Button Down Shirt Upcycle

I was going to wait to post this sewing project until after I finished my closet makeover, but daughter was dying to break out her new sewing machine. Yes, my 6 year old daughters asked for sewing machines for Christmas. And the kiddie machines wouldn’t do.

Part of the closet makeover was getting rid of old clothes. And there were lots of them. I made several piles of clothes while clearing out the closet. One pile for items that were too small. One pile for donations. Another for keepsakes (we all have clothes that are sentimental but have no business hanging in our closets). I have several projects planned for the clothes but I started with the easiest one for my girls to help with.

So, what were we up to? Turning daddy’s old button down shirt into a pillow case.

Carolyn sewing the edges

This is really, really easy! Even if you are just learning how to sew, you can do this. It just requires making straight lines and being able to back pedal.

Step one: find an old button down shirt. Why button down? Because you can unbutton it later to wash.

Step two: find an old throw pillow. We just got new couches for Christmas and I don’t have pillows that match. The button down shirts won’t really be matching, but I like the idea of an eclectic look.

Fitting the pillow into the shirt

Step three: turn the button down shirt inside out and place the pillow inside it, keeping the buttons centered to the pillow. Why inside out? Well, if you haven’t sewn before, this is what is going to hide the seams later.

Step four: Begin to trim the shirt to size. Keep in mind that the pillow is fluffy. If you cut the shirt the same size as the pillow, the pillow won’t fit after you have created the seams. I pinned the corners of the pillow to the shirt on both the top and bottom to help create the needed space. After I pinned it, I left a ½” allowance for the seam.

Step five: Cut off the excess fabric. If you are worried about keeping your lines straight, you will need to mark the fabric with a fabric pen. I actual don’t use fabric pens. I use chalk. It washes out easier. Another little cheat to this is to use a fabric that has lines on it. I used those for the guides tonight since my daughter was doing most of the sewing.

20 minutes later

Step six: PIN!!! Usually I don’t pin when I am making straight lines; however, I found that front of the shirt needed to be pinned to the back because the front of the shirt is now in two pieces because of the buttons. If you don’t pin, the pieces will slide apart and make it very difficult to sew.

Step 7. Sew. Keep the shirt inside out and sew all the edges, leaving a ½” seam. Once it is all sewn up, unbutton it and flip it right side out. Be sure to pull out all the corners tightly. Place the pillow in and button it up.

Sounds easy? It is. My 6 year old did quite a bit of the work. I back stitched at the beginning and end to ensure the thread didn’t pull out, but everything else, Carolyn did. 

I plan to make a few more of these, not just because they are so easy to do, but because they make for easy cleaning. If the pillow needs cleaned, I can take the cover off and wash it with no fuss.