I love making simple pillow covers out of Vintage Hawaiian Shirts. You can easily sew great looking Vintage Pillow covers out of almost any Vintage Hawaiian Shirts. The beautiful colors and patterns on retro Hawaiian shirts look so great on these pillows.
Now, if you are not lucky enough to have a bunch of Vintage Hawaiian Shirts laying around waiting to be made into these simple vintage pillowslip covers, then try checking out your local Goodwill or thrift store. I find Vintage Hawaiian looking Shirts in all shapes, sizes, and colors for $1 all the time. They are not actually old, but they have the look and will work in a pinch. Wash them with a little color safe bleach and you know they are clean!
Now, to Make Retro Pillow Slipcovers Out of Vintage Hawaiian Shirts You Will Need:
1 – 2 Vintage Hawaiian Shirts
Matching Thread
Scissors
Pillow or New Pillow Insert
Straight pins
Now, I like to simply first turn my Vintage Hawaiian Shirts inside out. You want the good side facing in.
Now, insert your pillow into the Vintage Hawaiian Shirt from the bottom. Place it so that the sweater wraps around it comfortably.
Now, take your straight pins and outline the Vintage Hawaiian Shirts making sure to pin straight lines on all four sides. Leave the shirt buttoned.
Now, I like to unpin the bottom side and slide the inserted pillow out. This is optional though. It certainly is a lot easier to sew the pillow slipcover from the Vintage Hawaiian Shirts if there is no pillow inside though.
Now, sew along the top and the two sides with your sewing machine. I recommend starting at the bottom left and working my way to the bottomed right.
Now, I also recommend sewing this Vintage Hawaiian Shirts pillow slip cover with a matching thread, you will most likely be able to see the thread at some point, so pay attention to detail.
Now, you should also sew these three sides at least twice. This will ensure your pillowslip cover stays together.
Now, cut of any lose thread and trim the three sides of the retro shirt down to about three inches away from the lines you just sewed. Do not cut on the bottom where you have not sewn.
Now, turn the Vintage Hawaiian Shirts slipcover inside out. Insert your pillow back inside and sew it closed with your sewing machine or by hand. This is when you really do need the matching thread so it does not show up so much.
Basically you are finished.
If you want to sew some retro or Hawaiian embellishments onto the pillowslip cover I recommend using another piece of a different colored Vintage Hawaiian Shirt.
Cut out a square of fabric that is about three inches bigger in each direction than the ship you want.
Now, before you insert the pillow and sew the slipcover shut you want to lay your piece of vintage accent fabric onto the front of the fabric. Use a piece of chalk to outline your shape. Now, use the sewing machine to sew along the chalk line. You need to bunch the other side up so you do not sew through bow sides of the pillow cover. It will keep you from inserting your pillow if you do.
Now, take your scissors and trim off about ½ to 1-inch away form the line you sewed outlining the palm tree or Hula Girl shape.
Remove any excess fabric then insert the pillow and sew it closed!
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