Estimated reading time: 3 min

Upcycling: Sewing pillows from jeans & buttons

03.03.2019 by Sabine Schmidt

Upcycling: Kissen aus Jeans & Knöpfen nähen

Sewing a pillow from jeans & buttons: A great upcycling idea for discarded jeans and old buttons. With its charming country-house style, this pillow is guaranteed to become the new eye-catcher in your home!

The most important points at a glance

Even sewing beginners can whip up this pillow with the pretty yo-yo flowers in no time
By sewing a pillow with beautiful embellishments, you can easily upcycle leftover denim and buttons on the side
With this sewing idea, you can also add a romantic country-house charm to blankets, bags, and many other sewing projects

I was recently gifted a huge collection of buttons. Naturally, I needed a sewing idea right away to really showcase those beautiful buttons.

And what could be more natural than to take the opportunity to upcycle a few denim scraps at the same time?

You have probably already seen that I like to decorate some of my sewing projects with cute yo-yo flowers.

Especially when I am working with fabric scraps, I find a simple yo-yo flower to be a wonderful idea for decorating handmade items!

What you need for sewing

For the pillow: 51 x 51 cm cotton fabric - country-style fabrics^* in natural tones go very well with jeans!
40 cm zipper^*
Denim scraps
Fabric marker^* or chalk pencil^*
Sewing thread^*
Needle & thread
Rotary cutter^*
optional: Circle cutter^*
Fabric scissors^*
Patchwork ruler^*
Sewing machine (feel free to read my test report on the Janome Horizon)
optional: Wondertape^* for attaching the yo-yos
Fabric clips^*
Buttons (traditional folk buttons^* fit the country theme well)

Tip and images

With this sewing idea, you can also add a romantic country-house charm to blankets, bags, and many other sewing projects!

Of course, I am always happy to receive a comment here on the blog! :)

Happy simple sewing,

your Sabine

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the dimensions of the pillow in the post?

I decorated a 50 x 50 cm pillow with the pretty yo-yo flowers. Regardless of the size, you should always add a centimeter for seam allowance when making pillows.
If you would like to sew the flowers onto a homemade pillow cover, you will also find the link to the instructions for that in this post.

How large are the fabric pieces cut for the yo-yo flowers?

I cut the yo-yo flowers to a diameter of 19 cm. You can, of course, cut them smaller or larger, just as you like.

Can sewing beginners also sew the pretty yo-yo flowers?

Of course! The flowers are quick and easy to sew and are great for decorating (homemade) bags, pillow covers, blankets, etc.

Links marked with * are affiliate links: If you make a purchase through them, we receive a small commission. The price remains the same for you.

Sew a cushion from jeans & buttons

Step

Cut 9 circles with a diameter of 19 cm from denim.
Run a gathering thread once around the circle close to the edge. Start on the side that will face outwards.
Step
Step

This is how it should look now:
Pull the threads tight and knot them.
Shape the yo-yo nicely and sew 1 - 3 buttons of your choice in the middle.
Repeat this step for the remaining 8 fabric circles.
Arrange the yo-yos on the cushion piece as you like.
Step
Step
Step
Step

Pin the yo-yos to the cushion piece in your chosen arrangement.
Step
Step

First edgestitch the yo-yos in place along the outside with a straight stitch.
And then along the inside:
Step

The places where the yo-yos overlap can stay open.
This makes the yo-yo wreath look even more three-dimensional!
Step

Then finish sewing the cushion.
Feel free to take a look at my tutorial for a zippered cushion cover for this.
Done!

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About the author

Sabine

I come from Siegen-Wittgenstein, where I spent my childhood breaking in cows, jumping off haystacks and scraping a D- in needlework class.

Today, being creative feels like indescribable happiness to me – and it grows even more when I can share it with others. Since 2016 I have been celebrating my passion for sewing on this blog, and I love that sewing connects so many people.