Looking for an easy sewing project? A custom pillowcase is quick to make, beginner-friendly, and adds a personal touch to your bedroom. With just a bit of fabric and a few straight seams, you can create a pillowcase that’s both stylish and durable.
This tutorial will teach you how to sew a pillowcase with a cuff and French seams, so your finished pillowcase looks professional both inside and out.
How to Make a Custom Pillowcase
I’m in love with this fabric. Buy yourself 100% cotton or quilting fabric.
For one standard size pillowcase you’ll need:
- One 27″ x 42″ piece of fabric for the main body. (Buy 42″ wide fabric.)
- One 10″ x 42″ piece of fabric for the cuff.
You’ll also need: A sewing machine, thread, scissors or rotary cutter, self healing cutting mat, ruler and/or measuring tape.
Steps to Make a Custom Pillowcase
- Step 1: Cut your fabrics to the proper sizes.
- Step 2 Layer the Fabrics: Lay the cuff fabric right side up, lengthwise. Place the body fabric, right side up, lengthwise, over the cuff fabric. Line the raw edges of the fabric up, and pin them.
- Step 3: Roll the Body Fabric: After the edges are lined up and pinned, roll the body fabric toward the pins.
- Step 4: Wrap with the Cuff Now, pull the cuff fabric to the pinned edges. Take one pin at a time out of the previous layers, and pin the new layers together.
Your pillowcase layers should look like this. The body is rolled up inside the cuff and the layers are pinned at the top. Now it’s ready for sewing!
- Step 5: Sew the Cuff: Sew a 1/4″ straight stitch seam along the pinned edge. I make sure to back stitch at the beginning and end.
- Step 6: Turn It Out: This is the amazing part! You’re about to see your new pillowcase for the first time! Carefully pull the body fabric out of the sewn tube you’ve created. Marvel at your genius!
- Step 7: Prepare for Side Seams: Now put the wrong sides of the fabric together. (The “wrong” sides are the ones where there is no print or lighter print on the fabric. It’s the ugly side. LOL!) You’re going to sew the side and the bottom. Make sure to match the cuff edges together, so you don’t sew it all wonky. Pin at the cuff and wherever needed to keep it in line.
Creating a French Seam
- Step 8: Sew the First Seam: We’re going to create a “French Seam” now. It’s not as scary as it sounds. You’re basically just hiding the stitches and creating a much stronger pillowcase. These stitching steps will help your pillowcase hold together in the wash.
- Step 9: Turn and Press: Sew a “scant” 1/4″ seam along the side and bottom.
- Step 10: Sew the Second Seam: After you’ve sewn the side and bottom. Turn the pillowcase wrong side out and press the seams. This will help you find the edges of your “scant” 1/4″ when you’re sewing your next seam.
You’re almost finished!!
- Step 11: Finish and Press: After pressing the seams, sew a 1/4″ seam along the side and bottom. Important! When you’re sewing this 1/4″ seam you want to make sure you’re not catching the previous seam. If you need to be more generous with your 1/4″, that’s ok! Just make sure the previous seam is getting tucked into and hidden by this one!
Quick Tip for Faster Pillowcase Sewing
Want to sew a pillowcase in record time? Use a serger! If you’re new to serging, check out my Beginner Serger Class Recommendations for easy ways to learn essential serger techniques. I use a Bernina L890 serger, but these beginner serger projects work with most machines.
Your Custom Pillowcase is Complete!
When you’re done, you’ve got a beautiful new pillowcase, custom made!! I LOVE MINE!
It’s hard to take a picture of a feather pillow in a pillowcase and have it look good, but it’s easy to be proud of this!
Want to try another quick and practical project? If you have a serger, check out the Speedy Serger Shoe Bag—a beginner-friendly project that’s perfect for learning basic serger techniques while making something useful for travel or storage.
Keep Stitching: Pillow Edition
- Need a super quick sew? My Simple Envelope Pillowcase Tutorial walks you through an easy project perfect for beginners.
- Looking for seasonal fun? These Halloween Vinyl Pillowcases are a Cricut project with big holiday impact.
- In the mood for a makeover? See how I gave a chair (and pillow) new life in my DIY Chair Makeover.
- Need a better fit? My How Much Fabric for Pillowcases – Easy Formula shows how to measure and cut fabric for perfect pillowcases, whether your insert is feather, polyfill, or quilted.
You are really making me wish I knew how to sew! That pillowcase looks great #client
I have made a lot of these and they are so easy to make and so much fun, especially when you pull the main part out from the border. You’ll wonder how did that ever work. Most of the time I also put a coordinated piece of material about 3″ wide between the border and pillow case as a little trim which also looks nice. The 3″ piece gets folded, wrong sides together and layered with the raw edges toward the top between the other two pieces. I think I need to start sewing again!
Bunny, I totally agree! I just started making a pillowcase like the one you mentioned. They’re so cute like that too! I’m going to make some more pillowcases for Christmas presents. I can’t believe how excited I am about it. Sewing is so much fun!
Glad to actually see instructions for these cases, I do want to add the extra color between the cuff and case, very professional looking. Will make some team color cases.
Hi LouAnn! I’ll share a tutorial in the next few weeks for making some with the color in between the cuff and the case. I’m with you, I wanted to make some team colors! 🙂 I made some Alabama ones. They turned out really well, except that I accidentally embroidered in the middle of the cuff fold prior to assembly. Ugh! It was awful. I had to take the embroidery stitches out of three pillowcases. It took longer than the actual embroidery. LOL! Have fun with your pillowcase making!
Love the beautiful fabric as well. Would you give us the name or brand name? Thanks so much.
Hi Barbara! I fell in love with that fabric in Joann! I think the name of the paisley one is: Buttercream Olivia Collection Cotton Fabric Paisley Metallic Gold Metallic. (UPDATE 2025 no longer available, sorry). I hope you can find a good match!
How does that Metallic design feel on your face? I just can’t imagine sleeping on that!
It feels completely smooth! I was pretty amazed with this fabric. It washes well too.
I make them for Christmas and use them to wrap gifts. Recipients get two gifts!
That’s the best way to give them! 🙂 My mother in law gave us some that way, and I thought it was so smart…and so sweet! You’re so thoughtful to give them this way!
I’ve made many of these pillowcases in my one year of sewing and love it
Your fabric is beautiful. Where did you purchase it?
Thanks for the easy to follow directions and pics!
Thank you for your sweet comment, Donna! I bought that fabric at Joann a few years ago. Happy sewing!