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How To Stuff A Throw Pillow Cover : 7 Secrets

Want to know how to properly stuff your decorative throw pillows with pillow inserts or fillers? Here are the 7 secret tips that your mother never taught you about stuffing throw pillows. These tips will have your pillow covers strutting their stuff in no time!


Adding the perfect pillow covers can bring the touch of style needed to finish off your space. As an official member of the crazy pillow lady club, I'm a firm believer that you can never have too many tastefully styled decorative throw pillows. But I cringe hard when I spy pillow covers that, because of improperly stuffed insert fillers, are dull and lifeless.

That's why I'm sharing the secrets that your mom never taught you about how to properly use pillow insert fillers to get those pillow covers living their best life. 

After reading this post and/or watching the above video, you are going to be an expert at stuffing throw pillows and the compliments will fly.

How to stuff decorative throw pillows

Even if you have high quality covers and high quality inserts, if you're not stuffing them correctly then you're going to damage your cover and/or insert or just not get the look that you want. So here is how to get your pillow inserts looking plump and pretty. 

7 Best Tips For Stuffing Throw Pillow Covers With Pillow Inserts:

1) Make sure to completely open the zipper all the way on your pillow cover.

  • This is important because you don't want to put unnecessary stress on the corners or the zipper. 

2) Make the pillow insert as small as possible.

  • We recommend folding the insert in half like a taco. This will avoid a tug of war and again help avoid putting pressure on the seams and damaging your pillow covers.

3) Grab the back piece of the pillow insert for the final push.

  • Once you have the insert as far as you can in the cover, grab the exposed portion of the insert and push snug. 

4) Reach in and form fit all four corners.

  • Probably one of the most important steps is to reach in and pull all of the corners of the insert to the corners of the cover. This is key to avoid a bunchy look and those dreaded floppy corners!

5) Gently push the insert down away from the zipper before closing.

  • This will avoid snagging the insert with the zipper and relieve some pressure as you close up the zipper.

6) Fluff the pillow in both directions and a little pat on the top.

  • This helps settle the insert in place and give that plump shape that we all love. 

7) Finish off your pillow with that perfect firm chop. 

  • No explanation needed ;)

How to stuff throw pillows

 *Pro tip:  For a full, plump and chop-able look we always use pillow inserts that are 1-2 inches larger than the pillow covers we are stuffing. For example: For 20x20" pillow covers we would use 22x22" pillow inserts and for a 24x24" pillow cover we would use a 26x26" insert and so on. 

 This post was all about how to stuff pillow inserts into pillow covers properly.

Following these 7 simple steps will help prevent your pillow covers and inserts from damage and give you that plump and pretty look that you're after. Happy pillow stuffing!