These pillow covers with lapped zippers are my favorite to make! I think that these pillow covers with a hidden zipper at the back are easier to sew than ones with invisible zippers, and it gives your pillow cover a professional finish. In this tutorial, I share how to figure out the pillow cover measurements, and show step-by-step how to sew a lapped zipper on the back.
I’ve made several pillow covers for my home, and they make great gifts for friends and family. I like to make pillow covers using quilt blocks, or use of some scraps, and make a patchwork pillow cover. At the end of this tutorial, I share more details on the different pillow covers I’ve made.
If you are wanting to add an invisible zipper to the back of a pillow, I do have a tutorial for How To Sew An Invisible Zipper, but I don’t have a tutorial (yet) for how to add one into a pillow. I think you’ll like this lapped zipper technique though, because it just uses an all-purpose zipper, which you sew like you would on a zipper pouch (Lined Zipper Pouch Tutorial). I do recommend using a zipper foot though, to help you get close to the zipper when sewing
Here is a Table of Contents if you want to skip around to certain steps:
This page contains some affiliate links to products and I may receive a small commission for purchases made through these links (at no extra cost to you).
Some Things You’ll Need
- Pillow forms in your desired size – I used Crafter’s Choice pillow inserts from Walmart that come in a two pack. There are nicer options out there, but this is just what I had easy access to.
- Fabric – 1/2 to 1 yard depending on size of pillow
- All purpose polyester zipper, width of pillow or larger – I typically get my zippers from Wawak
- Fabric scissors
- Pins
- Ruler – I’m using my trusty 12″ x 24″ quilting ruler throughout this tutorial
- Fabric marking tool
- Zipper foot
Fabric Used
I find cotton or cotton blends the easiest to work with for pillow covers, because it provides good structure, especially when piecing patchwork patterns together. I did use a mix of linen and cotton scrap fabric for my Hurry Home pillow cover, but used a cotton linen for the background and back cover.
The top two fabrics on the stack shown below, are gorgeous woven fabrics from Fableism’s Happy Camper collection (kindly gifted). The brown fabric is a cotton linen twill from Matchy Matchy Sewing Club, which was actually a little too flexible to work with – I guess due to the twill weave – but it still worked out ok. The bottom fabric, with the little ditsy flowers, is a cotton linen blend also from Matchy Matchy Sewin Club, and it was wonderful to work with. I found it a really nice weight for a pillow cover, and was easy to sew with for my patchwork front covers.
Let’s get started!
Step 1: Pillow Cover Measurements
The first thing you’ll need to do is measure the size of the pillow you want to cover. If you’ve purchased pillow forms, then that measurement is already give to you, or sometimes the tag on the pillow will give the measurement. You then need to decide on the seam allowance you want to use.
In this tutorial I’m making a pillow cover for a 16″ x 16″ pillow and using a 1/4″ seam allowance. This made the math easier, and since I made a couple of patchwork covers for the front, I was already working with a 1/4″ seam allowance.
To make room for the zipper at the back, you’ll need to cut two panels. The bottom panel will be half of the width of the pillow, and the top panel will have extra added to cover the zipper. Divide the height of the pillow in half to find the middle – so in my case, half of 16″ is 8″ – this will be where the zipper is going to go.
Lower Back Panel
For the lower panel, you’re going to take the finished measurement of the pillow, and divide that in half. The zipper will be sewn at the middle of the pillow. Then add seam allowance on all sides.
In my example, for a 16” pillow, it will be: 16” + 1/2” = 16.5” for the width, and 8” + 1/2” = 8.5” for the height. So the lower panel cut measurements are 16 1/2” x 8 1/2”.
Top Back Panel
The top panel cut measurement will be the same as the bottom, but we’re going to add 1 1/2” for the fabric that will lay over the zipper.
For a 16” pillow it will be: 8 1/2” + 1 1/2” = 10” for the height, and 16″ + 1/2″ = 16 1/2″ for the width. So the top panel cut measurement are 16 1/2” x 10”.
Note: If your zipper is wider than 1”, you may want to add extra height to account for that, or if you want the fabric to extend further over the zipper. There have been times where I’ve added 2” for the zipper, and just trimmed off the excess afterwards.
Front Panel
For the front of the pillow, the measurements will just be the finished pillow size, plus seam allowance on all sides. So for a 16” pillow, you’ll cut the front panel at 16 1/2” x 16 1/2”.
You can also do a patchwork or quilted front for your pillow. I took the Hurry Home Quilt Block and added some strips to get it to the same unfinished measurements as the pillow (so 16 1/2″ x 16 1/2″). You can read more about how I did this at the end of this tutorial.
Step 2: Cut Out Fabric
Double check all your measurements, and then cut out your two panels for the back of the pillow. Cut out your front panel, but set it aside for now.
Step 3: Sew Zipper To Panels
Grab your zipper (closed), and lay it right sides together at the top of the lower panel. If the fabric you’re using is directional, make sure it’s facing the way you want. .
Center the zipper in the middle, and place a few pins if you want. If you’re using a shorter zipper, make the sure the metal stoppers aren’t too close to the edges, so they don’t get sewn over later.
Switch to a zipper foot, and sew the zipper in place with 1/4” seam allowance.
Note: If you don’t want the ends of the zipper in the seam allowance, you can trim off the ends before sewing the zipper in. This is what I did on one pillow: I started sewing the zipper in place but started and stopped 1/2” from the edge. Then I trimmed off the excess zipper at each end. Be careful not to trim off the zipper pull! (see photos below).
Fold the zipper away from the lower panel, and place the top panel right sides together with the zipper.
Make sure to line up the edges along the sides of the panels. Pin the zipper in place to the top panel, and sew along the edge with 1/4” seam allowance – I like to sew with the zipper side facing up.
Press the panels away from the zipper, being careful not to iron over the zipper teeth. You can topstitch along the edge of the zipper if you want, but only over the lower panel.
Step 4: Lapped Zipper
On the top panel side, the longer panel, measure 1” from the edge of the fabric that’s sewn to the zipper, and mark with your chosen fabric marking tool (I’m using a Frixion pen which erases with heat). Make a few marks along the length of the zipper, 1” away from the edge – this will be your fold line.
Make a fold in the fabric along those markings, and then bring the fabric down to cover the zipper. Make sure the fabric is lying flat, and totally covering the zipper.
Pin in place at the ends first, and then pin all along the edge of the fold.
This is a really good time to double check your measurements, and make sure the height is the right size for your pillow. For a 16” pillow, it should be measuring 16.5” x 16.5”. You can adjust the fold over the zipper if needed, or trim off the ends if you ended up with too much height.
Now you’re going to sew the fabric in place, but not along the fold that we just pinned – that would close off access to the zipper. Instead, you’re going to sew on the opposite side, along the edge of the zipper, but from the wrong side. This stitching will be visible from the right side, so I suggest using a matching thread to your fabric.
Turn the back panel over, and find this edge of the zipper to sew on – on the opposite side of the folded pinned edge. Place a few pins along the edge of the zipper. With a zipper foot, sew along the zipper following the previous stitch line (which should be 1/4” from the edge).
Turn the panel over to the right side and check that your stitching looks good. Remove the pins holding the fold in place.
Now we’re going to close off the ends of the zipper. Make sure the zipper is half open for this next part. Measure in 1” from the edge on both sides, and place a few pins.
Start at the edge, and sew along the fold that covers the zipper, pivot at the 1” mark, and sew along the marked line. You will be sewing over the zipper, so sew slowly if needed. I like to backstitch over the zipper to secure it.
Trim off any excess zipper at the sides.
And your lapped zipper is done! Check that the zipper works ok, and give it a press, being careful not to linger too long over the zipper.
Step 5: Assemble Pillow Cover
Now it’s time to sew your pillow cover together!
Open the zipper all the way. Place the front panel right sides together with the back panel, making sure that the lapped zipper is not upside down. Pin around all four sides, and then sew around with 1/4” seam allowance.
This is optional, but you can finish the inside raw edges with a serger if you want. This can help keep it from fraying excessively, especially if you plan on washing your pillow cover. I did this on my pillow made with Fableism fabric (shown below) becuase it frays so easily.
Turn the pillow cover right side out through the zipper opening, and gently poke out the corners.
Press around all the edges. Put the pillow in its new cover and admire your beautiful work!
Half Square Triangle Pillow
For an 18” pillow cover, I cut out 6 7” squares of pattern fabric, and 6 7” squares of solid fabric. I then made half square triangles (this makes two at a time), pressed the seams open, and trimmed them down to 6.5” squares.
Head over to my tutorial How To Make Half Square Triangles for a full tutorial.
I then arranged them how I wanted and stitched them together, first in rows, and then stitched the rows together (I ended up with 3 HSTs leftover). The finished size should end up 18.5” x 18.5”.
Hurry Home Quilt Block Pillow
For this pillow, I used the larger Hurry Home Quilt Block which has a finished measurement of 9.25” x 10”. This is a quilt pattern by Sarah B. Sews and Spaghetti Western Sewing, and the same block I used for my Hurry Home x Rue Quilt Coat.
I made this for a 16” pillow, so I added strips of fabric to the sides measuring 3.75” x 9.25”, and then added strips to the top and bottom measuring 4” x 16.5”. The top and bottom strips were the tiniest bit short, so I needed to press the panel well to get to the finished dimensions of 16.5”.
Thank you so much for following along with this tutorial! I hope you enjoyed making your own pillow cover with a lapped zipper. 🙂
