Upcycled Skirt Throw Pillow

Sharing is caring!

If we’re friends, you know I have an interest (some might say obsession) in repurposing useful items. I love finding new uses for items that no longer work for us. I find these items in my own home, in thrift stores and sometimes friends give me their items to repurpose. A friend gave me me a gorgeous hand-me-down skirt (thank you, Holly!). I adore the skirt, but it didn’t fit anyone in my family. I just had to find another way to enjoy this beautiful skirt, so I simply turned this recycled skirt into an upcycled skirt throw pillow.

Have you ever had a piece of clothing that you just loved but couldn’t wear any more (or ever)? Obviously it’s nice to pass it along to a friend or donate it to a good cause or sell it in a yard sale, but sometimes you just want to keep that lovely (or funny or precious) piece of clothing. I’ve found that making a t-shirt pillow or child’s sweatshirt to treasured pillow or upcycled skirt throw pillow solves my dilemma perfectly. (With all the or’s in that sentence can you hear the excitement in my voice over each of those treasured upcycled pillows?)

I took the skirt with me to the store and purchased the largest pillow that would fit in the width of the skirt where the flower design was. Since I’m not much of a seamstress, I wanted to make my sewing easier by using the side seams of the skirt and only sewing the top and bottom. This worked since it’s a narrow and straight skirt. If it wasn’t as straight, this project would have taken a bit longer, but by using the side seams, I only had to sew 2 seams. The entire project took me less than an hour (and that’s with interruptions by the kiddos). 

I measured my pillow and added 1 inch (for a 1/2 inch seam for the top and bottom seams of the pillow).

I simply cut the top of the skirt at my measurement. I used the bottom hem as it was and only had to cut the top of the skirt.

I sewed the top of the skirt closed on the machine and then machine sewed the hem side, leaving about 6 inches open to insert the pillow. I sewed that opening closed by hand.

I’m so pleased with how my upcycled skirt throw pillow turned out. I’m off to look through my closet (and my husbands, but don’t tell him) for more clothing items to upcycle.