Pillow Fillers: The Good & Bad

by Serena Smith

Note: Click on the photos for a larger image

Which to use - a pillow form or fiberfill to stuff your newly created pillow? Good question! I tend to use pillow forms over stuffing it with fiberfill. Why? For several reasons - it is much easier to insert a pillow form rather than stuffing, the form gives a more uniform and smooth shape and you can remove the form before washing! Here are some examples of some finished pillows that are stuffed correctly and incorrectly.



This fleece pillow is plump, full and just right with a 26" pillow form. The form needs to fit snuggly, but not so full that it looks like it is just waiting to burst the seams on the pillow cover. Since fleece stretches some, be sure to cut your fabric squares smaller than the pillow form measurement.

On this pillow, all the edges are clipped and tied together (same technique as the popular tied fleece blankets) to hold the pillow form in. Because there are no seams to create a complete closure, this style of pillow would not work if it was to be stuffed with fiberfill.



This 18" pillow has been stuffed with fiberfill and repeatedly been tossed, thrown and laid on. Not only does it need to be stuffed with more fiberfill, but the fiberfill has begun to bunch and create lumps. This pillow needs to be rejuvenated with some more fiberfill to create a more professional look.



Be careful not to overstuff your pillow or use a pillow form that is too large. This frosty friends pillow is just that - too full! If I open the zipper in the back, I may not get it shut again! The pillow form is 12" x 16" and the cover is 1" smaller in each direction. The pillow looks ready to burst and does support the mitered flange as it should.



If you have ever been able to locate a pillow form alphabet, please inform me!! I would love to know! This is one type of pillow which is not possible to use a pillow form. Curves such as the J and smaller areas such as the legs of the N and A require small amounts of fiberfill to fill each area.



However, each area needs to be filled evenly or the fiberfill will shift around and create unfilled areas. Like the middle of this N; it lacks some fiberfill in the center. This makes the N look crooked when sitting up because it lacks the fiberfill in the center to support it.



Can't find the pillow form size you need and you don't want to use fiberfill? Try using multiple layers of a high loft polyester batting. Cut multiple layers of batting until you reach the fullness the pillow needs.



I actually had planned to use a 12" x 16" pillow form, but the pillow cover finished smaller than planned. I didn't want to overfill the cover as I had done in the frosty friends pillow above, so I layered scraps of batting to fill the pillow.

You can see some more information for pillow forms, fiberfill and pillow sizes here.