Ruffle Throw Pillow – Sewing Tutorial

A ruffle throw pillow is an easy way to add color and a little extra personality to a room. The ruffle gives it a sweet vintage feel. Sew one to match your décor with this easy tutorial.

Never underestimate the power of a simple throw pillow to change the look of a space. Add one to a porch swing, a couch, or a bed, and suddenly everything feels a little brighter. Even more so when it has a pretty ruffle around the edge.

I’ve got a sewing tutorial for you below that shows how you can make one.

When I was a kid back in the 80s, my mother surprised me one summer with a whole new look for my bedroom. Money was tight so this was a big deal. Looking back, she really didn’t spend much at all—just some paint, a new comforter, and a few pretty pillows for my bed. Every one of them had ruffles around the edge, and that little detail made them feel so fancy to me.

So I’m loving that ruffled throw pillows are having a moment right now. I’m seeing them everywhere online and in stores. And while throw pillows can be strangely expensive to buy, they’re actually pretty easy to make yourself.

All you need is a yard of fabric, a 12” pillow form, and some fusible interfacing. No special notions, no special tools. The envelope closure is really easy to sew too.

The finished pillow measures 12” square, not including the ruffle.

It was about this time last year that I used a strawberry motif on another sewing project — a cute little strawberry journal cover. It’s my favorite little journal to use for brainstorming and notetaking. It would make such a fun back-to-school project.

My heart pillow with pom pom trim is another sweet option if you love throw pillows with that same timeless feel. And it has the same easy envelope closure too.

Want to make a ruffle throw pillow of your own? Here’s how:

Supplies

12” pillow form

Pillow Front – 1 piece, 13” wide x 13” tall from quilting cotton

Pillow Back – 2 pieces, 13” wide x 9.5” tall from quilting cotton

Ruffle – 2 pieces, 42” wide x 5” tall from quilting cotton

Front Interfacing – 1 piece, 12” wide x 12” tall from lightweight fusible interfacing

Back Interfacing – 2 pieces 12” wide x 8.5” tall from lightweight fusible interfacing

All seam allowances are ½”. RST = Right Sides Together

Prep

Follow manufacturer’s instructions to fuse the Front Interfacing to the back of the Pillow Front.

Follow manufacturer’s instructions to fuse the Back Interfacing to the back of the Pillow Back pieces.

Sew the Ruffle

Place Ruffle pieces RST. Sew at short ends to create a long loop.

Fold the loop in half lengthwise, raw edges touching and WRONG sides together.

With raw edges at the top (and folded edge at the bottom), sew a line of long basting stitches around the top of loop with a ¼” seam allowance. Leave nice long thread tails at the beginning and end of your seam.

Sew another line of long basting stitches around the loop, this time with a 3/8” seam allowance, again leaving long thread tails at the beginning and end.

Carefully pull the threads to create gathers around the loop. Go slow so you don’t break the threads.

The threads will be hard to pull at first, but the more you pull the thread through a section of fabric the easier it will move.

Continue pulling gathers, distributing them evenly, until the loop is 49” in diameter.

Sew the Pillow Front

Pin the ruffled loop around the outside of the Pillow Front, RST and raw edges aligned.

When you get to the corners, you’ll notice there’s a lot of ruffle fabric squeezed into a tiny space. Pin that extra ruffle fabric down to the Pillow Front so it doesn’t get caught in the seam later when you sew the pillow together.

Baste the Ruffle in place, sewing around all four sides of the Pillow Front with a 3/8” seam allowance.

Sew the Pillow Back

Take one of the Pillow Back pieces and press ½” to the wrong side of the fabric down the long side (13”) and then fold another ½” to create a double fold hem. Stitch the hem in place close to the edge.

Repeat with the second Pillow Back piece.

Place one of the Pillow Back pieces along the top edge the Pillow Front, RST and raw edges aligned.

Now place the second Pillow Back piece along the bottom edge of the Pillow Front, RST and raw edges aligned. The hemmed edges of your Pillow Back pieces will overlap at the middle.