How to Make a Yo-Yo Pillow

Make and Attach Yo-Yos

• 1

  Use a drinking glass or other circular object to trace a circle onto the wrong side of a fabric remnant with a pen. Cut out the circle with scissors.

• 2

  Thread a hand sewing needle with thread which coordinates with the fabric.

• 3

  Bring the needle up through the fabric from the wrong side to the right side, close to one edge.

• 4

  Fold over the edge of the fabric toward the wrong side by 1/4 inch, hiding the knot in the thread within the fold. Bring the needle back through the fabric at the fold, making a series of 1/4 inch running stitches.

• 5

  Continue to fold over the edge of the fabric in by 1/4 inch and make running stitches all around the perimeter.

• 6

  Pull on the thread tightly when you reach your starting point to gather the yo-yo into a rosette shape. Make another knot in the thread and hide it within the gathered fold of fabric to secure the yo-yo.

• 7

  Make several more yo-yos out of coordinating pieces of fabric.

• 8

  Sew the yo-yos into rows by placing two of them together with the gathered sides facing. Make a few stitches through both yo-yos where the edges meet at one point, then open them up flat. Repeat this process to attach several more yo-yos into a row, then sew the rows together to make a grid, until the yo-yo square is as large as you want the pillow to be.

Construct a Pillow

• 9

  Cut two pieces of fabric for the front and back of the pillow. Each piece should be approximately 1 inch longer on both sides than the dimensions of the yo-yo grid.

• 10

  Center the yo-yo grid on the piece of fabric that will be the front of the pillow. Use a hand sewing needle and a few small stitches to attach the yo-yo grid to the fabric at the corners.

• 11

  Trim the fabric to be 1/4 inch wider than the yo-yo grid on all sides.

• 12

  Take the back piece of pillow fabric and place it over the front piece, with the right sides of the fabric facing in and the yo-yos sandwiched inside. Pin in place with straight pins around the perimeter.

• 13

  Use your sewing machine to sew a straight line around the edge of the pillow fabric, 1/2 inch in from the cut edges. Leave 4 inches of the edge open on one side. Go back over the edges with a zigzag stitch to secure the seams. Turn the pillow right side out, stuff it with stuffing or a pillow form, and hand stitch the opening in the side to close it.