright cheery pillow cover.

Both the fabric and the pillow insert are from IKEA. I love the lantern shapes and bold reds/oranges which impart a splash of much-needed color to the dark brown decor in our living room.

The pillow was originally meant to be a simple, basic square with no borders, but the 20×20″ insert turned out to be more like 18×18″ which made the pillow look floppy and deflated. So, I stitched a square all the way around 1-inch in from the edges, creating a faux mitered border look that made it that much better! Heh heh.

The cover is also removable for washing (essential when you live with drooling nappers, you know who you are), but I skipped the zippers in favor of much easier sewn overlapping edges. One pillow down, one to go!Similar Posts:

• Pillow talk