Toddler Pillow DIY Made Simple

Easy Toddler Pillow and Pillowcase tutorial 

Baby Bear REALLY wanted a pillow!  She took a pillow off the couch and put it in her little toddler bed.  We thought that was so cute, we decided to look for a 'real' pillow for her.  When we went to Target, all of the pillows were made of synthetic materials and felt really plastic. Plus, there were no additional pillowcases that could be purchased to change the pillow case while washing.   I measured the size of the pillow and decided to make one using natural and recycled materials.  

Materials

3/8 yard (14x16 inches if you are using a scrap) fabric for pillowcase

stuffing (we chose cotton, but there are many options)

fat quarter for pillow case or additional 1/2 yard for pillowcase

Start by cutting your pillow fabric to the correct size.  Fold your fabric in half. Measure to 11"x13" and cut (this adds 1 inch to for your seam allowance).  I used my pinking shears so that the edges would not unravel. 

Turn right sides together and add a few pins to keep your fabric in place.

Baby Bear likes to watch, so I let her sit on my lap (she is good listener and does not touch, so do not do this if you have an active toddler).  

Run your fabric though the sewing machine and leave a 2-3 inch opening to turn it.  

Here is my opening.  Now pull out the fabric through the opening so that the pillow is right-side out. 

Stuff with stuffing and sew the opening closed.  Since it is for a toddler, you don't need to fill it all of the way.  It should be lightly stuffed.  

Now you are ready to make your pillowcase.  

Lay your Fat Quarter over your pillow to see how it fits.  You will want to sew the opening under or to serge it. 

Here is my edge that I ran through the serger. 

Pin your fabric where you want to sew it while it is turned wrong side out.  

Mark your sewing line with a chalk pencil and a straight edge ruler on both sides of the pillowcase.  You can either sew it or serge it.  DO NOT SERGE over the pins! I prefer to serge it so that the seams are super strong when you wash them in the washing machine. 

Here is your pillowcase with the wrong side out.  Now you can make a few so you will have a fresh one when you are washing. 

Baby Bear's Kidkraft Todder bed with her new pillow! 

We also used her old side bumper for a super special bump free headboard.