Skip to main content

DIY Tutorial: Pillow Book Holder

I don't know about you, but I have an obsession with Pinterest. I find so many great ideas and want to try all of them right away! I recently came across a picture of a pillow book holder. And what might this be you ask? It is a pillow you can use to rest your book on as you read. It is different from a regular pillow because it has elastic bands to hold the book in place and a ribbon to hold your page. This project is not only fun for adults but would be great for children too! It only took me about an hour from start to finish and you'll be snuggling up on the sofa with a good book and your pillow book holder! 

Supplies: 
- 1/2 yard of fabric (I used a silk brocade from my stash, but you could use virtually any woven fabric.)
- thread to match
- 1 yard of coordinating ribbon
- 1 yard of elastic
- fiber fill (1 bag, depending on how big your pillow will be.)
- basic sewing supplies



** Have a book and/or magazine handy when starting this project. I based my pillow off of magazines because I read more magazines than books. 

1) Cut two rectangles about 3" larger than the book/magazine you are replicating. Remember to measure 3" on ALL FOUR SIDES. My rectangle was 16x22". You may choose to make it smaller or larger depending on the size of the reading material. Keep in mind that because pillows curve as you get toward your seam, you don't want your magazine/book to curve with it. You want it to sit on top of your pillow. 

2) Using one of your rectangles (face up), make a mark in the middle of the long side and pin the ribbon on both the top and bottom. Mark where you would like your elastic to go. You may want to use your book as a guide so that when the pillow is finished, the elastic will hold your book in place. Cut the elastic 1" shorter than the pillow. You want the elastic to be taut so it can hold the pages in your book. Pin elastic in place.


This is what the front of your pillow should look like. 

3) Pin the other half of your pillow right sides together. Sew all four sides, leaving an opening large enough to stuff you pillow. Cut corners and turn right sides out. Using a turning tool, carefully push the pillow corners out.


4) Stuff your pillow to the desired fullness. I like a decorative pillow to have a smooth, firm finish, so I used about 1 1/4 bags of fiberfill. Amount of fiberfill will vary depending on how big your pillow is. Hand sew the opening of your pillow closed. Voila! You have a complete pillow, ready to read an afternoon away!




Tips:
- To prevent your ribbon from fraying, you can burn the ends! This only works on polyester or nylon ribbons. Using a lighter, glide the ribbon end through the flame. Do not allow it to fully ignite, otherwise it will start to curl. I recommend doing this over a sink. Burn the ends before you attach them to your pillow!

Left: Burned End, Right: Non-burned End
- So many different fabrics could be used for this project. You could try a beautiful brocade for an elegant look, fun cotton print to match your personality or how about a worsted wool or blend suiting for a traditional design.

Happy sewing! 
~Julie 

Comments

  1. Thank you, Julie!
    Been looking at so many different styles online for months now & can't justify $20 & ⤴ for it! Had this acct. For a few yrs. but only visited a handful of times.

    Appreciate the super simple way you explained. I have a LOT of rectangular pillows so I may just cover & add your cool elastic idea, with a ribbon book mark! Really helps with the pics!

    ReplyDelete

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 Denim Set for Spring

Happy Friday All! I am ecstatic to share my latest make that I had on my to make list for a while.  My goal for the month of February was to sew a mini vacation capsule for a trip, but unfortunately I did not get a chance to. I was able to make 3 of the 6 pieces including this denim set. When this beautiful denim fabric arrived, I knew exactly what I wanted to make. I have been wanting to recreate a linen look I made a few years ago using the Montoya coat pattern with a few adjustments.  I created VIEW A without the peplum and lengthened it by 6 inches. Instead of sewing the tie inside the seam of the top like I did here, I wanted to make it separate so that it looks like a jumpsuit. (Read the blogpost here ). Moreover, my body has changed and I needed to cut a size larger so that I can rock it as an open vest or a top tucked in. I love the way it turned out but wish I had extended it by 8 inches instead of 6. For the pants, I went to my tried and true simplicity 8605 pants pattern and

Made By A Fabricista: Three Spring Basics – With a Twist

Hello Sewing Friends! By the time spring rolls around I am ready to pack away my winter wardrobe and wear my warm weather clothes. Since I don’t go into an office setting – and I like to be comfortable - basic essentials in my wardrobe include t-shirts, cardigans and knit dresses. The Cardigan The idea of sewing elevated basics came about when I spotted this fabulous FTY knit with a sequin floral and scrolls pattern.  With sequins for daytime being a spring 2023 trend, I decided to use the fabric to sew a cardigan. This is not your typical cardigan. Not only did I choose a sequin knit, but I chose what I consider to be a unique pattern, the Cascade Dress from The Sewing Workshop (now out of print). I have sewn it a few times but never with sequin fabric. My cardigan is actually a top that is designed to button down the front but I made a few small changes to the pattern. I lengthened the front by four inches, removed the front plackets, and added a button and fabric loop at the front n

Made By A Fabricista: Workwear Ready

I'm excited for my first post in 2023! At the beginning of the year, I recently went back to working in person so now I am looking to make and wear pieces that I can wear to work.  The goal is to be functional but also very fashionable since I am a fashion design professor. I saw this blue denim fabric and knew I wanted to make some pants; I just wasn’t sure what kind.  I decided to make Mimi G x Simplicity S8985 View B pants.  I liked the oversized flare look, I just made one slight modification to them by adding a pintuck along the front.  This was easy to add since the waistline was called to be slightly gathered to fit.  The fabric had a hand closer to linen and was very lightweight which was great and very satisfying to sew.  I lengthened the pants by 3” and finished with a 2” hem. The top I used Simplicity S9707.  It’s an oversized partial button down top.  I decided to create a high low hem by combining two different views.   I loved the print of the fabric but honestly as s