How to Sew Faux Fur Pillows Tutorial

Well hello dear, how are you doing? Me? I am a bit cold, winter has arrived in the low lands but at least we have blue skies as a trade off. I was getting so sick of all the cloudy, grey days. Apparently these past weeks have been the longest consecutive period with only clouded skies ever, in these parts. 

Anyway the weekend is over and I have been busy, so let’s chat and catch up.

As I was snuggling on my couch with my hot tea, I realized I’d never properly introduced you to my new pillows. They are a souvenir of a kind from my trip to NYC in the Fall. You might have caught a glimpse of them in my Advent Decoration post.

 

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 Faux-fur pillows that I made myself. Faux-fur is tricky to sew with, so I’ll show you how to sew these faux fur pillows in a bit…. 

how to sew faux fur pillows via Songbirdblog

 

But first the story behind these pillows because I know you are dying to know about that ….

Remember that I made my Love go with my to Moods Fabric? I had heard of it on Project Runway and it was every bit as overwhelming as I thought.

 

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Fabric heaven and fabric hell combined. Every possible fabric you can imagine was there, but how in the world does one go about choosing something here? 

I was determined to not leave without at least one genuine, authentic, hand-picked piece of Mood fabric, but usually when I am confronted with this many  choices I cannot cope and I run for the hills. So I needed a plan.

And then I remembered……

 

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Just before I left for New York I had been reading a home decor mag and one of the images caught my eye. Wolf fur pillows. I loved those. I didn’t love the price so much. So I thought, why not, lets put Mood Fabrics so the test and see if they have a faux wolf fur fabric. 

 

And they did!

 

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So we stuffed one of our suitcases with this giant piece of faux fur and I had a little job to do when I came back.

I didn’t buy enough fabric to do front and back (too bulky for the suitcase) so I opted for an easy envelope back.

 

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This kind of pillow anyone can make. Just determine the size of the front and then cut a back piece that is at least a third longer. Cut the back piece in two and fold each side with a hefty seam. Lay the two pieces on top of each other (as shown) until they are the same size as the front. Watch out that you keep the good sides together and stitch all around.

 

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For stitching the fur you need to prepare it a bit. Cut the hairs short on your seam allowance. This will make it easier for your sewing machine. 

Either after sewing the seams or before you have to properly seal the edges or you’ll have hairs flying around for decades (I used my serger for that).

And this is how the back looks. I used some leftover fabric from my stash, because I didn’t mind the contrast, but you can of course choose a fabric that matches your front a bit more.

 

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 Some final tips when sewing faux fur: wear an apron so your clothes don’t get covered in hair, keep a lint remover nearby and a spritz bottle of water to catch loose hairs quickly before they migrate and be prepared to vacuum both your sewing area and your sewing machine afterwards because this is a messy job.

 

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But once the sewing is done, all is right with the world and you have THE softest, cuddliest pillow around. And I guess that is what I have been doing a lot this weekend. Schmooz with my pillows and read magazines and sip hot tea while my guy went out for long walks (he is into that at the moment, I so can’t be bothered).


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There they are, my faux antarctic wolf pillows. All handmade, so much cheaper than the ones from the magazine. Except I had to fly to New York to get the fabric…. Oops! Well never mind, they are a lovely reminder of a lovely trip and of a very special visit to a fabric store in the big apple. And that makes them priceless.

 

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By the way I love how the fur on these pillows seems to have all those different directions. It is soft but not smooth if you see what I mean. Makes it more wolf like I think.

Anyway, have you ever sewn faux fur? Got any tips to share? Let’s hear it….

 

 

PS. I have been working on my curtains for the bay window project too. The roman blinds have been washed and are waiting their little makeover and one of the big curtains is in the laundry as we speak. We are kind of digging the airy feeling we get from  not having those big side curtains. Nothing decided yet but I might go without them all together. Or would that be too nekkid? What do you think? Prefer the left side or the right? Oh and if we do decide to go without the curtains I have to come up with a solution for the bass amplifier that is now hiding behind the right curtain.

 

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Marianne Songbird is the founder of Songbird, where she hopes to inspire everyone to create a home they love, one DIY project at a time. She shares anything from craft ideas to home decor inspiration and from DIY projects to decorating hacks. Originally from the Netherlands Marianne and her husband Lex are currently renovating a 250-year-old farmhouse in Germany.

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11 Comments

    1. Marianne Songbird says:

      Thanks, we love them too. And yes they are a sweet and constant reminder of the city we love so much. They make us want to go back badly 😉

  1. That’s what I’d call the perfect souvenir! The pillows look amazing – thanks for the tut!! 😉

    1. Marianne Songbird says:

      Thanks. I love souvenirs like this. That are useful and full of memories at the same time. Much better than a little statue of the empire state building in my book.

  2. These look so lovely in your living space. I like the contrast with the outdoorsy (I guess timberwolf pillows is pretty outdoorsy) with your leather, modern furniture. You’ve done posts in the past about decorating with HIS AND HER styles in mind. This is another example and well done!

    I think your trick to use a different material for the back to get the ‘mileage’ out of your faux fabric was a goodone. (of course I’m not counting AIR MILES) …:) PAT

    1. Marianne Songbird says:

      LOL no I wasn’t counting air miles either…
      Yes I think these pillows work well as a cross between his and her style too. We both like them. Of course I think they would look equally great on a comfy, cushioned white fabric sofa. Ah well one can dream.

  3. Ellie Van Caster says:

    What fun pillows-I just may try that one of these day! They look really nice in your room.

  4. Isn’t Mood fabulous – and scary all wrapped into one?! That pillow needs to get together with my fur throw – they would make a great couple!
    Kelly

    1. Marianne Songbird says:

      Oh yes, it is scary! I loved and hated it at the same time. So much choice and such bad presentation. Kept making me feel I was missing the real gems all the time. Will go back again the next time though for sure. A NYC trip will not be complete without it from now on.

  5. Great pillows, warm memories, and glad you are having some sun!

  6. A wonderful souvenir! I’ve not worked with faux fur, does it lose hair with use? How hard is it to wash?

    I, too, prefer “nakid” windows, but use my curtains to help control temperature in the house. I will leave them off during Spring and Fall, though!

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