The $8 Throw Pillow

After purchasing a down throw pillow insert at Ikea for $7, I decided to dust off my sewing machine. I couldn't believe how much people pay for the covers of the throw pillows. Once you've bought the insert and cover, you've easily paid $20, $30... $50... Way too much!

I went to Goodwill Outlet* and found a plus-size dress in a gray/pink floral print with a long zipper in the back. The dress cost $0.50. I also found a light aqua sheet with a white floral print. $0.25. Talk about cost effective.

The zipper from the dress was the same length as the pillow (20 inches), so I decided to re-purpose it in making the throw cover removable if needed to be washed. Using a seam ripper, the zipper came off easily and I sewed it onto both of the fabrics used to cover the pillow before sewing up the other sides.

There you have it ladies and gents, a down throw pillow for under $8. Plus, it's way cuter and more personal than any throw you'd find at a home goods store.


*Goodwill Outlet does indeed exist. The one in Seattle is a warehouse of used clothes, furniture, and other items piled high before they are sent off to the other Goodwill stores. It can be overwhelming with the bins and bins of unsorted items to rummage through. It can be frightening with some shoppers donned in latex gloves and flu masks in an attempt to avoid possible germs on second-(or tenth)-hand items. However, the gratification of stepping up to the cashier, piling your goods onto a scale, paying for them by weight (not by brand, size, or level of awesome) will indeed fill you with joy and you will soon forget about the terrifying adventure it took to get to the cash register of Goodwill Outlet.