Throw Pillow Rescue

Have you ever found a throw pillow at a thrift store or garage sale that was fabulous, but you didn't get it because it had that mildew smell, or the stuffing was flattened or lumpy, or maybe you were just paranoid about who had used it before and what traces of themselves they had left behind? This is certainly not a rocket science idea by any means, but it recently occurred to me that these pillows could be salvaged with a minimal amount of work.

I found this great turquoise corduroy pillow at a thrift store, but it smelled like it had lived in a dank basement. I got it anyway. For a dollar, this was well worth the trouble to fix!

If you have a sewing machine, or even a needle and thread, you can turn these pillows into pillow covers. Cut open a seam, even just a corner, and pull out the old, dirty stuffing, wash your new pillow cover, then fill it again with fresh fluff and stitch it back up. Or if that isn't possible, cut the entire pillow right down the center in the back, wash it, then fold each side of the cut over and hem, and then attach a button in the center to pull them together again, or not....it's up to you.

There is no right or wrong way to do this.... use your imagination. Yes, it may not fit perfect and the inner pillow you put in may stuff out a bit, but who cares? The front of the pillow still looks great, and I've never been the type to be concerned about perfection. If the pattern or color of the pillow speaks to you, this is a great way to salvage a fabulous vintage find.

For some reason it didn't occur to me to take pictures of the back of my new pillow cover. And I still haven't found a new pillow to put inside it. I'll try to get better pics if I don't forget.