Easy Colourful DIY Boho Pillows from Old Jeans

Create stunning DIY Boho Pillows from old jeans and sari material, adorned with playful pom poms. Follow our easy step-by-step guide to repurpose your fabric scraps into beautiful, eco-friendly home decor.

Have you ever looked at your old jeans and colourful fabric scraps and wondered how to give them a new lease on life? Well, do I have the perfect DIY project for you? Imagine blending the rugged charm of upcycled denim with the vibrant hues and silky textures of sari material, topped off with playful, fluffy pom poms.

Welcome to the world of DIY Boho Pillows! These pillows aren't just Boho home decor; they're a burst of personality, a splash of colour, and a delightful mix of textures that scream Bohemian chic.

The magic lies in the unique combination of fabrics: the sturdy, classic feel of denim, the rich, exotic allure of sari material, and those irresistible, cheerful pom poms.

DIY Boho Pillows With Pom Poms

I'm a bit of a craft hoarder. I have a large stash of yarn, piles of fabric, and old jeans. Whenever I glance at my yarn pile in the craft room, I think 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.

I used vintage sari trim, recycled jeans, and more yarn to make pom poms. I found the trim in my craft stash; I had 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 used to adorn lovely Indian saris. I know you may be wondering, where do I get sari trim? Like most things, it's 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 is readily available on eBay and Amazon. You will need a piece of trim about 90cm long 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

Step 1: Each pillow side comprised 3 fabric panels (6 in total). The width of vintage sari trim will vary from piece to piece. First, 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.

Step 2: For the front of the pillow, pin two pieces of denim and one piece of sari trim, right sides together and then sew. Repeat for the back of the pillow.

Pinning Boho Jeans pillows panels

Step 3: Next, lay both the pillow sides (front and back) flat front sides up (see picture below). Then, pin a zip between them and sew in the zip to join them. If you are unsure how to sew a zip into a pillow, there is a video tutorial here.

boho jeans pillow panes zip

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

panels pinned right sides together

Step 5: 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.
 

Step 6: Finish off by making multi-colour giant pom poms with your pom pom maker and hand sew one onto each corner of the pillow. To get the mixed-coloured effect, 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 love 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 was to have made a denim pillow first. Then, applique the sari fabric hexagon patchwork to the pillow.

I'm also 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 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
4.6 Stars (5 Reviews)

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

Check out the pillow cover design ideas, including

For more Boho DIYs and crafts, check out these tutorials.

Updated June 2024

51 Comments

  1. Another fantastic idea! I love the pop of color the sari and pom poms give the jeans! Great idea! 🙂 Lisa

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  6. You are a wizard when it comes to recycling jeans. These boho pillows are adorable. Thank you for sharing at Snickerdoodle. I am featuring your pillows at Snickerdoodle tommorow.

  7. 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.

    1. Thank you Sandra. You could combine the old trim with their jeans they have outgrown too to make some special pillows.

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  9. Thanks for sharing this with us at the To Grandma's house we go link party! I'll be featuring on my site tomorrow morning when the new party starts!

  10. 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!

    1. 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.

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