Hi friends!
If you've never made a burrito pillowcase, you're in for a treat. You roll your fabric up like a burrito, sew one seam, pull it out through the end, and suddenly you have a finished cuff with every raw edge tucked neatly inside. Then we close it up with a French seam, so the inside is just as pretty as the outside.
It's one of my favorite projects for beginners, for using up a fun print, or for a quick gift. Start to finish, it takes me less than an hour. Grab your fabric and let's make one together.
Want to skip the cutting? Our Burrito Pillowcase Kits come with the body, cuff, and flange pre-cut and color-matched. Choose from 8 prints in standard or king, starting at $19.99.
Shop the KitsWhat you'll need
|
Piece |
Cut size (standard) |
Cut size (king) |
|---|---|---|
|
Main body |
24" x WOF |
33–34" x WOF |
|
Cuff |
12" x WOF |
12" x WOF |
|
Accent flange |
2" x WOF |
2" x WOF |
WOF means width of fabric, selvage to selvage (usually about 42").
You'll also need thread, pins or clips, a rotary cutter and ruler, and an iron. A finished standard pillowcase measures about 21" x 28½". It varies a little depending on whether you French seam or serge the side and bottom.
Shopping tip: Our fabric is sold by the half yard. For a matching pair, buy 1½ yards of your body print, 1 yard of your cuff print, and ½ yard for the flanges. Making them for two different beds or two people? Buy 1 yard each of two prints you love. Each yard gives you a 24" body and a 12" cuff, so swap them for two coordinating pillowcases, plus ½ yard for the flanges.
Looking for pillowcase-worthy prints? Browse our fabric by the yard, or go festive with Frost & Fir and A Perfect Winter.
Step 1: Cut and press your fabric
- Cut your 24" body piece, 12" cuff piece, and 2" flange strip, all across the width of the fabric.
- Using a directional print? The inside of the cuff will end up upside down. That's just how this method works, and it's hidden inside the cuff anyway. For the main body, lay it so the top of the print points toward the edge you'll sew to the cuff. The design then reads upright when the pillowcase stands with the cuff at the top.
- Press the 2" strip in half lengthwise, wrong sides together, just like you would for binding.
- Press the center fold out of the body and cuff pieces.
Step 2: Build your burrito
I like to do this on my cutting table so I can spread out the full width of the fabric.
1. Lay the cuff fabric right side up.
2. Lay the main body fabric right side up on top of the cuff, lining its edge up with the top edge of the cuff.
3. Lay the folded flange strip on top of the layered main body and cuff, raw edges lined up with the top edge of the layers. The pressed fold faces down toward the bottom of the stack. Pin or clip along the top edge.
4. Starting at the bottom, roll the body fabric up until the roll sits on top of the cuff fabric.
5. Bring the bottom edge of the cuff up and over the roll, lining it up with the top edge. Pin or clip through all the layers.
This is the important part: you should have 5 layers lined up flush along the top edge. From bottom to top: the cuff, the body fabric, the two layers of the folded flange, and the cuff again. Take a second to check before you sew.
Step 3: Sew the burrito
Sew along the pinned edge with a ¼" seam. Be sure to backstitch at both ends.
Step 4: Pull it through (the fun part!)
Reach into the end of the tube and pull the rolled body fabric out. As it comes out, the cuff and flange turn right side out. Press the cuff and flange flat.
Look inside: no raw edges. All of the seams are tucked neatly inside the cuff.
Step 5: Close it with a French seam
You can close your pillowcase however you like. Serging it or using a zigzag stitch both work. I use a French seam so every seam is finished.
1. Iron the in-progress pillowcase and trim the edges.
2. Fold the pillowcase in half, right side out. It will look wrong. Trust me!
3. Line up the cuff and flange carefully. Even when I'm using clips, I put a pin right where the flange seams meet so they match up as close to perfect as possible. Then pin or clip the rest of the side and bottom.
4. Sew down the side with a ¼" seam.
5. Stop ¼" from the bottom, put your needle down, raise the presser foot, and pivot. Sew across the bottom.
6. Clip the corners, turn the pillowcase inside out, and press the seams.
7. Now sew down the side and across the bottom again with a ⅜"–½" seam. This encloses the first seam completely.
8. Turn it right side out and give it a final press.
Making a king size pillowcase
Cut your body piece 33–34" long instead of 24". The cuff stays at 12" and the flange stays at 2". Everything else is exactly the same.
You did it!
Once you've made one, I promise you'll want to make a whole stack. They're perfect for holiday gifts, kids' rooms, and seasonal decorating. I'd love to see yours! Tag us @coralandolivecreative so I can cheer you on.
Ready to make a whole stack? Grab a kit in one of our 8 holiday and kid-friendly prints.
Happy sewing, friends!
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