Three everyday household items you can repurpose to make inexpensive throw pillows, plus a quick no-sew method you can do in minutes.
I’m not a seamstress—just putting that out there up front.
My mom tried to teach me to sew when I was young, but I never quite became friends with the sewing machine. What I did learn from her, however, was how to transform everyday items into beautiful home decor. She showed me how to paint furniture, remake thrifted finds, and decorate using what we already own. Those lessons are the foundation of many of the budget-friendly projects I share here.
I still dream of sewing my own curtains or a slipcover someday, but until then I rely on no-sew solutions that give me the look I want without the fuss. One of my favorite tricks is turning napkins, kitchen towels, and small accent rugs into pillow covers. They’re inexpensive, usually already hemmed, and come in ready-made sizes that work perfectly for pillows.
Three easy items to repurpose into DIY no-sew throw pillows:
1. Cloth napkins
2. Kitchen towels
3. Small accent rugs
I picked each of the pieces I used for less than $10, and they made lovely pillow covers. I also try to buy or make covers only and use existing pillow inserts I already own—this helps avoid accumulating a mountain of finished pillows.
How to make no-sew throw pillows
This no-sew method works on any fabric, but napkins, towels, and small rugs are convenient because their edges are already finished. Below is a simple, step-by-step guide you can follow to turn common household items into decorative pillow covers quickly.
Supplies used:
- Fabric of your choice (cloth napkins, kitchen towels, or a small accent rug)
- Iron and ironing board
- Heat n Bond hemming tape or another iron-on bonding tape
- Scissors
- Velcro dots or a small strip of hook-and-loop tape
- Pillow inserts or polyfill stuffing (you can reuse stuffing from old pillows)
With affordable napkin sets, inexpensive kitchen towels, and sale rugs, plus hemming tape and Velcro, my cost per pillow ranged roughly $5–$12. Not bad for a custom look on a budget.
Step-by-step instructions:
1. Iron your fabric first to remove wrinkles and make the edges lie flat.
2. If you’re using two cloth napkins, lay one print-side up on your work surface and place the second on top print-side down so the right sides face each other. For a larger kitchen towel or small rug, you can fold it in half with the right side facing inward to create a lumbar-shaped pillow.
3. Measure and cut strips of hemming tape to the length of the edges you plan to fuse.
4. Place the hemming tape between the two fabric layers along three of the four edges, following the product instructions to bond the fabric with an iron. Leave one edge open so you can insert the pillow form or stuffing.
If your rug is especially thick, a few hand stitches with a heavy-duty needle and cord will hold better than the tape. For most standard fabrics, strong hemming tape works well.
5. Turn the pillow cover right-side out, then insert your pillow form or stuff with polyfill. Reusing filling from old pillows is a great way to save money and reduce waste.
6. Close the remaining opening with Velcro dots or a strip of hook-and-loop tape. If you prefer a permanent finish, you can fuse that last edge with hemming tape as well.
For someone who can’t sew, this method gives me stylish, custom pillows in very little time. A $4 kitchen towel became a long lumbar pillow that looks perfectly at home on our king-sized bed.
I love how the gray rose napkin pillows blend with our simplified spring decor. This project is proof that you don’t need to spend $20–$40 on a decorative pillow when a little creativity and a common household item can achieve the same look for far less.
Have you turned any unexpected items into pillows? I’d love to hear about your projects and what worked for you.
