A Denim Ruffled Pillow DIY

As some of you know I LOVE me May Arts Ribbon and I'm so lucky and ecstatic to have the opportunity to apply for their Design Team again.  SO with that comes a May Arts DIY on my blog for all of you to enjoy.

Denim Ruffled Pillow

 Is it narcissistic to say I LOVE this pillow?  Because I do...oh do I do!  And it was so simple to make too.

Step 1

Gather your goods

You will need two square pieces of fabric to your desired size.  I worked with 1/2inch seams and wanted a 11inch square pillow so my fabric was cut to 12inches squares.

Now to pick your denim and cut strips.  May Arts has two colors of 1.5inch denim.  I chose the lighter of the two but you can have a look at both of them HERE.  For the strips you will want a ruffled strip every inch (leaving a 1/2inch overlap between the two rows).  Cut the ribbon three times as long as your fabric.  So for example, I cut 11 strips of ribbon at 36inch long.

You will also need a sewing machine and thick thread.

Step 2

Making ruffles

Making ruffles are super easy.  First add a straight stitch at, the longest stitch setting, to the top of the ribbon.   I made these stitches 1/4inch in from the top.  Make sure to leave about 4inches of thread on each side and DO NOT back stitch ends.

 After sewing is done hold on to the backside thread letting the front thread hang in front.  Gently gather the ribbon by pulling it to the center while holding on the seam.  Work slowly and don't pull too hard.

Step 3

Sewing on you ruffles

Once you have all your ruffles it's time to sew them on.  Like I stated before you'll be stitching a row every inch and making a 1/2inch boarder seam around the whole pillow.  I have marked off these lines on the outside of one of the fabric pieces to help me sew.

You will want the parts of the ribbon on the side "seam" or side boarders to lay flat.  Below you will see how I pined right on the stitch line.  The 1/2inch boarder on the left will be stitched flat and on the right you'll just stitch right over the ruffles on the thread line.  TIP: Sew from bottom to top.

Step 4

Making the pillow

Now that you have your ruffles on one panel its time to sew your pillow together.  To do this simply stack your two square fabrics with their faces facing each other (the wrong side of both squares should be facing out).  You will now want to stitch around the two sides and the top of the pillow.  Leave the bottom open.  You will also notice in the photo bellow that some of the denim will stick out of the hem.  TIP: Lay the ruffled piece down and make sure the "pillow part" is cleared.  That all threads and ribbon ends are on the outsides edges.  Then lay and pin the other fabric piece on top.

 To sew the bottom I first turned the pillow the right way out.  This bottom will be covered by the ruffle so I just turned in the corners and hem, then straight stitched it almost closed.  Add stuffing to the inside of the pillow from the gap and then stitch this gap close.

You should now have a beautiful ruffled pillow.  I love the vintage shabbiness look of this.  The ribbon is sturdy but not hard so it's totally comfortable to the touch.

 I hope you enjoyed this tutorial.  If you have any questions please leave a comment and I'll try to answer the best I can.  Also be sure to checkout the May Arts Ribbon blog daily.  There are always lots of inspiration to be found.