Well, let me tell you, this pillow dress thing, it’s somethin’ else. My old eyes ain’t seen nothin’ like it before. You take a pillowcase, you know, the thing you put your pillow in? And you make a dress outta it! Can you believe that? It’s right simple, though. I am gonna tell ya how to make this pillow dress, it is easy as pie, even I can make one!

First, you gotta find yourself a pillowcase. Any ol’ one will do, long as it’s big enough to fit the little one you’re makin’ it for. And it don’t gotta be fancy, you know. Just a regular one, maybe with some flowers or somethin’. If you want to make a summer pillow dress, find a thin one. Or you can use your old pillowcase. I got some old ones from my grandma, they still work fine. Just gotta make sure there are no big holes.
Then, you gotta cut it up a bit. You cut off them top corners, where the pillow goes in. Just snip snip, like you’re cuttin’ a piece of paper. You can use that fabric later, don’t throw it out! That’s how you make the holes for the arms to go through. Some folks use somethin’ called “bias tape”, but i just fold the edges over twice and sew it down, it is good enough. This is the hardest part, i think, make sure you do it right.
- Find a pillowcase
- Cut off the top corners
- Sew the edges down
Next, you gotta make a little tunnel at the top, for the neck part. They call it a “casing”, fancy word for a tunnel, i reckon. You just fold the top edge over, twice, and sew it down, leavin’ a little opening on each side. That’s where you’re gonna put the ribbon. This is easy, you just need to be patient. If you do it too fast, you might mess it up.
Now for the ribbon. You can use any kind you like, satin, grosgrain, whatever that is. Just make sure it’s long enough to go all the way around the neck and tie in a bow. I always use some colorful ribbon, make it look pretty, you know. Kids love colorful things. Or maybe you have some old ribbon from a present, you can use that too. Or some rope, anything will do, but ribbon will be the best!
You gotta thread that ribbon through the tunnel you made. Some folks use a safety pin, but I just use my fingers. It’s a bit fiddly, but you’ll get it. Just push it through one end and out the other. You can tie a knot on the end of the ribbon, make it easier. Or you can ask your kids to help, if they are old enough.

- Make a casing at the top
- Thread a ribbon through
- Tie a bow
Once you got the ribbon through, you tie it in a bow at the shoulders. And that’s it! You got yourself a pillowcase dress! Ain’t that somethin’? Some people like to add ruffles, and pockets, but I like to keep it simple. It’s just a dress made from a pillowcase, after all. If you want to add some decoration, you can do that too. Just make sure you don’t use anything that might hurt the kid. Like buttons, kids might swallow them.
Now, if you wanna get real fancy, you can add some tiers to the bottom. That just means addin’ extra layers of fabric to make it look fuller. You gotta cut some more rectangles of fabric, and sew them onto the bottom of the dress, gatherin’ them up as you go. It’s a bit more work, but it looks real pretty. But if you are lazy like me, just make it simple, it is good enough.
I seen some folks make these dresses for little girls, all different sizes. Some even make ’em for babies! They use smaller pillowcases, of course. And some folks make them long, some make them short. It’s really up to you. But long ones can be dangerous for kids, they might trip over. So make sure you make them short enough for kids to play.
There are many ways to make a pillow dress pattern, some are easy, some are hard. You can find all kinds of instructions online. They got pictures and everything. It’s a whole lot easier than it used to be, that’s for sure. I remember when we had to figure everything out ourselves. Now you just look it up on that internet thing.
I seen some ladies sellin’ these dresses, too. They make a whole bunch of ’em and sell ’em at the market. They say it’s a good way to make a little extra money. I don’t know about that. I just make ’em for the grandkids. They love ’em, and that’s all that matters to me.

This pillow dress thing, it’s a good way to use up old pillowcases, and make somethin’ nice for the little ones. And it’s easy, too. Even an old lady like me can do it! So, give it a try. You might surprise yourself. It’s a lot of fun, and it’s a good way to keep your hands busy. And the kids will love it, that’s the most important thing. They will be the most beautiful kids in the world! And you will feel good about yourself, for making something with your own two hands. Isn’t that great?