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Easy Way To Make Colourful Boho Style Jeans Pillows

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A tutorial on how to make some on trend Boho style jeans pillows.

The trouble with staying in gorgeous accommodation whilst on holiday, my home looks knackered on returning. It seems too cluttered, tired looking and a lot of it in desperate need of redecoration.

The solution is to either go on camping holidays so that I appreciate my home comforts more or to tackle the house. As I hate camping it will have to be the house.

So I made a pathetic start by chucking out a load of very old and worn throw pillows. And then I used up some of my craft stashes and made some fresh replacement boho-style jeans pillows.

Boho Jeans Pillows With Upcycled Sari Trim and Pom Poms

I’m a bit of a craft hoarder. As well as piles of fabric and old jeans I have a large stash of yarn. Every time, I catch a glance of my yarn pile in the craft room I feel that it is mocking me for being a terrible knitter and average crocheter. I’m now just resorted to using my yarn to make pom poms.

As well as recycling jeans and using more yarn to make pom poms, I used some vintage sari trim. I found the trim in my craft stash, I had totally forgotten about it. The sari trim was just what I needed to give the jeans pillows that boho feel.

Vintage sari trims are gorgeous strips of brightly coloured and embroidered fabric that were used to adorn lovely Indian saris. I know you may be thinking where on earth do I get sari trim. As with most things, it’s actually really easy to find on eBay and Amazon.

These gorgeous recycled jeans pillows will brighten up any home. They made from upcycled denim and have colourful pom poms and sari trim for that boho look.


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What you need to make upcycled boho jeans pillows

  • Old denim jeans
  • Vintage Sari trims – As I’ve already mentioned this readily available to buy on eBay and Amazon. You will need a piece of trim about 90cm length for each jeans pillow.
Jeans and Sari Trim for Boho Pillows DIY
Yarn and pom pom maker kit
  • Needle, thread and 30cm (12″) zip
  • Pillow insert – I used a 65cm X 45cm (16″ x 26″) Ikea fjadrar insert

How to Make Boho Jeans Pillows

  • Each pillow side was made up of 3 panels of fabric (6 in total). The width of vintage sari trim will vary from piece to piece. To start with I measured the width of the sari trim and then calculated the width of denim I would need on either side. I was making a cover for a pillow 65cm by 45 cm. Don’t forget to allow for a seam allowance.

    • 2. For the front of the pillow, pin 2 pieces of denim and 1 piece of sari trim right sides together and then sew. Repeat for the back of the pillow.

    Pinning Boho Jeans pillows panels

    3. Next, lay both the pillow sides (front and back) flat front sides up (see picture below). Then pin a zip between them and then sew in the zip to join them together. If you are not sure about how to sew a zip into a pillow there is a video tutorial here.

    boho jeans pillow panes zip

    4. Next, pin the rest of the pillow both sides together leaving the newly attached zipper open.

    panels pinned right sides together

    4. Then, using a sewing machine, sew the pillow sides together. Then turn the cushion/pillow cover right sides out and add the pillow insert. I used IKEA 65 cm by 45 cm inserts for these Boho Jeans Pillows.
     

    5. Finish off by making multi colour giant pom poms with your pom pom maker and hand sew one on to each corner of the pillow. To get the mixed coloured effect just wind different coloured yarn in bands around the pom pom maker.

    DIY pom poms
    stitching pom pom onto jeans pillows
    Finished upcycled boho jeans pillows with vintage sari trim and pom poms

    I love how these pillows/cushions turned out. I just love the fact that they are made from recycled jeans but are still so colourful. The only thing is I can’t quite decide where to have them in my home. I think I will need to make some more.

    Another way to have combined the sari and denim fabric were to have made a denim pillow first. Then, to applique sari fabric hexagon patchwork to the pillow.

    I’m also really pleased that I found a use for the gorgeous vintage sari trim I bought on a whim a couple of years ago.

    For more Boho upcycles, check out these DIY wooden ornaments made from old curtain fixings.

    DIY boho style recycled jeans pillows with pom poms and vintage sari trim.
    boho jeans pillows bench
    Yield: Upcycled Jeans Pillow

    Boho Jeans Pillows With Sari Trim

    Finished upcycled boho jeans pillows with vintage sari trim and pom poms

    Make gorgeous Boho style jeans pillows with sari trim and pom poms

    Prep Time 30 minutes
    Active Time 30 minutes
    Total Time 1 hour
    Difficulty Easy

    Materials

    • Old jeans
    • Sari Trim
    • Wool
    • Zip

    Tools

    • Sewing Machine
    • Pom Pom Maker

    Instructions

    1. Cut the denim to make a panel 65 cm by 45 cm made up of 2 pieces of denim and one of Sari trim. Make 2 of these panels for each pillow.
    2. Next, lay both panels face up and join together at one end with a zip sewn in.
    3. Then, pin the panels right sides together with the zip open
    4. Next, sew up the sides of the pillow, then turn right sides out.
    5. Finally, make four multi-colored pom poms and sew one into each corner of the pillow
    © Pillarboxblue
    Project Type: Sewing / Category: Denim

    For more upcycled jeans pillows check out these posts.

    For more Boho DIY’s and crafts check out these tutorials.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    5. Sandra Garth

      My former daughter-in-law is Indian and she gifted my granddaughter with lots of her niece’s beautiful outfits complete with lots of sari trim to play dress up. My granddaughter has outgrown them and they’re taking up space in a closet. I need to channel my inner Claire and get busy with some of that trim. The pillows are gorgeous and thanks for the inspiration and for joining us at Celebrate Your Story.

      Reply

    8. Julie

      These cushions are beautiful. I love working with sari fabric, I must warn you it doesn’t wear like denim though. We have a cushion cover I made a few years ago from a charity shop purchase sari and it’s starting to wear in a few patches now. Luckily I have a little more so I’m just going to make up another one. It’s one of my favourite cushions! It might be that my teens are just a bit rough with the cushions in our house though!

      Reply

      • Claire Armstrong

        Thank you, Julie. I will bear that in mind. That is why I used the trim of sari as this tended to be the thicker fabric as it was the edging and hopefully more robust. They are holding up very well so far but let’s just wait and see.

        Reply

    11. Leanna

      Boho always brings me back to my teenage years. I love all the bright colour and laid back attitude of your cushions. Very very pretty and cheerful.

      Reply

    13. Ann

      I’ll be adding this to the projects for old denim jeans I’ve got in my mental list. LOVE the bright colors of the sari trims and the pom poms you added.

      Reply

    18. Janine

      This is so incredibly cute! I love how you have combined such beautiful colors! I’ll have to check out Amazon for supplies. Btw, I’m a hoarder of ribbon!

      Reply

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