Multi Purpose Pillow Pockets
This is a very versatile and customizeable pocket made out of a pillow case. Use it as an apron, put it on Grandma's walker, tie it to the kid's stroller, use it for whatever you want! This is a good project for beginners and it takes less than an hour from start to finish. For the purpose of the tutorial, I have used a plain white pillowcase.
This is an entry for Etsy's Sew Useful contest. You can see this and other items at my Etsy shop: nerdbomber.etsy.com
This is an entry for Etsy's Sew Useful contest. You can see this and other items at my Etsy shop: nerdbomber.etsy.com
Get Ready!
Materials:
- pillowcase
- thread
- ribbon
- scissors
- pins
- measuring tape
- tracing paper and wheel or washable marker
- straight edge or ruler
You will also need a sewing machine unless you want to stitch by hand.
The basic premise of this pocket is that it is just a folded pillowcase sewn in all the right places. There are two rows of pockets: upper and lower. Vertical stitches are added to make pockets.
Before you begin, decide what you will use your pockets for. This will help you plan where you want your pockets and how big they will be. It will also help you decide how much ribbon you need. If you want an apron, you will need a single length of ribbon about 60" to 70" long. If you are using it for a stroller, walker etc., you will need two lengths about 30" to 40" long.
Read the entire instructable and have a plan in mind before you begin. It is easier to make a plan than to fix mistakes.
- pillowcase
- thread
- ribbon
- scissors
- pins
- measuring tape
- tracing paper and wheel or washable marker
- straight edge or ruler
You will also need a sewing machine unless you want to stitch by hand.
The basic premise of this pocket is that it is just a folded pillowcase sewn in all the right places. There are two rows of pockets: upper and lower. Vertical stitches are added to make pockets.
Before you begin, decide what you will use your pockets for. This will help you plan where you want your pockets and how big they will be. It will also help you decide how much ribbon you need. If you want an apron, you will need a single length of ribbon about 60" to 70" long. If you are using it for a stroller, walker etc., you will need two lengths about 30" to 40" long.
Read the entire instructable and have a plan in mind before you begin. It is easier to make a plan than to fix mistakes.
Fold Bottom Pockets.
This step makes the bottom row of pockets.
The bottom row should be as deep or deeper than those on top.
A good way to do this is to fold up about 1/3 of the pillowcase, or about 10".
Pin the sides of the portion you have just folded up.
The bottom row should be as deep or deeper than those on top.
A good way to do this is to fold up about 1/3 of the pillowcase, or about 10".
Pin the sides of the portion you have just folded up.
Make Room for a Seam
Now fold back 1/4" of the portion you have just folded up. (The fold is where the "bottom" of the pillowcase was before you pinned it)
This fold makes room for a seam which divides the upper and lower pockets. Make your fold straight so you can use it as a guide while sewing. For now, just pin the fold, don't sew yet.
This fold makes room for a seam which divides the upper and lower pockets. Make your fold straight so you can use it as a guide while sewing. For now, just pin the fold, don't sew yet.
Pin the Ribbon
Make sure that the center of your ribbon is lined up with the center of the pillowcase.
Open up the pillowcase and pin the ribbon ONLY to the BACK of the opening, making sure that the ribbon flush with the edge. If you sew the opening shut, you will not have upper pockets.
Open up the pillowcase and pin the ribbon ONLY to the BACK of the opening, making sure that the ribbon flush with the edge. If you sew the opening shut, you will not have upper pockets.
Start Sewing!
Now that you have everything pinned, you can start sewing!
First, sew along the 1/4" fold you made in the middle of the pillowcase. This seam makes the bottom of the upper pockets.
Tips!
- use the edge of the fold as a guide to keep the seam straight.
- This will get a lot of use, so use a sturdy stitch. A straight stitch may not be enough.
- Remember to reenforce the beginning and end of your seams. Use the reverse function on your machine to make sure the seams will not come undone.
First, sew along the 1/4" fold you made in the middle of the pillowcase. This seam makes the bottom of the upper pockets.
Tips!
- use the edge of the fold as a guide to keep the seam straight.
- This will get a lot of use, so use a sturdy stitch. A straight stitch may not be enough.
- Remember to reenforce the beginning and end of your seams. Use the reverse function on your machine to make sure the seams will not come undone.
Keep Sewing!
Now sew the ribbon onto the pillowcase. This makes the ties so you can use your handy dandy pillowcase pockets.
Tips!
-You may want to sew on both edges of the ribbon or use a sturdy stitch. This seam bears the weight of whatever you carry in your pockets, so make it strong!
- Don't sew too far, be sure to sew only on the back of the pillowcase.
Tips!
-You may want to sew on both edges of the ribbon or use a sturdy stitch. This seam bears the weight of whatever you carry in your pockets, so make it strong!
- Don't sew too far, be sure to sew only on the back of the pillowcase.
Keep on Sewing!
Now sew the outer edges of the bottom pockets (The sides of the pillowcase). Keep the edges flush and smooth when sewing so you don't get wonky pockets.
Make Your Marks!
In this step you mark where you want your pockets to be. For the purpose of this tutorial, I have made it really simple. You can make as many pockets of any size as you want.
Use your tape measure to decide how wide you want your pockets. Here I measured 5 1/2" in from the edges of the pillowcase.
It is a good idea to place pins every few inches down the length of the pillowcase to keep the line straight.
Use your ruer or straight edge to line up the pins and use your tracing wheel or washable marker to make a line where you want your pocket to be.
This line will run the length of your pillowcase.
Remember: measure twice and sew once!
Use your tape measure to decide how wide you want your pockets. Here I measured 5 1/2" in from the edges of the pillowcase.
It is a good idea to place pins every few inches down the length of the pillowcase to keep the line straight.
Use your ruer or straight edge to line up the pins and use your tracing wheel or washable marker to make a line where you want your pocket to be.
This line will run the length of your pillowcase.
Remember: measure twice and sew once!
Make Pockets!
Sew along the lines you have just made for your pockets.
A straight stitch should be fine, but feel free to get fancy.
Go slowly so your stitches a nice and straight!
A straight stitch should be fine, but feel free to get fancy.
Go slowly so your stitches a nice and straight!
Use It!
Trim any loose threads and make sure there are no holes in your pockets. If there is anything you need to redo or straighten, fix it now!
Now all you need to do is go out and use it. These make great aprons, stroller caddys, walker caddys, crib caddys... whatever you can think of! It is easy to make this project custom for your own use, so get creative!
Now all you need to do is go out and use it. These make great aprons, stroller caddys, walker caddys, crib caddys... whatever you can think of! It is easy to make this project custom for your own use, so get creative!