I'm a pillow-loving gal from way back. I mean WAY back. You can ask anyone who knows me. Especially my husband who STILL asks me why we need so many pillows on our bed! So it's no surprise that I'm always on the lookout for affordable, fashionable, accent pillows. You can totally change the look of a room with nothing more than a few new pillows. I should know. I do it all the time.
Do I ever feel like I need an intervention to keep me from buying new pillows? Honestly, yes. But that feeling is fleeting after I remind myself that I never (okay, almost never) buy new and/or full-priced pillows. And I've even been known to make them myself from scratch as well. Every year I tend to go nuts on Christmas pillows but that's a story for another day. Today it's all about some thrift store pillows I picked up at Goodwill for 99 cents each. I'm sharing what I did with them as part of a monthly Thrift Store Challenge I participate in with a group of like-minded bloggers who appreciate a good thrift store find as much as I do!
The Rules:
- Upcycle an item(s) from a thrift store, resale store, or garage sale into a new piece of decor.
- There's no monthly theme.
- There's no budget to stick to.
Meet the Hosts
Angela | Simply Beautiful by Angela
Jennifer | Cookies Coffee and Crafts - Michelle | Our Crafty Mom
Deborah | Salvage Sister & Mister - Pam | P.S. I Love You Crafts
Gail | Purple Hues and Me - Ann | Duct Tape and Denim
Pili | My Sweet Things - Denise | My Thrifty House
Victoria | Dazzle While Frazzled - Chec | Inside the Fox Den
Michelle | Michelle James Design - Marie | The Inspiration Vault
Yami | The Latina Next Door - Florence | Vintage Southern Picks
Debra | Shoppe No. 5 - Kathleen | Our Hopeful Home
Deborah | Salvage Sister & Mister
Make sure you follow our board on Pinterest for more upcycled decor inspiration!
There's even detailed piping.
Now I know some of you are already saying, uh uh, no way -- I'm not buying used pillows! And I hear you. Believe me, if I am buying thrifted pillows I am VERY particular about them and their condition. The real question is: are they washable?
Here's one of the two pillow covers I picked up. When I purchased the set they were filled with polyfil -- but that's not really washable per se. So I had to pull it all out and wash the covers (even though they looked clean and almost new I just had to be sure). I took pictures of the pillows before I gutted them -- but those pictures were on my iPhone and were not in the Cloud. Yes, they were on THE iPhone that had to be scraped clean by Apple this past weekend, after I updated my phone and it literally locked me out. You can still hear the tears falling, thousands of photos and days later. But I digress.
After I washed the 22"x 22" pillow covers in the washing machine (on cold, gentle) I dried them in the clothes dryer and filled them with brand new, clean polyfil. And then I poofed them, of course. It took approximately one and a half 16 oz. bags of polyfil to fill the two pillows. It cost around $3.50 per bag at Wal-Mart. So my actual cost for polyfil used: $5.15. I would have stuffed them with down pillow forms I already had but the zippered openings were not large enough for me to do that.
There's even detailed piping.
I'm a French farmhouse fanatic and I think these pillows have somewhat of a French farmhouse vibe going on. Anything burlap-y with script on it and I'm in! Not to mention those laurel wreaths! Ironically, the words are the names of teas, written in French! I am also a hard-core tea drinker -- sorry, but no coffee for this girl! I googled the pillow and saw that it's been sold on Etsy and Amazon, but is no longer available on either site. The one on Etsy sold for $34.00. Yes, $34.00. Even if it had the pillow form already in it, that's one expensive pillow! (My total cost: $7.15.)
I simply adore how well they work in this room.
The square crocheted-covered pillow is vintage from a thrift store. The faux mongolian sheepskin pillow, however, was purchased new from Big Lots at a deep discount. I think both styles are in keeping with the calm, neutral look I've been going for.
The square crocheted-covered pillow is vintage from a thrift store. The faux mongolian sheepskin pillow, however, was purchased new from Big Lots at a deep discount. I think both styles are in keeping with the calm, neutral look I've been going for.
So all in all I feel like I got a great thrift store deal that's just what the doctor ordered for my recently decorated French Farmhouse Living Room. Great pillows. Great price. Happy me!
Well, that's it until next time, friends!
I hope you enjoyed reading
Why Poofing The Pillows Matters!
Are you a pillow enthusiast like I am?
What was your best pillow score?
Why Poofing The Pillows Matters!
Are you a pillow enthusiast like I am?
What was your best pillow score?
And now for more thrifty goodness!
Check out what my fellow upcyclers
have created below.
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great ideas and reminders for pillows! laura
I totally buy used pillows. Greeat info
Love your new pillows; we need to show S.O.'s the prices they get for new pillows so that they appreciate our efforts--and thrift! When I buy pillows, I wash them, then often spray starch and iron them. The "sizing" makes them look brand new again. I have taken to making a lot of pillow covers with foldover backs lately with thrifted cloth--often upholstery scraps and brand new placemats. Looks like you worked hard but didn't--one of my favorite kinds of decor! It also works well for cotton/perma press types of cloth for bed pillow covers; fold in 1/3s (inside out) use the selvedge edges as is, and sew up the two long seams. Done in a flash! "Cheap refreshers" may become my middle name!
They look really great on your sofa!
Kathleen, they really do look good on that light sofa! I never thought about changing the polyfill, but then I don't buy many pillows at the thrift store. I don't buy pillows anywhere for that matter. But I like how you're using them in your decorating. Very pretty! I like the French theme too.
I am obsessed with pillows too but am leary of buying them used too, but you are right if you wash them they are good as new! These pillows are so pretty!
I am such a pillow enthusiast and upcycler! Like you, I've restuffed and at times I've decorated both sides to double the use of a pillow. Love yours!
I haven't purchased any at the thrift store, but I'm a huge pillow junkie! Yours look great!
Love your pillows!!! How you are with pillows, I am that way with lamps!!
Thanks so much for stopping by!!
Hugs,
Deb
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