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You’ve been warned- I suck at sewing. My sewing skills consist of the oh so hard to master squiggly line. I might even be able to stitch in a circle if I concentrate hard enough. I saw an adorable pillow case sleeping mat on Pinterest and decided that making it was far too hard. Then I saw the tutorial meant for gals like me that just required stitching 4-5 pillow cases together. “I can do that” I thought. And I did. So I’m pretty sure you can do it too.
I kept an eye out for cute pillowcases and scored 2 sets of Standard/Queen DKNY pillow cases for 5$ per case ($20.00 total).
Then an even better tutorial popped up in my Pinterest feed the next day! Woo-hoo! I used this tutorial from Giggle, Laugh, and Tickle Me Too (weird name…. but good tutorial).
I decided to mix colors on my pillow cases and alternate Blue/Grey/Blue/Grey. I also swapped so that the openings alternated so the pillows stuff on different sides.
To satisfy the part of me that likes throwing something in a closet I added long ribbons, 1 on each end, so you can tie your pillowcase lounger together when not in use.
Here is my own tutorial where I sprinkle in advice from a COMPLETE novice. If you already know how to sew your way out of a paper bag then you might want to just skip the “Newbie” advice.
[box]Supplies Needed: 4-5 Pillow Cases of whatever size pillow you want inside. 2 Spools of thread in the color you want. 3-5 Wound bobbins in matching thread. Seam Ripper. Spool of Ribbon.
Skill Level: Can stitch a straight line, knows how to adjust stitch length and width on machine, can reload bobbins. (Novice!)
Time Required: If you aren’t me I’m guessing less than 1 hour. If you are me and have 2 kids then about 3 hours!
Cost: Free (if you have 4-5 cases/pillows) up to $50 if you buy new.[/box]
Getting started- Lay out your cases beforehand to decide the order. Pick two and line them up side by side so that they touch but do not overlap.
Stitch Choice- Depending on your machine you need to set your stitch to a Zig Zag but make the width at 5.5 and the length of the stitch very tight (I went to 1.0 but the tutorial I used said as tight as possible, however on that setting my machine kept getting stuck and it would stitch all in one place without moving.) This is basically a “satin stitch” if you are familiar with the terminology.
*** Newbie Caution- I tried starting from the very edge of the pillowcases. Either it was me or my machine but this caused a giant mess. By the third case I realized I needed to start with fabric behind my presser foot and started from that point, then turned it around and stitched down from that point to the end.
Stitch your two pillowcases together and keep them from overlapping. Repeat until all Cases are together.
*** Newbie Caution- This stitch takes forever… I’d guess it was 20 minutes of just stitching per case. Keep notice of the movement. I often found that my stitching would get stuck and it just kept restitching without moving the fabric on. You might have to pull the fabric to get it moving when the thick stitching gets stuck under the presser foot. Find a slow speed and stick with it, feel the fabric move, when it stops, act quickly before you have a mound of stitching in one place!
Next: Add ribbons to each end.
Find the middle point at the end of each case. Rip open the seam to the size of the width of your ribbon. Turn the case inside out and place the end of the ribbon inside.
Choose a regular zig zag stitch and sew as close as possible to the end of the pillowcase fabric.
Next, use a straight stitch and line it up with the pillowcase stitch so that when you turn it right side out it all lines up.
My husband reminded me to burn the tip of the ribbons to prevent fraying.
Insert your pillows and Ta-da! Now you have a pretty cozy Lounge/Nap/Landing Pad Mat. If you fold one pillow under it is perfect for laying on the floor and watching a movie. Lay it next to a mattress and it becomes a soft landing spot for the kids! When you are done, tie it up and store it.
Additional Notes: I was picky about the pillows. I originally intended to buy the cheapest possible but noticed they would be short and I’d have extra fabric on the sides. I went with “Extra Firm” for ultra comfort! This does make it “poofier” and stack higher than the thinner pillows.

It also occurred to me that this is going to be a lifesaver when we start transitioning Everett to his bed from co-sleeping with us. I’ll be laying on it until he gets the hang of things!
I’m addicted to Pinterest- follow me and I’ll follow back! I like as much inspiration in my feed as possible!