How to Make a Beaded Pillow

Nothing is more elegant than a beaded pillow laying on your bed or sofa. In home decor stores, they can sell for a lot of money, but you can make a beaded pillow for a lot less.

Cut two pieces of fabric large enough to form the front and back of the pillow form cover. The size will depend on the dimensions of the pillow form. Do not forget to add an extra inch or half inch for stitching excess.

Lay out the top side of the pillow cover fabric on a flat surface. On the paper, draw a pattern of the beaded design you want on the finished beaded pillow. You may get ideas from home decor books, craft pamphlets, or geometric or floral designs on the internet. Transfer the pattern to the good side of the pillow fabric with a washable fabric marker or quilters carbon paper.

Thread the beading needle with the strong beading thread or mono-filament. Start on the wrong side of the pillow cover fabric and draw the needle through the beginning of the beading pattern. Leave a few inches of thread on the wrong side to secure the stitches.

Bead all around your chosen beaded pillow pattern with your choice of beads. This is commonly done with small, glass seed beads. Put a maximum of four to five beads on the needle before taking a stitch through the pillow top fabric. Take care to make the beads lay flat against the pillow fabric. Otherwise, they will bunch when the pillow is squished and may be snagged and break off more easily.

Weave the ends of the beading thread into the back of the beading stitches on the pillow fabric. This will secure the stitches completely. Do not knot the thread, as this will cause lumps in your finished pillow.

Place the front of the beaded pillow case fabric onto the right side of the other piece of fabric. With the right sides together, use a sewing machine to stitch straight around the outside of three sides. Clip the corners, if applicable, to ensure a smooth seam when finished. Turn the pillow case right side out.

Slide the pillow form into the beaded fabric pillow case. Make sure it fills the case completely without bunching or sagging fabric. Once the beaded fabric is smooth on the pillow, turn under the open end to the inside of the case. Thread a sewing needle with thread that matches the pillow fabric and stitch the open side closed with small, even stitches. Your beaded pillow is now ready to display on your couch or bed.