How to Add Piping to a Pillow

Remove the fabric cover from your pillow with a seam ripper. Slide the sharp point of the seam ripper under one stitch and break the thread, then repeat this about every inch until you’ve done one entire side of the pillow. Tug gently on the fabric at each side of the seam; it should come apart easily. If there are any stubborn areas, use your seam ripper to break more stitches rather than just pulling harder, which may tear holes in the fabric. Repeat on each side of the pillow until you’ve separated the entire cover into two fabric pieces.

Measure around the edges of the pillow to determine how much piping you will need. Buy ready-made piping from your local fabric store or make your own out of a length of cord and the fabric of your choice.

Pin the piping to the right side of one of the fabric pieces. Align the flat, raw edges of the piping with the edges of the fabric so that the corded side of the piping, which is thick and cylindrical in appearance, faces inward. When you reach the corners, clip a 1/2-inch notch into the raw edge of the piping so that it can bend, being careful not to cut the corded part.

Sew the piping into place using a zipper foot on your sewing machine. Keep the stitch line as close to the cord as possible without sewing through the cord itself. When you’ve gone all the way around the fabric and are back at the starting point, overlap the pieces of piping by 1 inch. Turn down the ends of the piping so that they overlap the stitch line and sew over them so the ends won’t fray.

Place the second piece of fabric over the first one with the right sides together. Pin the pieces together and sew around the edges, once again getting as close to the piping cord as possible without going through it. Leave an opening about six inches long on one side.

Turn the pillow casing right side out and carefully insert the pillow through the opening. Once it is inside, use a needle and thread to hand-sew the opening closed.