Sew a reading bone with a free pattern

Sewing a reading bone: A lovely sewing project for beginners. Simply download the free pattern, watch the sewing video, and start sewing.

The most important things at a glance

• Discover our free sewing tutorial for a reading bone
• Simply download the free pattern (template), watch the video in the post, and get started
• The reading bone is the perfect beginner project and can be conjured up in no time
• ✂️ Sewing level: Easy
• ⏰ Sewing time: 1-2 hours

It’s not just a lot of fun to sew this beautiful reading bone – the neck roll is definitely a brilliant, practical gift for young and old alike!

By the way, our free reading bone e-book with pattern is perfectly suited for sewing beginners with little experience.

What’s great: You can enlarge or shrink the free reading bone pattern just as you like. This way, you get the reading bone in the exact size you need. You can also sew great reading bones for children! Our reading bone has four panels – and a nice finish on the narrow sides. Nothing bulges or dents. ;)

Why should I sew a reading bone?

A reading bone is one of those small sewing projects where you ask yourself afterwards: Why didn't I do this much sooner?

Because it’s simply brilliant. Period.

Here are the reasons why you should definitely sew yourself a reading bone:

1. Super easy & fast to sew

The reading bone consists of just 4 identical fabric pieces – that’s all you need. Perfect if you’re looking for a quick sense of achievement or want to use up pretty fabric scraps.

2. Mega comfortable

Whether reading, watching TV, or just chilling – the reading bone adapts really well to your neck.
It ensures you sit comfortably without neck cricks or constantly tilting your head.

3. More versatile than you think

Not just for bookworms!
You can use it as a:

• Knee cushion for needlework
• Reading/neck pillow in bed
• Headrest for children in the car
• Mini relaxation pillow for the sofa
• Travel companion on long flights
• Gift that EVERYONE actually uses

4. Perfect gift

Handmade, pretty, useful — is always well-received.
And you can adapt the fabric combinations exactly to the person receiving the gift. That makes it truly personal.

5. Fabric scraps? Stuff them in!

The reading bone is a dream for making good use of pretty leftover pieces.
The more colorful – the better!

Conclusion

Sewing a reading bone is a small, quick happiness project that provides you (or someone else) with years of comfort.
Try it out – you’ll definitely want more than one after!

Sewing a reading bone with an overlocker

You can sew it with a sewing machine, but the overlocker also works very well. Of course, the reading bone can also be embroidered, printed, or decorated with plotter designs to your heart's content. I printed the small reading bone with metallic foil.

Can beginners also sew the reading bone?

The reading bone is a very suitable project for sewing beginners. It is truly simple to sew and still looks really impressive. Experienced sewing enthusiasts can sew the reading bone in about half an hour. Sewing beginners might need a little longer.

Video tutorial for sewing a reading bone

Dimensions and fabric requirements

You can print and sew the reading bone in the original size. You can also scale the pattern down or up as needed.

What fabrics can I use to sew the reading bone?

The reading bone can be sewn from any non-stretch fabric like woven cotton, decorative fabric, corduroy, denim, or canvas. Using canvas or denim makes the reading bone particularly stable.

The cushion can also be sewn well from jersey, minky, teddy fabric, sweatshirt fabric, or fleece. For these, the back of the fabric should be reinforced beforehand with iron-on interfacing (e.g., Vlieseline H 250). That way, the reading bone retains its shape.

The beautiful canvas fabrics and waffle piqué are from Lebenskleidung.

What can I stuff the reading bone with?

The reading bone is washed as a whole, so you should use a filling that is washable. For example, fiberfill, which is also available in allergy-friendly versions, is very suitable.

Personally, I also really like sheep’s wool^*. It should be cleaned; you usually find it on the market as flakes that are perfect as filling material.

Can I also sew the SewSimple reading bone with just 3 sides?

Yes, of course, that works too. Then the dimensions and requirements will change, of course. It is important that you start and finish the last seam where the first seam ends. Then the tip will be nicely formed. The result of the three-sided reading bone looks like this:

What skills do I need?

• Binding and sewing in a zipper
• Sewing cotton fabric
• Sewing a topstitch

What do I need for sewing?

• non-stretch fabrics e.g. cotton fabric^*, canvas, corduroy, denim, linen
• Vlieseline H250^*
• approx. 400 - 500 g fiberfill^* or sheep's wool flakes^*

Which fabrics are suitable for sewing a reading bone?

These non-stretch fabrics are very suitable:

• Woven cotton^* (e.g. chambray fabrics^* or Kokka fabrics^*)
• Linen fabrics^*
• Corduroy fabrics^*
• Denim fabrics^*
• Canvas^*
• Decorative fabrics^*

What other accessories do I need?

• Fabric marker^*
• Sewing thread^*
• Rotary cutter^*
• Fabric scissors^*
• Patchwork ruler^*
• Sewing machine^*
• Pins^*
• Sewing needle & thread

What is the reading bone filled with?

The reading bone is filled with fiberfill or craft stuffing^*. Ensure the filling is of good quality and washable. Synthetic cushion fillings, e.g., from Ikea, are also well-suited.

For the original-sized reading bone, you need approx. 320 grams of filling material - depending on how firm you want it. With 320 grams, it is medium-firm.

Where can I get the free pattern for the reading bone?

Would you like to sew the reading bone? Great! To gain access to this and over 170 other exclusive free books and free patterns, proceed as follows:

• Subscribe to the SewSimple Newsletter
• Click the link in the confirmation email: Yes, I want…
• After receiving the SewSimple welcome email, you are officially a subscriber
• Create a customer account with the same email address
• Log in
• Click on the download link or go to the pattern via the free book section of your customer account.

• Please understand that I cannot send the pattern via email. Unfortunately, I cannot answer requests for this. It is all the more important that you follow the instructions above for the download correctly.
• For questions regarding your customer account, be sure to take a look at the FAQs!
• If the free book area is not displayed on mobile, it helps to open the page on a PC. You can also swipe left in the mobile view to see the download link. 🙂
• If you have already been receiving the newsletter but forgot to confirm your subscription beforehand (which can happen for technical reasons), it helps to unsubscribe using the “unsubscribe link” at the bottom of the newsletter, sign up again, and then confirm your subscription.

➡️ The pattern is for private use only. If you would like to sell the reading bone pillow, you need a SewSimple license.