Turn Placemats Into Pillows for $5

Pillows are the best, right? A couple of good throw pillows can change the look of an entire room and they add the right amount of cozy to any space.  You know what I don’t like about pillows? Okay, you know what really sucks about pillows? They’re expensive.  As in, so ridiculously expensive that every time I pick one up to check the price tag I shake my head.  It’s out of control!

Okay I’m not here to gripe about the price of pillows, I’m here to tell you how to make them cheaper.  This is a DIY project that is so easy there is no need to give you a supply list or a photo play-by-play.  As long as you can operate a pair of scissors and don’t mind buying your ‘pillows’ in the kitchen section you’re good to go.

Yup, that’s a placemat – not a pillow. Here’s how I did it:

1.  Bought a placemat with lining on the back
2. Cut a slit in lining with a good pair of scissors
3. Stuff a pillow insert inside
4. …and yeah,that’s it

Crazy, right? Obviously, you will have an open seam on the back of your pillow, but I leave mine this way because I like to switch them out seasonally and use the same inserts over and over again.  If you want to close that seam up because your new placemat pillow is just so darn cute you know you’ll never want to replace it, check out Kate’s blog at House Mix. I originally found this idea on her blog and because she’s not as indecisive lazy as I am she’ll show you how to make more a permanent pillow out of your placemat.

That striped little cutie is one of my newest place-pillows (what my 2 year old calls them:)). I stuffed this one with a smaller, down insert so that I could get a nice chop out of it.

These pillows are also a perfect solution for budget-friendly seasonal decor. I don’t like spending a lot of money on pillows that I’m going to use all year long, much less those that I’ll only use for a few weeks.  It’s a lot easier to pack away a placemat in your Christmas boxes than a bulky pillow you spent $30 on and all of your favorite stores carry seasonal placemats.

So, what do y’all think? Will you use this pillow trick?  Thanks for stopping by!