Easy Patriotic Placemat Pillows

A simple DIY tutorial for patriotic throw pillows that are perfect for 4th July or Memorial Day decor.

Patriotic pillows on cream sectional set outdoors

Every year my boys and I look forward to summer fun and the Fourth of July! After making the easiest DIY placemat pillows earlier this year, I knew patriotic pillows were a must to help get us get into the holiday spirt! I picked up patriotic themed placemats at HomeGoods for just under 10 dollars and quickly got to work on this round of festive DIY pillows.

Red, white and blue striped patriotic placemats

Close up of red, white and blue patriotic placemats

You are not going to find an easier pillow tutorial than this. If you can sew a somewhat straight line, then you'll do just great. Trust me on this!

Table of Contents show

What You'll Need to Make These Patriotic Placemat Pillows

Placemats with a thick edge on the back
White fabric
Sewing machine & Thread
Scissors
Batting (easier than finding a perfectly fitting pillow form)

Directions

Step 1: Cut the white fabric so that it fits just inside the sewed border on the underside of the placemat. I chose a stretchy "sport" fabric from JoAnn (it was $7.99 a yard). It's a bit more forgiving if you don't cut it perfectly since you can stretch it a bit. Fold under the raw edges slightly and pin in place.

DIY patriotic throw pillow tutorial- cutting white fabric and pinning to underside of placemat

Step 2: Stitch and sew the white fabric to the placemat all along the edge of the original sewed seam.

Using sewing machine to sew white fabric along the edge of patriotic placemat

White fabric stitched the inside border of patriotic placemat

Step 3: When you get to the fourth side, leave an opening big enough to fit your hand through it so that you can add the stuffing. Fill it with the batting, making sure your pillow is nice and plump. Make sure to really get into those corners!

Step 4: Sew up the hole - either by hand or if you can, with a sewing machine.

Sewing up the final corner of the pillow to enclose the stuffing

The corner of a pillow case, showing the stitching of the white fabric against the placemat pillow case

And that's it! So simple! This method of pillow creating actually creates a really nice border on the finished side of the pillow. They do not look like DIY pillows when they are finished!

Red, white and blue striped DIY patriotic pillow on cream couch

Once done with this easy project, I brought my new Patriotic pillows outside to our deck. They instantly created a joyful atmosphere and got us ready to celebrate the fourth!

4th of July throw pillows made from cheap placemats on outdoor couch

An easy 4th of July craft project - placemat throw pillows!

I picked up some patriotic accessories at Target to add to the look. For very little money, our outdoor space was ready for firework season!

Target dollar spot items and patriotic pillows for a 4th of July party

Looking to find creative ways to get into the holiday spirit? These DIY patriotic pillows are an easy and inexpensive way to add some joyous decor to your home! Be sure to check out my other DIY projects for your home!

Other DIY Home Decor Projects