How to Sew a Pillowcase

“Hot Dog” Approach to Sewing a Pillowcase

Supplies:

Fun, bright fabric with kid-friendly designs
- 1/3 yard of border fabric (this will be the “bun”)
- 3/4 yard of main pillowcase fabric (this will be the “hot dog”)
Spool of thread that matches fabric

Preparation:

Cut the “bun” into a strip that’s 10 ½ inches by 40 ½ inches
Cut the “hot dog” in a strip that’s 26 ½ inches by 40 ½ inches

Assemble:

Click here for printable instructions.

Step 1:

With the border of the pillowcase laying right side up on the surface in front of you, take the body of the pillowcase and place it right side down on top of the border.

Step 2:

Match up the corners of the short 26 ½” end of the body to the 40 1/2” end of the border, so that you can no longer see the border in front of you. Make sure to keep the two edges of the fabrics together for the next few steps.

Steps 1 & 2

Step 3:

Roll up the other short end of the body until you are about an inch or two away from the other end.

Step 4:

You should see the other end of the border peeking out from underneath the body. Take that edge of the border and fold it over the rolled-up body aligning its corners with the other two pieces of fabric on the other side.

Step 5:

Pin these three layers of fabric together and sew a 1/2” seam along that edge taking out the pins as you go along. You will begin to see the “hot dog” and “bun” analogy, with the body rolled up as a “hot dog” inside the border which is acting as the “bun.”

Step 6:

On either end of this “bun” piece, you will see the rolled-up body inside the sewed-up border.

Step 7:

Roll back the border while simultaneously pulling out the body from within.

Step 8:

Your pillowcase is almost complete! All that’s left is two more seams, which are done by folding the pillowcase in-half with the wrong side facing out and sewing along the bottom and side of the pillowcase.

Step 9:

Turn the pillowcase inside-out, and you finally have your finished pillowcase!

Wasn’t that easy?

Make a perfect smile by finishing your seams. (Serge or Zig Zag)

Check with your regional coordinator for specific washing instructions for your hospital and whether they accept flannel pillowcases.