I’m so excited about this project! One of my life’s missions is to not pay too much for throw pillows. Not really, but they are crazy overpriced, aren’t they?

I came across this pretty placemat ($5) at World Market and for some reason I immediately wished it were a pillow. I turned it over and saw it had fabric lining that back of it. I can make it a pillow!

And so I did. It was so easy I finished it in 20 minutes — and without a sewing machine.

Here’s what I did:

Tools

• placemat with lining on the back
• pillow stuffing
• needle and thread
• unique stitch (a nifty no-sew fabric glue) or hot glue gun
• small piece of trim or ribbon

Directions

1. Cut opening in placemat.
2. Stuff it.
3. Sew up the hole with needle and thread.
4. Dab glue on the ends of trim so it doesn’t unravel.
5. Glue piece of trim on pillow over the stitching.

Time

20 minutes

Update

Placemat pillows have turned into my thing! I love them especially for holidays and outdoors. I switch them out so often that I don’t even sew up the back most of the time. Take a look at all the fun ways I’ve found to use them:

Ikat placemats

Fall placemats

Thankful placemats

Plaid placemat