DIY Faux Fur Lumbar Pillow
If you’re hunting for an easy or beginner sewing project this winter- or for your holiday decor… this cozy faux fur lumbar pillow is one to save and try! I’ve had my eye on a few designer versions, but they were all over $100 each and weren’t quite the size or shape I was looking for. I knew it would be easier to make my own for a custom aesthetic. I spent $12 on the fur material, and $6 for each insert, bringing my lumbar pillow total to $12 per pillow / $24 for the pair… which was definitely worth 30 minutes of my time. I love the way they turned out! Click through to check them out and for the complete tutorial.
The sofa in our formal living room has smaller rolled English arms and requires lumbar pillows for styling to scale. My interior holiday tour is coming to the blog on Wednesday, but most of you already know I’m going for a traditional look. Fitting the lodge or equestrian aesthetic, fur pillows seemed quite fitting and cozy for the snowy months and holiday season ahead. It also helps to tie in my chestnut brown color palette, which you’ll see later this week. Let’s dive in…
Supplies
To get started, you’ll need:
- Faux Fur Material – I got mine from JoAnn’s (1/4 yard for two lumbars)
- Pillow Inserts – also from JoAnn’s (mine are roughly 11″ x 14″)
- Matching Thread – make sure it’s upholstery weight
- A Sewing Needle – to finish and close the cushions
- Scissors – whatever you have on hand will work
- Measuring Tape – to measure your fabric
- A Sewing Machine – not necessary, but makes this much faster (mine is a Husqvarna)
Setup Your Workspace
Gather all of your supplies and setup your workspace… thread your needle, load your bobbin, and get everything ready for a quick sewing sesh. Two pillows took me less than 30 minutes- and that included taking photos for this tutorial! Bonus points if you have a cute helper… to be fair, he thought the fur fabric was a toy and kept trying to grab it.
Cut Your Fabric to Size
You can use scissors- or depending on your faux fur, it may be easier to rip the fabric. Mine was a rip situation and it tears surprisingly straight! That also meant less mess. Leave an inch or two around the cushion to account for your seam.
Pin The Fabric
Pin the two pieces of fabric face-to-face to keep it from shifting while sewing. I’m just using plain straight pins…
Sew the Material Together
Sew the two pieces of material together, working around one edge, the next, again, and one more… stopping halfway on your last side. Remember- you’ll need a small opening to stuff the pillow insert inside (we’ll close that at the end).
Flip The Pillow & Add the Insert
Next, flip the pillow right side out to see how it looks! If you’re happy with it, carefully stuff the insert inside.
Sometimes it’s takes some effort to squeeze the insert in. I like to sew the pillow pretty tightly, so it requires less hand stitching in the next step. I just wad the insert up until it fits, then shove my arm inside to fluff it and straighten it out. This is how much room I had to work with. A little small, if I’m being honest, but I made it work.
Whip Stitch The Pillow Closed
The last step is to thread a needle with matching thread, then hand stitch the hole closed. I prefer to use a whip stitch… which is a simple stitch that passes over and under on a diagonal. Whipstitching is often used for seams and joining two pieces of material together (like this). It’s a beginner stitch, but any stitch will work for closing the cushion, and the good news? Faux fur is extremely forgiving, so the seam will be totally hidden, regardless.
Since faux fur has a backing, you can grab a comb or use your fingers to fluff the fur out of the seam, so it’s hidden. Here’s what it looked like before I fluffed it… see the noticeable seam? It will virtually disappear once you pull the fur out.
How to Style a Faux Fur Pillow
Look how cute these turned out! I put one on each side of our mohair sofa. I actually think for budget friendly faux fur pillows, they’re quite convincing and soft. They definitely give it a designer look.
These can easily be styled with a larger square pillow, a wool throw for winter, or a cozy blanket in another material. They’re super easy to layer and are equally as comfortable to lounge with.
FAQ
Yes! I was actually a little nervous because it’s pretty thick fabric, but it went through without any issues at all. I didn’t have to adjust settings or move the foot either.
At my location, they did! I know every store varies, but I was impressed with their current selection. I also grabbed some brown quilted fabric for my stocking slipcovers (sneak peek of what they look like this year).
Absolutely! Simple pillows like this (without zippers or envelope closures) are easy for beginners. I started sewing around age five- so this is also a great project to share with kids. My grandma taught me how to sew and pillows were always on the agenda as I was learning. In fact, I still enjoy working with my grandmother and we made a pillow collection together! She gifted me my sewing machine in college and it’s still the one I use today.
No. You could definitely hand stitch around the perimeter and achieve the exact same result… it will just take a bit longer.
I love the warmth & texture these add to our sofa, and they’ll be perfect here for the holidays- and all winter long. I’ll link some of the ones I saved (below) before deciding to DIY these. I’m glad I ended up making them myself though, not only to save money, but to get creative with a fun afternoon project. Sometimes these simple crafts and working with our hands are the perfect way to fill a weekend. I hope you had a good weekend as well! Be sure to check back on Wednesday for my complete interior holiday tour. I’m finishing uploading my photos now and will have it all ready for you. I’m excited to hear your thoughts! It’s certainly looking festive around here.
