Skip to main content

DIY Tutorial: Flip Flop Pillow

Here is a pillow that is perfect for the beach house, enclosed porch, or on the deck.
Nothing says summer time like a brightly colored flip flop.
Sandy, who works in the cutting room, made these pillows with her grandchildren last summer and we knew we just needed them on the blog!

You will need:
  • ¼ yard of quilting cotton (For the front and back)
  • 3½" of contrast quilting cotton (For the sides and straps)
  • Fiberfill
  • Matching thread
  • Coordinating button
  • Iron
  • Sewing machine
  • Hand sewing needle

First you will cut the flip flop front and back out of your main fabric.
Your pattern piece should be about 16" long. Start by drawing two circles on plain paper. One 9" in diameter and then one 8" below it slightly overlapping. Adjust the shape as needed.

Set those aside and then cut one piece of 45" x 2" for the sides of your pillow out of your contrast fabric. 
Cut one strip of 19" x 1½" out of the contrast fabric for the flip flip strap.
Now you can begin sewing! 
First you will sew the strap.
It will be helpful to use an iron for this step.
With your strap laying flat on your work surface, fold over the long edges ¼" towards the middle, wrong sides together.(As shown by the bottom strap) Use your iron to press a crisp edge. Once you have your edges turned, fold the strap in half matching your clean edges, then press. (Shown by the top strap)

At this point you could either insert a piece of fusible tape in your fold or sew along side of your folded edges with a small seam allowance. 
We chose to sew along the edge. But if you are a beginner you might want to use the fusible tape.
If you are sewing, place your presser foot on the edge and move your needle to the far right position.
Sew carefully!
Next you will sew that strap onto the front side of your flip flop. 
Make a "V" with your strap, folding the one side over the other so that the middle point lays flat. Position it on top making sure the edges meet. Pin it down and then set this piece aside for the next step.
 
Now you will sew the ends of your side piece together with a 5/8" seam.

Once you have that sewn together, pin it to your front piece you just attached the strap to. 
Sew around the entire pillow with a ½" seam allowance.

Pin your back piece to the sides, then sew. Make sure to leave a 3" opening at the bottom so you can turn out your pillow.
When your pillow is all sewn together, turn the right side out.
But before you turn your pillow out, clip the edges to allow ease so your side seams lay nicely.
Be careful not to cut your stitches!

Your pillow should then look like this. See! It's coming together!
Use the fiberfill to stuff the pillow to your desired firmness.

To finish the pillow, use your needle and thread to do a whip stitch to shut the pillow.

 To hold your point down on the V of your strap, use a button or other embellishment.
If you are just beginning you may use a hot glue gun to glue down your strap and embellishment. Have fun playing with different buttons or maybe use a flower pin!

And ta-dah! 
You have a super fun summer pillow! 

Thanks for the idea, Sandy! 

Comments

Post a Comment

Thanks for leaving a comment! All comments are reviewed before posting to help us eliminate spam. Your comment will be posted within 24 hours.

Popular Posts You Might Like

Made By A Fabricista: A Mother’s Day Gift - Making my Daughter’s Prom Dress

Happy Friday All! As a mother and sewist, I am always planning months in advance for any special occasion dress. Due to the pandemic, my daughter missed all the activities at the end of her elementary journey and I was truly heart broken. She did not have any promotional ceremony, field trips or activities for the last few months of elementary school. I made a vow to myself that in Middle School, no matter what life throws us, I would make the perfect Junior Prom dinner dance dress even if she had to twirl in it at home. When I came across this beautiful blue lycra sequins fabric, I was thrilled. My daughter Arielle and I spoke a few months ago about the perfect Grade 8 Junior Prom dinner dance dress. She found an inspirational photo on Pinterest back in December which was a one shoulder maxi dress that sparkles and she was excited about me making her special dress. At the time she wasn’t quite sure of the shade of blue she wanted but after our trip to Jamaica during Spring break, she

Made By A Fabricista: Rayon Challis Separates for Me!

This month I decided to take a minute to sew something for myself! Knowing that I was about to move house (I'm excited to be getting a nice big sewing room!), I opted to use some tried-and-true patterns that I knew would be quick and easy to sew: Jalie Michelle and Jalie Geneviève . I've really loved seeing garments made in crinkle challis lately, so I selected a solid mustard yellow crinkle challis with a plan for either pants or a skirt ( Geneviève is a skirt, but there's also a culotte option available for it), and two sateen challis prints for a top (Michelle can be made either as a top or a dress). I considered making a reversible top with both fabric prints, but upon playing with them in real life, opted for two separate tops with a facing. Given that challis tends to be a bit shifty, it's best to starch it before you begin cutting out your project. It's also best to cut it out on a large surface with a rotary cutter so the fabric doesn't get distorted.

Made by a Fabricista: YouTube Edition | Marty - Let's Make a Spring Dress

Light Cornflower Blue/Fern Green/Imperial Red/Multi 100% Rayon Floral Print Challis 54W I don't have much to say about my project this time. Other than I can't be happier with how it turned out. I think it'll make a cute romantic dress for summer but also blend into the high-fantasy wardrobe that I want to create. It'll be fun to play with and explore. Hopefully, next time my life will be a little more put together and I'll be a little less stressed. But for now, I hope you all enjoy this project as much as I do. With all the chaos included. MARTY   |  @scrappypatterns Unfortunately Fabric Mart Fabrics sell out quickly! You can find similar fabrics by shopping the following category,  CHALLIS .