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DIY Kantha Pillows

Steph's Bedroom | DIY Kantha Pillows | Covet Living

See dems Euro Shams on my bed?  They started out as this quilt…

Kantha from Solo on Cedros | Covet Living

Or kantha quilt.  Most kanthas are about 60″ x 90″ in size, and are handstitched ditties made from old saris.  I see a LOT of ’em around, but it’s a crapshoot – the good ones are hard to find.  Then, I saw THIS bad boy at Solo on Cedros… (a glorious haven we’ve rapped about many-a-times that has – among other things – the most beautiful kanthas and Bolivian blankets/rugs, ever – thanks to Ruby, who handpicks each one.  And who Gus accosted last time we were there).

Ruby from Cedros | Covet Living

Anyhoo.  As soon as I saw this one, I (literally) hurled my whole self on top of it to call dibs.  THIS kantha – in all its lilac, coral and perfectly faded charcoal glory – was a diamond in the rough.  So I snagged it…  I think for about $100 bones.

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Though the thought of taking a pair of sharps to that gorgeous thing made me wince, I knew I wanted to make euro shams out of it – either for the sofa, or for my bedroom.  I wanted my new place in Cali to have a kind of an effortless, beachy Bohemian feel, and this was a good place to start.  Plus they would be so cozy as pillows (!!!) and just get softer and more lovingly worn with time.  So first, I laid the kantha out on the kitchen floor to see if I could get 3 big sections of the prettiest part for the face (front) of each sham.  And I used a super scientific measuring technique called “trace around the sham you already have.”  I definitely wanted to use more of the lilac parts than the orange:

DIY Kantha Pillows | Covet Living

PS, the opposite side of my kantha looked like this… yeah – like Woodstock. Probably best left in the 70’s and therefore best suited for the inside of the shams:

DIY Kantha Pillows | Covet Living

I wanted to make 3 Euro shams, so once the 6 sections were cut, I pinned ’em (faces together) and started sewing.  There’s a much better sewing tutorial than I could muster here.  The only thing I’ll tell you is that I ALWAYS double-stitch the seams, and always double stitch at the zipper.  Also – I would use a zipper that’s just a few inches shy of the pillow width (Euros are 26″ x 26″, so try a 22″ zipper if you can). Cuz you don’t wanna be fighting the sham every time you wash it and then try to shove the insert in there, like you’re trying to shove a hot air balloon through something the size of a lemon.  OMG, that sounds like child birth. #passthedrugs #cantwait

DIY Kantha Pillows | Covet Living

And there you have it!  Speaking of wee ones, I think a few of these could also be precious in a nursery or a kids room.  You could also reupholster a bench or ottoman in them… whatever tickles your pickle.  Check out my Etsy faves to see some of the ones I picked out to use for projects like this.  I probably spent about $60 on each pillow – including the insert – which is a STEAL if you’re willing to get crafty.  Otherwise, you can hit the el-easy button and shop over at Chairish this Sunday from 9am-11am EST!

Chairish Co Kantha Pillows | Covet Living

xoxo,

Steph's Scanned Signature

Beach House Chic

Lafco Pool House Candle, Bixby & Ball | Geode Ring, Etsy | Jazz Pendant, Currey & Co. (to the trade) | Hollywood Regency-Style Bamboo Chairs, Ivy & Vine | Double Rib Throw, West Elm | Lotus Wallpaper, Galbraith & Paul

Ahhhhhhhh (sigh)…. is what I do when I look at that cozy buncha aqua & white & bamboo up there.  I’ll always be a mostly Midwest + part Southern girl at heart, but the left coast really is just a big breath of fresh air.  I’m currently co-habitating with boys – which on some days can be entertaining in the way of fantasy football drafts… waking up and having one of them ask me if I’ll help him shave his back (wait what?)… and having one of them refer to me as “Stella” as in “How Stella Got Her Groove Back.”  They’re lovely.  But OTHER days, I daydream about moving into a little shack on the beach where all the windows and doors are always open so I can smell the saltwater.  And I dream of filling it with soft-as-sweatpants, white linen sofas and plush pillows and funky antiques and nubby blankets.  And all the pretty little things in that pretty little picture up there.  PS, that candle…  I die.  It’s pricey but it’s worth it.

Hope you guys have a great weekend!  I’m heading to Malibu – aka heaven on earth – to see a buddy.  I may never come back.

xoxo!

Photo Credit:  Galbraith & Paul wallpaper install photo via Cloth & Kind Interiors