How to Make a No Sew Outdoor Pillow

There are 2 basic no sew methods. One is to use an iron-on bonding tape, and the other is to use fabric glue.  For many outdoor fabrics, ironing with high heat is not recommended, so fabric glue is
the way to go.

For the front of the pillow, mark and cut out a piece of fabric that’s the same size as the pillow form, which is 16″ by 16″. The finished dimensions will end up being 15″ by 15″.  To create a full looking pillow, the cover should be about an inch smaller than the pillow form.

Next I’m going to mark and cut two more pieces of fabric which will overlap to form the back of the pillow.

To determine the size of these pieces, take the width of the front (16″), add 6″ and then divide by 2, which is 11. So the height of the two back pieces is 11″, and the width is the same as the front piece (16″).

For the back pieces, on one of the longer sides, fold over the fabric a 1/2″ and iron on a low to medium setting. Fold over another 1/2″ and iron again.

Glue the folded edge down.

Lay the front piece of fabric face up. Place the back pieces face down so that they’re overlapping with the raw edges on the outside. Mark where the folded edges end. Then take that piece off and mark the edges of the other piece.

Now I’m going to glue around the edges from mark to mark. Place a bead of glue 1/2″ from the edge. Using a ruler will keep it straight.

Place the back piece of fabric down so that the edges line up with the front piece.  Press down on the glued sides.

Repeat this for the other back piece, again gluing the edges from mark to mark.  Clip the corners, but not past the glued part. Let the glue dry for at least a couple of hours.

Now that the glue’s dry, turn the pillow cover right side out. Then push out the corners.  Finally, insert the pillow form.

Since this is an outdoor pillow, I’m using a pillow form designed to be used outside.  And that’s it, no sewing machine required.