Weddingbee Blog

I finished our ring pillow three days before the wedding! It was in limbo for a few weeks because I didn’t know what I wanted to decorate the top of it with (this is the most important part, right?).

Finished pillow - view from above with my engagement ring. Personal photo

Originally I decided to make a ring pillow myself because I thought I could save money. FYI: this isn’t the case. There is a reason they sell the decorated ones for $50-$60 on Etsy.

Image from Martha Stewart

I really liked the ones by 5eizen with their oversized blooms, but I couldn’t bring myself to pay so much. Little did I know I would spend this much making one. I’m a sucker!

After paying $5.00 for half a yard of dupioni silk, $25 for a yard of floral ribbon, $5 for a oversized bloom, and $5 for an unused starfish button, it all added up. I had thread and ribbons on hand, so those didn’t cost anything, thank goodness. So, if you are gonna save money, go with a calico print, polyester ribbon, and use what you have in the closet. If you don’t,  you really won’t save a dime. Here is a quick tutorial on how to create it:

Square Ribbon Ring Pillow (based on Martha Stewart’s Ribbon Ring Pillow)

1. Think about what type of feel you want for your pillow. There are a lot of options for ribbons and fabrics, so have something in mind before you go out. I really wanted to tie in the range of pinks and peaches we were using for our bridesmaids’ dresses.

The ribbon I decided on is the big, flowery one that is second from the left.

2. Cut out two 7 1/4-inch squares of fabric. (Any fabric type will work—I used silk dupioni)

3. Cut the piece of ribbon 31″ long. (I used a very wide ribbon, but this isn’t a must. I wouldn’t use anything less than an 1″ just because it acts as a side of the pillow and needs to be substantial.)

4. With the right sides facing each other, pin one edge of the ribbon to the edge of one square—beginning at the middle of the fabric square—and sew.

5. Repeat step 4. The trickiest part will be making the two ribbons meet perfectly—mine didn’t, as hard as I tried. To do this, make sure that the ribbon is evenly pinned to what you just sewed in Step 4. (If there are any prints in the ribbon, make sure that they don’t stretch out more on one side.)

6. There will be a gap in the pillow where the two ends of the ribbon meet. Turn pillow right-side out through this hole.

Personal photo

7. Fill with stuffing (I added some dried flowers I had that Mr. P gave me on our first date—it was sort of like giving a Build-a-Bear a heart when you are stuffing it. Okay, I am a total dork!).

8. Pin the ribbon edges together by turning them into to each other (so the raw edges are hidden). Hand-stitch the opening closed with as close of a thread color as possible.

9. To finish it of, there are a number of different options:

• I initially bought a decorative button thinking I was going to make a tuft on the pillow like the Martha Stewart’s. If you want a tuft,you can use a decorative button or a covered button. A low budget option would be to make a covered button—it won’t show much from the aisle but will look super cute. To do this, cover a regular button with a piece of fabric from the same bolt that you used to make the pillow. Use a glue gun to secure the fabric to cover a regular button. To make the tuft, add the button to center of the pillow. Stitch it all the way through (all from the top fabric, through the stuffing to the bottom piece of fabric) to create an indent, or a “tuft.”

Personal photo

• I ultimately used a flower to decorate the top. My tip is to find a flower that already has a pin closure attached to it. I was intimidated by removing the flower head from its stem and then securing it to the pillow top. (Just because I did this for another project and the flower’s plastic bottom made it stand up a little more than I liked and you could see the plastic. It sorta was like a heavy top and a little ugly.) The H&M flower was exactly what I wanted, too. It had the perfect color I was looking for to tone down the bright colors of the ribbon, it had long petals, and it was a cool silk-like texture. It was made to be a broach or clothing accessory, so it had a pin and a clasp already attached.

10. Cut a thin piece of ribbon about 14″ long. Tie the thin ribbon around the button or stitch it into the petals of the flower.

11. Tie the rings on the ribbon and modify the length. (Make sure to think about how you will fasten the rings during the wedding. You don’t want them to fall off when the ring bearer is walking down the aisle and you don’t want your best man to wrestle with it during the ceremony!)

The bottom of the pillow. Personal photo

12. (Optional) I secured a bunch of different types of ribbons to the bottom of the pillow. I had a bunch around and thought that it brought in some of the other colors we were using (and that it added a little pizzazz!). Secure a 5″ piece of ribbon to the bottom of the pillow with safety pins, allow for the width of your ring bearer’s hand, and sew it in place (this is how he will carry the pillow). Then, place 14″ pieces of ribbon onto the middle of the handle, at their middle, sewing them into place. Alternate additional colored ribbons.

So, there you you have it!! It was pretty easy—well, I would say it was of medium difficulty because the last step of stitching the ribbon together closed threw me for a loop. (Yes, I positioned the flower to somewhat cover the stitching because I wasn’t that happy with the closure.) But, it was totally manageable!

Demonstrating the pillow. Personal photo

Personal photo

Will your ring bearer be carrying a pillow down the aisle? Did you buy the pillow or make it?