DIY Faux French Grain Sack Pillow

I love the idea of making things out of old worn items.  Reuse, Recycle, and Reduce has always been my motto and besides the environmental benefits, this philosophy will save you a ton of money!   I am excited to present to you this very easy project, DIY Faux French Grain Sack Pillow  I have wanted to have some beautiful grain sack pillows for some time, but alas the price of purchasing an original antique grain sack has eluded me.  So I decided that I would “Make Do” another one of my mottos.

I went to the basement and rummaged through my fabric boxes to see if I could come up with some fabric that would be close enough to the look and texture of an original grain sack.  You can see the fabric I chose is close but not exact.  Next, I looked for some paint that I thought would work and I chose a  bottle of navy blue acrylic I had on hand from another project.  Make sure to get the kids involved in this easy sewing project, maybe they would like to make a pillow for their bedroom.

DIY Faux French Grain Sack Pillow

SUPPLIES

beige  or ivory-colored fabric

scissors

thread

navy blue paint

paintbrush

masking tape or painters tape

pillow form

Step 1:  Gather your materials all in one place.  Measure your fabric to the size of the pillow you would like to make.

Step 2: Tape your fabric to the size of stripes you would like to paint.  I used two thin stripes surrounding a thicker stripe in the center.  Use very little paint when you are painting the stripes.  Almost like a dry brush technique.  Make the paint a bit uneven to look like uneven wear and to age it.  Make sure to let the paint dry completely before removing the tape.  I let mine dry an hour.

Step 3:  Measure the size of pillow you would like on the fabric making sure you have an even square.  I made my pillow 15 inches x 15 inches which included the seam allowance.

Money-Saving Tip: 

Purchase down pillow inserts at the thrift store. They are a dollar at my thrift store and at least $20 apiece new!

Step 4: Pin the wrong sides of the fabric together.  Make sure to line up the stripes before you sew.   Leave an unpinned opening at the bottom of the pillow.

Step 5:  Sew around the edge of the pillow leaving an opening that the pillow form will enter into. I used a 3/4 inch seam allowance.   Make sure to backstitch at the beginning and ending of sewing.  For my size pillow, I made a 6-inch opening.  When finished sewing the fabric switch to the right sides and iron.  Insert pillow form.

HAVE FUN!  

Are you looking for more projects for your home?  Check out more of my EASY PROJECTS!

Blessings,

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