Even though it's really tricky to spell, corduroy is cool. It adds interest to any project and comes to loads of wonderful colors, like Turquoise, 2010's Color of the Year. We took corduroy's terrific texture to the next level by spinning the wale to create an awesome center diamond, then we kicked out the corners by turning those famous fabric ridges in yet another direction. We did all this without getting dizzy. A beautiful silver button through the middle adds the finishing touch. It's just one plain fabric, but by being playful with the design, it's certainly not just one plain pillow.

If you're hanging out in the kitchen, chances are your favorite pet is hanging with you. Shouldn't he (or she) have a matching cushion? Pet psychologists have long warned that forcing your furry friend to sleep on a ratty old bedspread can lead to deep-seated resentments ... and hair-balls. I have no idea if that's true, but I liked pretending to be a pet psychologist. Back to the Pet Bed... ours flips over: one side is a cool cotton, the other side is cozy fleece. There's an easy-to-insert zipper in one side so you can remove the cover and toss it in the wash. Its finished size is about 18" x 24", which makes it good for a smallish dog or a giant cat... like our sweet Ollie. You can expand, or reduce, the dimensions as needed to best fit your best friend.

The idea for this project came about from a set of embroidery CDs we received from Westminster Fibers. They have a new series of machine embroidery designs, which have been digitized to coordinate with the fabrics from some of the industry's leading fabric designers. What a great idea ... and perfect as a project to celebrate National Embroidery Month. These two beautiful boudoir pillows each feature a large scale medallion print from Free Spirit fabrics with a featured embroidery design artfully positioned. The print is ‘fussy cut' and positioned over matching plain fabric, using a raw edge appliqué technique. Easy to make and beautiful to display.

Here's another fun project we did in our booth at the recent CHA Craft Super Show in Anaheim. Again, this completely proves neither lack of space nor limited time are sufficient excuses for not making your own home décor. The other lesson from this tutorial is how a clever bit of geometry can transform a plain square pillow into a much more interesting pieced pillow. Start with a square and slice it into pieces, then put it all back together again. The only thing to remember is to add ½" to each piece anywhere there's going to be a seam. As I always say, after all the time I spent hating match in school, Mrs. Martinsen was right, I do use it all the time!

Before you close the page without even trying this project, because you just read "boxed corners" in the title and are afraid, I'll let you in on a little secret: there's no gusset involved. That's right, we've created a Sew4Home exclusive design with detailed instructions that make it easy to create a beautiful cushion with fancy accent piping and nice, square corners but without any beads of sweat forming on your brow. Read on 'fraidy-cats ... you'll be sitting pretty before you know it!

These three throw pillows look very different don't they? Look again. They are the exact same pillow pattern - just with different fabric combinations, and one with a ruched flower embellishment. Clever mixing and matching isn't just for your clothes closet.

Here's a very fast and inexpensive way to create a wonderfully luxurious gift. It uses just tiny amounts of the gorgeous specialty fabrics you see at your local retail store (a quarter yard would yield nine cuts). You could also use up those small pieces of luxury fabric you couldn't bear to throw away from previous projects. It was quite difficult to write this article, because once these beautiful, fragrant, soothing pillows were done, I didn't want to take them off my eyes. A lightly scented filling of rice and flax seeds give them the perfect weight and smell.

Why is it at this time of year there are so many ads on TV for those wacky room fresheners. Everything from candles to things you plug in the wall outlet to ones that squirt a spray into the air when you walk by. It's all very weird if you ask me. Seems like it would be so much nicer to smell a batch of cookies in the oven or a bowl or potpourri on the table or ... to tuck one of these lovely lavender sachets into your drawer or closet. Very retro, very green, very easy to make. Wrap up a color coordinated bundle for a sweet smelling gift.

These little bowtie-shaped neck pillows are nice for propping up your noggin when you watch TV in bed or supporting your neck while sleeping. They're easy to create despite the complex-looking shape. A thoughtful gift that takes only about 30 minutes to make.

It's NOT wool! It's washable 100% cotton Woolies Flannel, and it's just as cozy as it looks. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, drafty doors and windows account for 11 percent of the heat loss in an average home. Wow. This door draft buster is so easy to make, why not make one as a gift and another to help cut down your own utility bill.

For this very uniquely shaped pillow, we wanted specific parts of our fabric designs showing on each panel. We also wanted each set of coordinating panels to match. To make this happen, we had to ‘fussy cut' the triangles from our fabric, which means we centered our triangle pattern on the exact part of the fabric we wanted to show. We maneuvered the pattern piece until we had our fabric design element centered just the way we liked it. Then we pinned and cut. This process takes more time and more fabric, but the result is a dynamic, perfectly symmetrical pillow.

Down on the floor is the place to be for lounging, studying, and painting your toenails. You can't really expect a teen to climb all the way up into a chair, can you? (Insert eye roll here.) This easy, reversible floor cushion would be a great addition to any room. Simply change out the fabrics to match your decor. Make a whole set for extra seating in your family room. It's a perfect, low-to-the-ground option for a toddler's room. And, if you're feeling friendly towards Fido ... wouldn't one make a darling pet bed?!

Is there an avid environmentalist on your gift list? Then this Tree Hugger pillow is a must have. It's ever so much better than hugging an actual tree, which tends to be not only scratchy, but annoying to the woodland creatures living in the branches. Body pillow inserts are easy to find and quite inexpensive. We got ours at a local variety store for just $9.99. If your environmentalist comes indoors now and then, it also makes a great crash pillow for a TV room or dorm room.

If your favorite teen were granted three wishes from her/his own personal genie, what would they be? Twelve fingers to allow for faster texting? A school day, which started at noon and ended at 1:00 with an hour for lunch? That all days would be good hair days? The options are likely as endless as a late-night phone call. Whip up a few of these darling tufted and tasseled genie pillows and see what wishes come true for you.

There's one in every family. The helpful host/hostess who just won't rest – always rushing around to make sure everyone else is in tip-top shape. You know who I mean, don't you? This special holiday pillow is for that special holiday someone. Toss it his or her way and demand they "SIT!" Bold red letter appliqués and matching red piping make a statement even Helpful Hannah (or Hank) will have to stop and pay attention to. The pillow is reversible, so when they pop up again to refill your glass, you can flip it over and try again later.

Things that are six sided: snow crystals, the cells of a honeycomb, the Tam Tam (a six-sided matzo cracker) and ... this delightful Citrus Holiday pillow. Completely proving 1) not all pillows need to be square, and 2) you need to get a magnifying glass or microscope to make sure I'm telling the truth about the snow crystals and honeycombs.

Sew4Home Designer, Alicia Thommas was pondering a pillow one day, as she is often known to do, when a thought struck her. "This poor little pillow's so plain," she mused. "It needs a new look, a fresh take, a ... new wardrobe!" Thus was born a Sew4Home exclusive: the Pillow Jacket. It’s like an outfit for your pillow. The jacket slips over a complimentary fabric-covered pillow to create a new and unique, layered look. This adorable pinafore version is our debut version.

This is our favorite pillow pattern. Even though the style is the same, it looks different in each different fabric combination. It's so simple and uses such a tiny bit o' fabric, making a pile of pillows is a snap. The envelope back means it's easy to pop out the pillow form and wash the pillow cover, and we all know easy laundering is a MUST for any nursery item.

Liven up a regular square pillow with triangular front accents. Choose a funky button to contrast with more conservative fabrics, or pick fabrics in bold hues and patterns to make the whole pillow pop. The unique design makes your finished pillow look pretty darn tricky, but the actual construction is quite simple.

Do you have a friend who is perky? Does the description go something like this: bright, happy, bouncy, cute? We think these plump and pretty pillows are perfectly perky. I got a quarter for every "P" I used in that sentence.

When your baby isn't resting on this adorable pillow, it can be used for a rousing game of tic-tac-toe. The Nine Patch Center square is a quilting classic and very easy to create ... even if you've never tried patchwork before.

Padded bumper pads for your crib are a nursery must have. Not only are they beautifully decorative, they keep your little darlin' from bonking her pretty little head. We chose a strong, graphic pattern for the inside of the bumpers, because the baby experts say that's what babies love to look at.

Criss-cross-applesauce. That's how you sit on the floor. Unless you have one of these cool Box Floor Cushions, then you sit in style – perhaps holding a small ceramic bowl of applesauce. Make more than one and scatter them about for extra seating at a party. Coordinate them with your rugs or carpet, or make them in bright accent colors and patterns so they really stand out. Or ... would that be "sit" out?

We don't guarantee inner peace with our Ruched Asian Meditation Pillow, but we do promise style! The circular design adds a unique shape to your pillow mix, and the feel of the pillow can be altered by using different colored fabrics.

Learn to make these simple pillow coverings, and you can change the look of any décor in a few fast and easy steps. This construction has no pesky buttons, zippers or Velcro to deal with – just a basic "envelope" closure on the back, which also means you can pull out your pillow and wash the cover when Uncle Mort spills BBQ sauce on it.