Crochet guide
Putting a crochet pillow together
A crochet pillow is a cover and a pillow form. Make the cover a little smaller than the form, so that it stretches over it and the pillow looks full. Join two panels, or fold one long piece. Then sew the last side shut, or close it with a buttoned flap or a zipper so that the cover can come off.
On this page 6 parts
The size of the cover
Buy or measure the pillow form first. A pillow form is the plain stuffed pillow that goes inside, also called an insert or a pad.
Make the cover a little smaller than the form. Crochet stretches, so a cover that is slightly small pulls tight over the form and the pillow looks full. A cover that is too large sags. One guide makes it about a quarter of an inch (about 0.6 cm) smaller on each side.
Make the fabric dense as well, so that the form does not show through it. A hook a little smaller than the yarn calls for gives a denser fabric. Gauge shows how to measure what you are making.
Two panels, or one piece
A cover is built in one of two ways:
- Two panels. A front and a back of the same size, joined round the edges.
- One piece. A tube worked in the round, or a strip joined into a ring, closed at its two open ends. One guide also folds a single long piece in half and joins the sides.
The back does not have to be crochet. A piece of woven fabric cut to size can take its place, sewn or crocheted to the crochet front.
Joining the edges
The edges are sewn together with yarn and a needle, or crocheted together with a row of stitches worked through both edges at once. Joining and seaming pieces compares the seams, and whip stitch shows the usual sewn one.
Leave one side open for the form.
How it closes
Sewn shut. Put the form in and sew the last side closed. It is the plainest way, but the cover cannot come off.
A buttoned flap. Make one panel longer than the other. The extra length folds over the opening as a flap, like an envelope, and buttons hold it down. Buttonholes shows how to make the holes.
A zipper. Sew a zipper into the last side. Adding a zipper to crochet gives the steps.
A cover that opens can be taken off the form and washed by itself. How to wash crochet covers the washing.
The filling
Most covers go over a ready-made pillow form. One pattern fills its cushion with loose toy stuffing in place of a pad.
Where to go next
- Joining and seaming pieces for the seam.
- Adding a zipper to crochet and closures for crochet for ways to fasten the cover.
- Sewing crochet to fabric for a fabric back.
- How to wash crochet for washing the cover.