Decorating on the Cheap! PILLOW EDITION

I have the spring fever...perhaps a bit early but it is what is it.

I have decided not to fight it...instead I am embracing it.

We have been cleaning up our house.

The inside gets neglected over the summer months.

Don't get me wrong, I keep the place clean.

But the finer details get ignored until the cold weather sets in.

What I mean is that we are filtering out the junk.

The stuff that piles up in corners until you just don't notice its presence anymore.

One of the things that I stopped noticing was the amount of kids stuff. 

EVERYWHERE.

Anyone with kids in their lives knows what I am talking about.

I absolutely HATE throwing good things away.

(and I don't use the word hate very often)

I would rather re-purpose than turf anything if possible.

I am not a fan of being a consumer.

Historically, making old things into other things is not a new concept.

Canada's earliest settlers would use old clothes to weave mats and carpets,

 sewn into quilts, or cut up for use as rags or patches.

These days I have been scouring Pinterest in an effort

to find cheap and hand made ways to re-purpose stuff AND decorate our home.

So this post is dedicated to re-purposing kids pillows!

We had several flying around....spiderman, shrek and sesame street.

Owen says he's too grown up these days.

That removes the guilt of taking away perfectly good pillows.

But that's the best part!

I'm not really taking anything away...

just finding each thing a new role.

While the cold wind whistles outside and the thermometer hangs steadily at -20 degrees Celsius, 

I settled down with a crochet hook and a ball or two of yarn.

I single crochet enough stitches to cover the front of each pillow.

Then, very simply, I single crochet.

Row after row.

Single crocheting means the stitches have very little gaps.

That also means you don't have to line the project.

(You can if you like...or if you have spare fabric laying around)

The brownish pillow was made using single crochet for 7 rows then a double crochet row.

Alternating until the entire pillow was covered.

The back of the pillow is the same.

The 2 halves are joined by single crocheting a row around the entire pillow.

I ended up sealing the pillow up inside the cover.

That method is problematic if you plan on removing it for washing.

You would have to undo a side in order get the pillow out.

(I'm fine with that, as the pillow if for me...but if this was a gift...I would consider making an opening)

The linen coloured pillow was made with single crochet stitches as well as a front post stitch.

I adore the post stitch as it makes it look like a cable knit sweater!

The pattern goes like this:

row 1 single crochet.

row 2 single crochet.

row 3 single crochet 7 stitches then front post stitch 1, single crochet 1, front post stitch 1, single crochet x amount of stitches until you are 10 stitches from the other end, front post stitch 1, single crochet 1, front post stitch 1 and single crochet 7.

row 4 single crochet

row 5 repeat row 3

row 6 repeat row 4

alternate the entire front of the pillow going between row 3 and row 4.

For the back of the linen coloured pillow, 

single crochet many rows (same length as the front) until you are 2 inches from the top.

Finish off.

Single crochet another panel but only a few inches long.

Both panels with sort of overlap each other.

The button holes were easy!

I single crocheted 11 stitches, then chain 1, single crochet x amount until you get to 12 stitches from the end, chain 1 and single crochet the rest until finished the row.

Single crochet 2 more rows.

I bought 2 wooden buttons from Michael's craft store for about $2.00 total.

You can use a needle and the same yarn to attach the buttons.

Just line them up approximately where the button holes fall.

Single crochet around the front and back panels and VOILA!

Some pretty stylish pillows I might say!

This pattern was completely made up by me.

Feel free to share, pin, copy and distribute this pattern.

Please link back to this post though...that's all I ask!

(oh yeah, that and please send me pictures of your lovely creations!!!)

Stay tuned for more ways to re-purpose the clutter in your home!