When we updated our duvet cover in the spring, our old euro shams didn’t match. The new duvet was linen blend and slightly off-white, making it hard to be sure if online shams would match. Also, all the linen euro shams I could find were around $40 each! Even on sale, that would be a lot for a small piece of fabric on a pillow we don’t even sleep on. I decided I could DIY my own euro shams for a much more affordable price.
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I bought our duvet cover at Target, and I found that bedding colors match even across brands. Our Hearth & Hand duvet cover is definitely a cream color and matched perfectly with the cream sheets from the Threshold line. I’ll explain more in the tutorial, but the trick is to find a twin flat sheet in a color that matches your duvet (or a bold coordinating color if you prefer). The twin flat sheet will give you enough fabric to make three euro shams! If your duvet cover is either cotton or a linen blend, cotton sheets will work just fine. Skip the ironing and they’ll look just like the linen (and it’s easier too). Without further ado, here’s the tutorial to DIY your own affordable euro shams. These shams fit standard 26″ x 26″ euro-style pillow forms.
DIY Euro Sham Tutorial
Materials:
- 1 $10.99 Twin flat sheet, cotton (pre-wash and dry to allow for shrinkage)
- Matching thread
- Rotary cutter (optional)
- Cutting mat (optional)
- Pins
- Measuring tape/sewing gauge
Step 1: Cut Out Euro Sham Pieces
For each euro sham you will need to cut out the following three pieces:
- 1 27″ x 27″ square
- 1 27″ x 17.5″ rectangle
- 1 23″ x 16″ rectangle
The flat sheet is 68″x 96.” Mine shrunk a bit after washing, so be sure to wash before cutting. It’s easiest to cut the three 27″ strips all the way across the width of the sheet. The 3 strips will use 81″ of the total length (3 x 27) and each strip will be 68″ wide. Then from each of those 27″ x 68″ strips, cut the square and the two rectangles, using the 27″ length for the longer edge of each rectangle. You should use 60.5″ of fabric from each of the original three strips (27 + 17.5 + 16). Be sure to cut off the hem and folded top part of the sheet before cutting out your pieces.
I used a rotary cutter and acrylic ruler to nicely cut out my pieces. My cutting mat is only 24″ wide, so for the 27″ squares, I folded the fabric over 7″ and then made my cut at the 20″ measurement line. This is an easy way to cut larger pieces. If you don’t have a rotary cutter, just use a measuring tape, mark you pieces every few inches, and cut carefully. Pillow cases are very forgiving, so don’t worry about it too much!
When you’re done cutting, you’ll have three pieces for each pillow sham, as shown below. The front side will be the 27″ square, and the other two pieces will overlap on the back to form an envelop for your pillow form.
Step 2. Hem Long Edge of Rectangular Pieces
Lay your rectangular fabric pieces on a table with the wrong side of the fabric facing outward. For the 27″ side of the rectangle that will overlap with the other rectangle, fold over 5/8″ and iron a crease.
Then, fold the edge in to the crease and iron that flat as you go.
After you have your seam folded and ironed, sew the hem on a sewing machine. Make sure to do this for both rectangular pieces.
Step 3. Sew Pillow Sham Pieces Together
Lay the 27″ square on a table with the right side facing up. Then lay the 27″ x 17.5″ rectangle on the left side of the square with the right side facing in. Pin the two pieces together.
Lay the 27″ x 16″ rectangular piece on the right side of the square with the right side of the fabric facing in. Then pin this piece to the other pieces.
Stitch around the outside of the square, 5/8″ in from the edge of the fabric. If you don’t have a line on your sewing machine for 5/8″, use a few layers of masking tape to build up a guide 5/8″ to the right from where the needle goes through the plate.
At the end of this step, you should have stitched around all four sides of the square.
Step 4. Create a Faux French Seam
I like to prevent my seams from fraying by creating a faux French seam. This will completely enclose the raw edge so your pillow sham can easily be washed without any damage. If you have a serger, feel free to serge the edge instead.
To make the faux French seam, start by folding in one layer of fabric all the way into the seam line and iron it flat.
Then repeat with the second layer of fabric. Make sure each layer makes it all the way to the center and is then ironed to a sharp crease.
The inside of your faux French seam should look like this:
Once the seam is prepped around the entire square, sew the hem on the sewing machine. I like to line up the right edge of the fabric with the side of the slot on the presser foot for a small hem.
Your completed faux French seam should look like this:
Step 5: Turn Your Sham Right-Side Out and Put on Your Pillow Form
You’re done sewing your affordable DIY euro shams! The last step is to turn them right-side out and stuff your pillow form into the sham. If you’re looking for affordable euro pillow forms, I use these ones from Target and they’ve been great.
Euro pillows add visual interest to beds and are especially nice for tall headboards. Use three euro pillows for a king bed, two for a queen or full bed, and one for a twin. We remove them while we’re sleeping, so they’re definitely more of a decorative item. I hope you enjoy your new euro pillow shams!
