Men's Shirt Pillows

Good morning! Thank goodness for a break in the heat! I spent a glorious afternoon on Sunday lounging on our new-ish patio furniture with a book and a margarita. It was nice to relax after our big Fourth of July bash...no yardwork, no food prep, no trips to the party store. Just some much-needed R & R. Anyway, my siesta was made that much better by these pillows I made a few days earlier. If you haven't noticed, indoor/outdoor fabric is a tad uncomfortable, and the type of patio pillows you can get at places like Target are so stiff. Not exactly lounging-material. So, even though these aren't weather-proof, I prefer them. I just tuck them in a deck box when it looks like rain, and the rest of the time they're under the umbrella which should protect them from sun damage.

As I've mentioned before, my sewing skills aren't stellar. Which just should prove how easy these are, if I'm willing to attempt them. And I did both in less than an hour so the nap rating can't be beat.

Men's Shirt Pillows
Nap Rating = 1 nap for 2 pillows

Tools & Materials

• Old men's shirt
• Scissors
• Pencil
• Tape measure
• Newspaper
• Pillow form (I had 2 feather pillow forms already, which really helps the comfort-factor)
• Sewing machine
• Steam iron

Steps

1. Iron your shirt, then button it up and lay it as perfectly flat as you can.
2. Measure your pillow form. Add 1/2 inch to the width and length.
3. Draw a pattern for your pillow on the newspaper based on the size of your pillow form. So if your pillow form is 16 inches square, draw the pattern to be 16 1/2 inches square.
4. Cut out the pattern.
5. Cut a slit in the pattern right down the middle, one or two inches from each end.
6. Lay the pattern on top of your ironed, straightened out shirt.
7. Poke the buttons of the shirt through the slit. Move the pattern up and down until the buttons are centered.
8. Cut through both layers of the shirt all around the pattern.
9. Turn the pieces so that the right sides face each other.
10. Sew 1/4 inch seam around all four sides.
11. Here's the best part! The beauty of this project is that you don't have to leave a space for turning the pillow right side out and then finish by hand. Just unbutton the shirt buttons, turn the cover right side out and use your finger to poke out the corners a bit. Insert your pillow form, then just button it up!

And what to do with those leftover sleeves? Make yesterday's Craft of the Week by Less Than Perfect Bliss!

Linked up to the thrifty party at Our Fifth House.