How to Make a Pillowcase

Pillowcases can be very expensive, especially when you think about how inexpensively and easily you can make your own. Here is how to make a pillowcase:

Stuff you should have

To make a pillow case you will need a needle and thread and prewashed fabric that is forty five inches wide.
How to do it

First you will need to measure your fabric. The perfect sized pillowcase is made from fabric that is forty four or forty five inches wide because with this size, you can just fold it in half to create the standard width of most pillowcases. This also cuts down on the amount of time you will need to spend sewing the fabric together. If your fabric is forty five inches wide, you only need to worry about how long it is. Most twin pillowcases are around twenty nine inches long; king pillowcases are somewhere around forty one inches long. If you aren’t sure how long to make the pillow case, simply measure the pillow that will go into the case. Keep in mind that most pillowcases have a cuff that is four inches wide, so add five and a half inches to the length of the pillow for the cuff and seams.

Next, make sure that your pillow case has straight and square edges. This will keep it from rolling or twisting. Fold the fabric lengthwise and match the selvage edges. Use edges that you know are square to make sure that each side of the fabric is straight. You can use a quilting grid, the tiles on your floor or even a cardboard box. If you need to, trim the edges so they are straight. The selvage edges of the fabric will be the length and the non-selvage edges will be the sides. Unfold the fabric.

Put the wrong sides of the fabric together and fold them over and press a seam of about just over half an inch wide along either of the non-selvage sides. Stitch or baste the seam. Now with the wrong sides together, fold and press about four inches along the same side. This will give you the four inch cuff on one side of your pillowcase.

The next step is to put the right sides of your fabric together, fold it lengthwise and match up the selvage edges. Pin these together and press them flat while making sure that the cuff’s seams line up.

Stitch the selvage edge so that that it will not show when the right side of the pillowcase is facing out. After the selvage edge is stitched together, stitch the bottom edge together making an allowance for a 5/8-inch seam. If you have fabric that is folded, then all you have to do is trim the loose threads and the seam along the cuff.

Finally, just turn the pillow case right side out and put in your pillow. That wasn’t too hard, was it?