Make your own pillows

Pillows, and lots of pillows are the new normal. Whether for your sitting room or bedroom, pillows will bring life to your space.
Sandra Muhangi, an interior designer, says one can make their own unique pillows using old clothes. She adds that if you have damaged fabrics such as bedsheets, pillow cases, African fabrics and other clothes that you think can still be put to good use, these can work well.

To make a new pillow, fold the fabric into two and measure using a tailor’s measuring line and cut using scissors into shape and size of pillow you desire to make. You can also make demarcations on the fabric that will help you cut it accurately.

Shaping
The reason you should fold the fabric into two before cutting is to give your pillow equal fabric on either side.
After cutting into desired shape and size, the next step is to sew the fabric all around, but leave an opening through which wool will be inserted to beef up your pillow. For someone with a sewing machine, this will be simple. Alternatively, you can take your fabric to a tailor to have it put together. However, for someone with a skill to sew using hands, that careful handiwork usually stands out, so do not be afraid to try it.

After sewing the material, the next step is to insert wool into the pillow. Muhangi notes that wool is currently readily available on the market and can be purchased from a number of shops in Kiyembe in the city centre. Get desired amounts of wool, according to how big and beefed up you want your pillows to be and close the opening to seal off the pillow. To draw attention in the room, pillows work well if and when they are in an assortment of colours – so do not be afraid to use any cloth regardless of colour and design, as long as the fabric is not too old.

Adding designs
To add designs to the pillow, an African fabric, or baking the colours – a dull with a bright colour will work well.
One may make cuttings in a leaf shape, triangles, squares, star or any other shape and size and form and through careful handiwork, sew them onto the pillow. These will create beautiful designs onto the pillows, making them unique and well thought.

So, whether for your sitting room couch, sofa, corner, bean bag, or on your bed, pillows will do the magic.
The trick, Muhangi points out, is to have pillows of different fabrics, designs and colours away from the normal, but it is also to make very good use of those beautiful damaged fabrics you do not want to throw away.