How to Make Fall Pillow Covers | Sew Simple Home
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How to Make Fall Pillow Covers

If you've been around for a while, you'll know that Halloween and fall is my favorite time of year.  Just check out all our fall sewing projects

I love the colors, the crisp air and the millions of projects that I get to work on to bring in the festive fall and holiday spirit.  Fall makes my heart happy.  

So when Shelly from Coral+Co asked if I might be interested in joining in on her Halloween Sewing and Craft Party, I said heck yes!  I had a few pillow appliques that I wanted to get down for the season and knew they'd be perfect for this fun party.


Step by step tutorial on how to make fall pillow covers for your patio pillows, couch pillows or as decorations for your favorite fall projects. Includes links for free Cricut cut files.
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A couple years ago I got these super great pillows for my porch outside.  I've got two nice wicker chairs and they needed something.  These pillows were the perfect addition.  

However, the pattern on them is perfect for summer, but not really very inspiring for fall.  So I got to brainstorming and decided I wanted to make two fall pillow covers.


Since fall also includes Halloween, I wanted these fall pillow covers to convert from Halloween to fall so they could be used through Thanksgiving.  

That is where the fun pillow appliques came in.  I decided that one side of the pillow cover would include a fun Halloween applique and the other side would be just fall.  That way I can turn them around and get an entire season out of them.

cricut fusible fabric


For this project, I decided to use a bit of fusible fabric.  This is a great for using for applique projects since it is has a glue on one side that fuses to the fabric once it is heated up.  

Cutting out your applique on your Cricut Maker makes it nice and crisp and then you can press it right onto your project and it will stay put.  Usually I suggest stitching fusible fabric down after you press it.

So let's get started on how to make fall pillow covers!


How to Make Fall Pillow Covers

Materials Needed

Cricut fusible fabric and iron-on


Happy Halloween Pillow Cover

Fall pillow covers with applique

 I started with my Happy Halloween pillow.  Since I was covering my pillows I used my tutorial on how to make an envelope pillow cover to start this pillow. 


Fall pillow covers with applique 
Step 1
I decided to do part of the pillow black and the other part with orange jack-o-lanterns, so I took the full measurement of my pillow cover and divided it in 3rds.  I cut 2/3rds the length in black and 1/3rd in pumpkins.





Fall pillow covers with applique

Step 2
I hemmed the edge of my fall pillow cover and then added decorative buttons.  

What's a decorative button?  It is a button that doesn't function.  Meaning there are no buttonholes.  But they look nice.  

I don't need buttonholes because my "envelope" overlaps so that my pillow doesn't come out without me telling it to.




Fall pillow covers with applique

Step 3
Finally, I used this fusible fabric from Cricut to cut out my Halloween pumpkin on my Cricut Maker.  I used the rotary blade to cut out my pillow appliques and they cut out really nicely.





Fall pillow covers with applique

Step 4
Press the fusible fabric right onto your fall pillow covers.  Just a few seconds on each section.  

If you really want to ensure it doesn't move, make sure to stitch it down.  But I decided to skip this part, because frankly, sometimes I'm just lazy like that.




Fall pillow covers with applique

I really like this pillow cover because you can simply turn it around and the pillow appliques on the opposite side are now hidden and it makes a great fall pillow cover for the rest of the season.  See...laziness pays off sometimes. 





Halloween Subway Art Pillow

Fall pillow covers with applique

Step 1
Load the Halloween Subway art from Cricut Design Space.  My pillows are about 16 x 16", but since you can only do a 12" wide mat on design space I did cut my design up a bit.  It should fit about a 12"x 15" pillow cover.  It will cut out on 2 mats.  





Fall pillow covers with applique

Step 2
Use black Iron on to cut out your design on your Cricut Maker.  Make sure to MIRROR it in design space so it cuts out correctly. Weed.




Fall pillow covers with applique

Step 3
Take your Iron-on and press it to your burlap using your Cricut EasyPress.  Using the instructions from the temperature guide, you'll want to press it at 305°F for 30 seconds. 





Fall pillow covers with applique
Since your vinyl is in two pieces, you'll need to press a couple times to get all the subway art onto the burlap pillow cover.





Fall pillow covers with applique

Step 4
Since you are working with burlap fabric, you'll probably want to move your stitch to a zig-zag.  But you don't have too.  Then follow the tutorial for how to make an envelope pillow cover here to cut out the right size burlap for your pillow.





Fall pillow covers with applique

Now you can just turn it right side out and stuff it with your pillow.


Fall pillow covers with applique

I hope you liked these simple fall pillow covers.  I really love the burlap one and can't wait to add them to my porch.

Step by step tutorial on how to make fall pillow covers for your patio pillows, couch pillows or as decorations for your favorite fall projects. Includes links for free Cricut cut files.



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