Turn Dollar Tree Placemats Into Affordable Throw Pillows In A Few Easy Steps

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It can be fun to take something that you picked up at a discount store like Dollar Tree and upcycle it into an entirely different decor item. It's even better if you manage to turn it into something that works with your exisiting aesthetic. There're an overwhelming number of transformational DIY projects online. You can learn how to upcycle Dollar Tree tote bags into pillows or turn playing cards into notebooks. They all look so easy that you may be tempted to try your hand at one. Plus, discount stores change up their product range often, so there's always something new on the shelves to get creative with. In this case, Christina Dennis of Cozy DIY Home on TikTok transforms Dollar Tree fabric placemats into small throw pillows in just a few easy steps.

For this DIY you'll need a few of the rectangular fabric placemats from Dollar Tree. Depending on which design you prefer, you could use their Home Collection Reversible Fabric Placemats or their Reversible Bee-Themed Fabric Placemat. How many placemats you buy depends on how many throw pillows you want to make — you need one placemat per pillow. Other things required for this project are a seam ripper, sewing thread, a sewing machine or hand-sewing needle, and some stuffing, like Poly-Fil Fairfield Original Fiber Stuffing. If you don't want to purchase new stuffing, you can repurpose the filling from old pillows that would otherwise get tossed out. Simply open them up and pull out the stuffing. If you're not confident in your sewing abilities, you can skip the needle and thread and instead use fabric glue to seal your stuffed pillow.

Making a personalized throw pillow with Dollar Tree placemats is simple — from start to finish, the project only requires a few steps. The first thing you need to do to craft your new throw pillow is pick apart one end of the placemat and open it up. Take the seam ripper and cut through the stitching at one end of the placement, then separate the two pieces of fabric. This should leave you with a pocket that's ready to be stuffed with Poly-Fil or a similar filler. Holding the placemat open with one hand, push the stuffing into the pocket with the other until it's full, but not overflowing, and feels firm. You will want to leave enough room to close up your pillow.

Once the placemat is stuffed with filler, it's time to seal the throw pillow shut using either a sewing machine or a hand-sewing needle. If you're not good at sewing using either method, another option is to use fabric glue to seal the seam shut again. If you decide to go this route, you may want to give yourself a bit more fabric to work with, just in case the glue seeps out of the seam. You don't want to end up with a messy finish. After applying the glue to both pieces of fabric, hold the seam together using sewing clips until the glue has had a chance to dry.

Although the fabric placemats from Dollar Tree are decorative and colorful, the polyester textile they are made out of is not waterproof. If you want to use these inexpensive throw pillows on outdoor furniture instead of indoors on your armchairs or couch, you'll probably want them to survive the elements for at least a little while. In short, if you do plan to use these throw pillows on your patio, you'll need to weatherproof the fabric.

Weatherproofing will protect your throw pillows from the damage that sunlight, rain, snow, and even changes in temperature can cause to untreated fabric. To weatherproof an indoor pillow for outdoor use, you can add a water-repellent treatment, such as Scotchgard Heavy Duty Outdoor Water Shield Spray or Scotchgard Outdoor Water and Sun Shield Fabric Spray. This treatment will make a big difference in the longevity of your project.

Thankfully, these sprays are very easy to use, requiring just a few steps to make your throw pillows more durable. Always do a test spray on a small, discreet area of fabric before treating the entire pillow to make sure that the water-repellent doesn't cause any damage. Then you just need to spray both sides of the pillow and allow the fabric to dry completely. It's a simple step that will give your DIY throw pillows a better chance of survival when used outdoors.