How to Sew a Pillow Cover: Envelope Closure Tutorial
A pillow cover with an envelope closure is one of the easiest beginner projects. No zipper, no buttons — just a folded back closure that slips on and off easily. Full step-by-step.
A pillow cover is the home-decor version of a beginner sewing project. Two pieces of fabric, three straight seams, and a folded back closure that lets you swap covers seasonally without unzipping anything. From cutting to finished cover is about 90 minutes.
This tutorial covers the envelope closure style — the most beginner-friendly. The back of the cover overlaps in two folded panels rather than using a zipper. The pillow form slips in through the overlap.
What you need
- Fabric: medium-weight cotton, linen, canvas, or upholstery fabric. About 0.5 m of 140 cm wide fabric for a 45 cm pillow.
- Pillow form in your target size (40 cm or 45 cm square is standard).
- Sewing machine, thread, pins, scissors, fabric marker, iron.
For pillow covers, sturdier fabric works better than lightweight. Quilting cotton, canvas duck, or home-decor fabric all suit the project. Avoid silk and very lightweight cotton.
Calculating fabric
For a pillow form measuring W × H, you need:
- One front piece: W + 2 cm × H + 2 cm (1 cm seam allowance on all sides).
- Two back pieces: W + 2 cm × (H/2 + 8 cm) each. The two back pieces overlap to form the envelope opening.
For a 45 × 45 cm pillow form:
- Front: 47 × 47 cm
- Back: two pieces, each 47 × 30.5 cm
The back is intentionally larger than half the front because the pieces overlap by about 12 cm in the centre.
Step 1: Cut the pieces
Pre-treat fabric first (especially if it’s a natural fibre that might shrink). Mark and cut all three pieces.
Step 2: Hem the inner edges of the back pieces
The two back pieces will each have one hemmed edge that meets in the centre of the back when assembled.
For each back piece:
- Fold one long edge under 1 cm to the wrong side. Press.
- Fold under again 1 cm. Press.
- Sew along the top of the fold to secure.
Both back pieces now have one finished edge.
Step 3: Layer the pieces
- Lay the front piece flat, right side up.
- Place one back piece on top, right side down, with the hemmed edge running across the middle of the front. The cut edges of this back piece align with three sides of the front (top, left, bottom — or whichever orientation).
- Place the second back piece on top, right side down, with its hemmed edge overlapping the first back piece’s hemmed edge by about 12 cm in the centre.
The cut edges of all three pieces now align around all four sides of the cover.
Step 4: Pin and sew the perimeter
- Pin all four sides through all three layers.
- Sew around the entire perimeter with a 1 cm seam allowance.
- Backstitch where the back pieces overlap (this stress point benefits from extra reinforcement).
Step 5: Trim and turn
- Trim the four corners diagonally (don’t cut into the stitching) so the corners turn out crisply. See our mitered corners tutorial for related corner techniques.
- Turn the cover right-side out through the back overlap opening.
- Push out the corners with a chopstick or point turner.
- Press flat.
Step 6: Insert the pillow
The cover is done. Insert the pillow form through the back overlap. The two hemmed back panels overlap to keep the form inside.
Variations
| Variation | Change |
|---|---|
| Round pillow | Cut a circle for front; circle for back with 12 cm overlap |
| Bolster | Long rectangular form; two end pieces with circular caps |
| Piped edges | Add bias-cut piping in the seam during step 4 |
| Ruffled edges | Add gathered ruffle strip in the seam during step 4 |
| Zippered closure | Replace envelope back with a single back piece + zipper |
| Bound buttonhole closure | Closure with bound buttonholes for upscale look |
Closing thought
A pillow cover takes about 90 minutes from cut to finished and produces a real, useful object that you’ll see every day. It’s also a great way to use small pieces of fabric you’ve fallen in love with — a half-metre of expensive fabric becomes a custom pillow cover instead of sitting in the stash forever.
For more beginner projects with similar timeframes, see our 25 beginner sewing projects guide. For zippered closure variations, see our zipper pouch tutorial — the same closure technique scales up to pillow size.