In todays’ post: Learn how to make a portable “pillow bed” for your kids – perfect for spending nights at Grandma’s house or just lounging at home.
You might be asking yourself: what in the world is a pillow bed, and why would I want one? Well, a pillow bed is a pretty much just what it sounds like: a portable bed made of pillows that are connected in a row. It’s a nice way for kids to have a comfy place to sleep when they are spending the night at someone’s house without worrying about blowing up an air mattress. Pillow beds also work well as loungers for watching TV or reading books.
Best of all: kids love them! A pillow bed is a fantastic homemade gift idea.
You can make a pillow bed by sewing 4 or 5 pillowcases together, and then sewing velcro at the end of each pillowcase to keep the pillow inside. However, to keep this project as cheap and easy as possible, I ditched the pillowcases and velcro and used one flat sheet instead. Fold the sheet and sew a few straight lines and you are done!
I made a pillow bed for each of my two youngest kids. The main living area of the house we’re renting is all laminate flooring, so these pillow beds make a cozy spot for them to lounge around together.
The secret to a cheap & easy pillow bed is a twin size flat sheet. Walmart sells them in a wide range of colors for $5 or $6 each. They also sell basic pillows for $2.50 each, making a 5 pillow bed under $20. It’s a perfect handmade Christmas gift.
How to make a kids’ pillow bed
Start by laying out your sheet on a flat surface right side down (a table is easier than the floor). Your sheet should be 66 inches wide by 96 inches long. You’re going to fold in each side along the dotted lines in the diagram below. You want the final width of the pillow bed to be about 27 inches, so if your sheet is exactly 66 inches wide, you’ll fold in 19.5 for each side. (The sheets I bought varied a little in width – so I just adjusted how much I was folding in to get a final width of approximately 27 inches.)
This diagram shows what the sheet will look like once folded. The right side was folded in first, then the left side, which overlaps the right. The overlap means we won’t have to add any velcro to keep the pillows in place.
Pin the sheet together across the top and bottom. Then you’ll want to pin 4 more lines, each approximately 19 inches apart. It would be easiest to mark these lines with tailor’s chalk or something similar. It’s not necessary that they are exact, just try to space them as evenly as you can. Use lots of pins!
Take the sheet to your sewing machine and sew a line of straight stitching along each row of pins, backstitching and the start and end. I found it was easiest to sew one end first, then roll the sheet from that end up to the next row of pins, then sew that row and roll again. This kept the sheet from getting all bunched up as I sewed:
It only takes 6 seams, and you have a pillow bed cover ready to go! There will be 5 sections that are each much like a pillow sham. Stuff a pillow into each section, and you’re done.
Looking for more easy sewing tutorials? Check out these posts:
How to make a half circle skirt
The Play-All-Day dress (easiest girls’ dress pattern)
The easiest way to make a women’s tee
Deanna says
Thanks for this. I was just planning to make one of these for my granddaughter. Now I will make 2.
Susan cummins says
How do you wash them?
Linda Dickson says
Take the pillows out and place in washer.
Julie says
You are amazing!! Thank you for this, been searching online for a bean bag or pillow bed for my 3 little ones so expensive! Then I realized I could make one and found your article…will definitely be making These! You are Brilliant! Thank you!
Natalie says
juste take the pillows out and put the case in washing machin
Merry says
Take the pillows out of the cases through the overlapped back opening
Sawreviewed says
Thanks for sharing your lovely pillow idea.
Sharlyn says
so awesome! great idea, pinning for future 🙂
CTY says
I see the finished product & don’t doubt that it works, but, how do you insert the pillows? It seems the overlap from the left & right folds would cause 1/2 the pillow to stick out on the back side. Cannot visualize how the pillows go in.
Sherry says
You just have to kind of squish up the pillow to get it all inside, then straighten it out. At least that’s the way most all of the pillow shams I’ve ever had work.
Robin says
I made these for my grand daughters. I did separate slip cover pillowcases because I wanted to use a specific theme. Did 3 per set and added a small attached head pillow for the top. The sheet idea is great though! Again, slip covers so that you can remove the pillows. I used firm cheap Walmart pillows. This does work and is so easy!
gayle Briggs says
Hi when you made these from the pillow slips, did you sew them together inside out or from the front. Thanks in advance.
Carol Roeder says
You stuff the second half of the pillow in the same way you did the first half and then just straighten the pillow out. It is really a quick and painless way to finish these without the Hassel of turning a lot of unfinished seams. Very smart!
Marie Hill says
Carol,
It works like sham. There is an open flap on the backside.
Marilyn says
It works like a pillow sham. Stuck half the pillow in and fold it while pulling the other flap over it.
Michelle says
Pure brilliance!
I love how you broke it down.
AND I am a huge fan of $5 sheets at Walmart.
Awsome.
Nina says
Oh my goodness, this is absolute GENIUS!!! I will have to print this tutorial out and make these for my kids sometime next year! My kids would LOOOOVE this. Thank you so much!
harriet says
Love this pattern and thank you for it. Great idea I will Use over and over. WOHOO
deb says
Our Goodwill sells very nice single sheets (sometimes brand new) for $.99 each…I buy them all the time for projects that require this kind of fabric. They usually have “tons” to choose from even in our small town.:)
Dee says
What a smart idea for kids and some adults that love to sit and lay on the floor..
I am looking forward to making these for my grandkids.
Dee says
Do you have a way we can print your tutorial?
I do not see a print out button.
Sheral says
One way is to copy the entire page and paste into a document. then print. Or highlight directions and then on mouse or laptop pad right click for print , select option “selected” meaning only what you highlighted will print. Also you can use the snip option if you have windows with that option. Go to start when it comes up theres a box that says search programs and files. Enter in this box the word “snip” the program snip will come up and you can take a snip of the screen and save it as a document. You may need to save a couple screen views since the directions cover more than one page, Good luck hope I was helpful in finding ways to print. I just right click on mouse and print page. I think that’s easiest.
Susan k says
There is a website that will make a pdf of the page without all the ads for you. http://www.printfriendly.com/
Just copy and paste the website address into the box and done.
Ellen says
Thank you for this!
Judy says
OMG! Thanks for the PrintFriendly link! Used Evernote’s until moving to Win10 where it wasn’t supported. Between recipes, quilting, and sewing, I save a lot of stuff from the web. The smallest file sizes come from selecting what needs to be saved > ctrl copy > ctrl paste into Notepad, which unfortunately does not save photos or formatting. To “save it as you see it,” select the area > ctrl P for print > select “selection only” in the printer’s dialog box > save as PDF > print. When saving text files, attribution is important in order to go back to the original web page, and a capture date is useful, too. Anyway, can’t wait to try PrintFriendly on this outstanding pillow-bed tutorial. (75 year old great grandma here, lotsa kids in the family will be happy.)
Judy says
Follow up: IT WORKS! Print Friendly allows text and photos to be enlarged or reduced, too. Eager to get started on pillow-beds! WooHO-O-O-O!
Barbara says
Getting ready to make this genius project and wondering if the rows of stitching between the pillows might stand up better using a machine decorative backstitch or other decorative stitch. I’m think of all the stress on those areas taking the pillows out for washing. I guess you could backstitch at the overlaps, too, instead of just at the beginning and end of each row?
Maureen Coe says
Great idea! I faced similar experience with my 3 great-grandchildren. I saw the other pattern ideas at Christmas and decided too expensive times 3! Thanks, I will sew this more reasonable one for their birthday. Think I will try to embellish or at least embroider their name on to personalize their pillow bed roll. Might add a strip off the left side to finish as a tie (or a purchased cord) when they roll up and carry it for sleepovers!
meterr says
Are the pillows removable so the outer sheet can be washed?
betty says
can place zipper closures on every pillow, so you can remove them and wash
autumn says
You actually can take the pillows out to wash the cover – just the same way you can remove pillows from pillow shams to wash them. You could add zipper closures, but I didn’t want to mess with that many zippers (or spend the money on them) so this way seemed easier. Thanks!
Sharon Erickson says
Last year I saw something like this but not with the pillow sham idea and I decided to make them like pillow shams. I had not seen any like the ones I made at all. These are the first ones I have seen like mine. On my first one I used cotton but did not like the mussed look. I started making them for my grandchildren. I made only 4 pockets and my pillow mats measure 68 x 25. I use only flannel in making them. After making 7 of them I started selling them. People really like them and you can get some of the cutest patterns in flannel. Some have ordered custom made ones. I plan to revise my pattern to make them small enough to use in daycare. BTW you can also use foam egg crates in them instead of pillows. Just cut to size of pocket. I loved making these.
kitchen Fan says
Excellent
Barb says
Yes, just take out the pillows and wash the cover.
Wendy Carter says
You don’t need a zipper. When you create the fold they don’t meet up in the back to form an open seam, they overlap to keep the pillow from falling out. The instructions are such that the back overlaps with each other like an envelope (or expensive pillow case or taco) that you can take the pillow out and wash the sheet. I made two of them and they work great. The biggest challenge is measuring out the 19.5 inches all the way down the length of the sheet on both sides.
joyce says
Why would you have to mark the back side?
Prairierose says
This would be a great use for older pillows that I just can’t throw away.
Terri Burnett says
Besides using them for home, it might be nice for a mat under sleeping bags for camping.
Corky says
AWESOME!!! I’ve made 3 so far. I haven’t sewed in 30 years and this was just a great Christmas gift for my grandkids!! Thanks a million!!!
Shirley says
thank you for this post! I finished one for my son last night and after 15 years without sowing it was pretty easy to make! ?
Carissa says
I was skeptical, but LOVE! First time sewing project, but it wasn’t too hard and while mine is a tiny bit crooked in the seams (remember, first time!), it turned out amazing! I used an old sheet and upgraded the pillows to $5 ones from Walmart so it cost me $20. I need to find a bigger sheet to add one more pillow (6 long) so my husband and I can have one for camping, too!
Luann says
Do most of you use Standard, Queen, or King sized pillows? Pictures in this tutorial – what size pillows are those? Thanks. Cant wait to start for Christmas gifts.
Resa says
I was so excited to find this!! I have three girls, ages 11, 3 and 3. Money is tight this year so I was looking for easy DIY stuff for Christmas. This more than fits the bill!! I love the idea of no Velcro, and thank you for the awesome idea of using a flat sheet. Seriously, you’re a genius. Total cost for me to make ONE will be $21. I originally planned on having Santa bring these for the younger two girls, but when my oldest helped me pick everything out, she HAD to have one, so I guess I’ll be making three :)Thank you again for the awesome tutorial!
autumn says
You’re welcome!
Meri says
Hi! Thank you for sharing this and all your wonderful ideas! I’m planning on sewing one of these today for a girl that is sleeping on a couch. (Her famly hasn’t been able to get a larger bed yet) I hope you don’t mind that I’ve also shared this with some other groups, including one that helps people in dire need. This could be a real help to the homeless. If the pillows (before being inserted) are in plastic bags, they could be used by children that wet the bed. The covers could be easily laundered. I wish my siblings and I had these when we were little and had to go through a time of sleeping on the floor, because we had no beds. Thank you again!
jackie brady says
Great idea!!I have one suggestion 😉 When I make the 4 I have ordered I will do the first fold with right sides together and sew the ends shut so when you turn it right side out the first seam and last is hidden then I will do the section sewing.TX
Teresa Walker says
Jackie, I love your suggestion to finish the two ends seams first. Thanks!
Jane says
You advised sewing the seems 19 inches apart. All of the pillows I have seen are 20 inches. Does this pose a problem with the pillow fitting?
Debbie Luster says
If pillow is 20 inches and the slit is only 19 inches, will it work? If no how do I make it work?
Wendy Carter says
Because the pillows have a lot of give from the polyester filling you can stuff them in and then reshape them once you get them in. I made two with standard size pillows and the 19 inches still work.
Margaret says
Love this idea.
Rosemarie Bullock says
Thanks you really helped me out so appreciate it
Micki says
I need to make a replacement cushion pad for our old porch swing – it’s not produced any more, and not a size used currently. I think I could modify this a bit & make a replacement cushion pad. Heck of a lot cheaper than having one made for me, which is what I was nearly resigned to doing. Thanks for the idea!! Looking forward to trying it out!
Marge says
Micki, good idea. I have to make some new cushions also but I bet you could use a sturdy vinyl tablecloth.
Then it would be waterproof for outdoors.
Irma says
Awesome!! I’m making some for my grandkids!! Thank you!??
rachel says
Thank you so much for this awesome how-to! I made these for my niece and nephew (10 and 7) who were visiting me, and they absolutely loved them! After making them, I decided 5 pillows long was very long and heavy, so I cut the last rectangle off, re-stitched, and made them a 4-pillow version.
They slept with them in the bed, they dragged them out into the living room to snuggle in the floor or on the couch, they made forts and things to jump over. I got lots of credit for a very easy project!
Wendy Carter says
Thank you for sharing this idea. I Love love this….it was easy. Made one for the grand daughter and another one for myself. The second one took 1 hour to make.
Laura Rash says
Just made two of these – BRILLIANT and SUPER DUPER easy! Got my sheets from Wal-Mart for $5.00 each and my pillows from Dollar General which had a sale on them… One pack of TWO for $6.00 and then the second pack of TWO was only $3.00… So with making two of these as presents my TOTAL cost was only $34.00 for two AWESOME presents – WINNER, WINNER, CHICKEN DINNER!!!
heather says
just finished making one of these for my daughter for Christmas. Under an hour start to finish…and that includes fighting with my sewing machine.
Lisa says
This.Is.Brilliant. Thank you!!
Judy Goldthorp says
My daughter and I made these for her two daughters (ages 9 &12). They love them. We both used yardage (owls for the 9 year old and chevrons for the 12 year old). They were easy, quick and are used all the time..
AD says
Just made the first of 3 in little under an hour. Bought really nice kids’ sheets on clearance and Walmart pillows for a total cost of $22.50 each. I too was looking at the pillowcase version of this and in no way could afford to make 3 of those. Thank you for your ingenuity.
Stacie stockhoff says
What a clever pattern! I have been looking for a great pattern like this for my grandchildren. Thank you Autumn.
Be Smith says
I have just started sewing. I have just made this for my 9 year old son to take with him when we go camping. He has just taken it to bed with him and named it his catapillar. I used a double duvet that we were going to through out with star wars on it. Not only was it easy to make but the instructions were easy to follow. Thank you. X
Sally Monceaux says
I have been wanting to make one of these, but didn’t like the Velcro ends. Your method is the best I’ve seen! Thanks for sharing.
Patti says
Thank you for your wonderful tips. I had already considered using the twin sheet instead of sewing several pillow cases together. But I hadn’t thought of your genius idea of folding the sheet to eliminate the need for velcro on the side to keep the pillows inside. Brilliant idea! Thank you so much for sharing! This will be a project to make for my nephews in the near future.
Brenda Darland says
Thank you “sew” much for this tutorial!!! I just made one of these and working on the second one for my grandchildren for Christmas, this year!! You can’take start too early! And I just realized there is no cutting!!! Just measure and sew!!! How much simpler can it get? Thank you,again!!!
Whitney says
Love this! <3 with 6 girls, this will certainly come in handy!!!
brittany says
Have you made one with a queen sized sheet for adults? We are moving back to the states and I am wanting to make the “shells” before we ship everything away and be able to get pillows when we land. I just wasnt sure if it would work out the same way, using king sized pillows
Mel says
I love this! I would like to make the finished product for sale. Is that OK? In my posting I will give you credit for the pattern.
Teresa says
Thank you so much for posting this. I’ve wanted to make this pillow bed for my 5 grand daughters but I seen the old pattern and it was too expensive to make 5 of them. Thank you for figuring this out
Angie says
Can the pillows be removed and the cover be washed? I love this idea (but want to be able to wash it).
Carol says
This is what I made for my 3 great-grandkids 2, 4 & 7 and 4 of my grandkids ages 8, 10, 12, & 14. Everyone of them love them and they are used everyday.
I love the fact that they were easy to make (a bit more expensive in Canada but worth it) The pillows come out so easy for washing and go back just as easy.
Thank you so much for sharing this pattern.
vintage christmas wedding invitations says
I don’t find this Nice try but I feel the picture needs more depth to work well with the size of the life
T-J Goodwin says
How brilliant; I to have been viewing the pillow bed tutorials and found them to be expensive. I wanted to make one for my little granddaughter. She is getting to the age where she will be spending the night with Grammie. I do not have an extra bed. This would be perfect on the floor next to my bed. Thank you so much
Norma says
I understand how to make these beds, but what about the two ends, should they folded in to make a finished edge? Otherwise don’t you have a raw edge?
Rachel says
You actually would sew the two ends first. When you lay out the sheet face up and then fold in the two sides, the sides are the unfinished side of the fabric. Sewing a seam across all layers along the top and the bottom allow for the seam to be included on the inside. Once those two seams are sewn, turn right side out and make the individual sections. I hope that helped!
cheryl says
There was no mention of turning rightside out in the tutorial??
Rachel says
I have made a couple of these now and absolutely LOVE them! The sheet is a great option, but I have also used fleece which gives the bed a snugglier feel. I, also, sew ribbon to one of the end seams to allow for the pillows to be rolled up and tied like a sleeping bag. We gave one to a 9 year old friend of my daughter’s for her birthday and ALL the little girls at the birthday party were begging me to make them for their birthdays. The nice thing is that they don’t take a really long time to make and I can generally whip one up even with short notice. Another birthday party is on Sunday and I plan to make one tonight for her. Thanks for sharing with the measurements…that helps a lot!
Kameelah says
I really like your idea I am going to make one for myself I’m so exited to see how it turns out !
Kameelah says
This is AWesome. I. can’t wait to see how it turns out
Gigi says
Easy. Hardest thing was finding a single twin flat sheet. Mostly sold as sets. I also double stitched each of the 6 Seams to wear longer over time with kids jumping and rough housing in the cushions.
blog says
Your info is really intriguing
Vicki says
How would a microfiber sheet work for this?
Evelyn says
Love this! A great idea for my grandchildren. Also, will get me back into sewing which was my favorite hobby. Thank you so much!!!
Colleen says
Do you sew a seam along the outer sides of the bed, to ‘finish’ the look of a “pillowcase”?
Abby says
I am making this for my nephew. He loves purple and I love fleece so I bought two super soft purple fleece throws at Walmart and sewed them together and used that instead of a sheet! It’s a bit tricky because the fleece is very stretchy but I think it will be fine. He is not going to care if my seams aren’t super straight. 🙂
Jolene says
I just whipped up two of these in less than an hour. Merry christmas to the kids and me! Thank You!
Joley H. says
This was SO easy to make and your directions were spot on. This was a HUGE hit at our house and now everyone wants one!
I personalized them with iron-on letters. Thanks for sharing this!
dELAINE says
Made two of these for my twin grandsons age 5 not really a sewer but keep a sewing machine around for mending seams or quick and easy projects. My daughter enlisted me into making these after a co-worker showed her one her mom made. Difference was it had the open ends that you slide the pillows in and out to wash. Didn’t really like the open ends. That’s when I started my own search and came across your blog..Wonderful idea! I used solid black sheets for the back and the boy’s favorite print for the front Hot Wheels and Avengers Super Heroes I sewed it onto the sheet since the fabric wasn’t wide enough. Your illustrations and instructions were super easy and on point! I am thrilled with the sham idea the end product looks finished and professional and ……the boys absolutely LOVE them. Being portable they move them around the house since receiving them as this years Christmas gifts. Thank you so much…..
Marty says
Complete win! Thanks for the easy steps! Wish I could post pic!
Laurel says
I have been looking for a sleep-over bed for my granddaughter. This is the perfect solution. Thank you
Debbie G says
Thank you! I found you DIY very useful. I am making one for my 3 yr. old grandson. I bought the twin jersey sheets set at Kohls. SALE! $15 for the set, I also had a 30% off coupon. I plan to use the fitted and 2 pillow cases to make another one! I’ll let you know how they turn out. Happy sewing!
Marilynn says
Thank you so much . I’m gonna try it.
MD says
I used your tutorial to make the pillow bed out of an unwanted twin flat sheet. Very easy – I just had to adjust because my cheap sheet was a little narrow. We then took it in a suitcase to squeeze an extra child into a hotel room. (I tipped the housekeepers extra for the spare pillows). In the end an adult took over the floor bed because it felt better on his back!
Judy Agui SANATA says
I like the pillow chair for the children,
Please send me the measurementsame and pattern .
Angie says
I just made this! Your post helped and made it so simple
Anita says
Make it even cheaper by using sheets from the thrift store!!
Anne Millette says
I love this!! I am planning to make one out of a camo blanket – however – dimensions are 90×60 instead of 96×66. Can this still work????
Emily |Happy Mom Blog says
Wow this is amazing! My kids would absolutely love this! They are always on the floor putting pillows on the ground and making forts. This would be perfect for them! I’m not a DIY person but I might just give this a try!
Denise B says
I have been looking everywhere for a tutorial for this for my grandchildren. Thank you so much for sharing. I was looking at material plus pillows which was starting to get pricey. Using a flat sheet is brilliant plus I can get them in the designs they love without breaking the bank at the fabric store.
I truly appreciate you sharing!! I can’t wait to make these next weekend. I will be posting pictures on my blog I’ve just started. This will be a great project to get my crafting kick started.
Norma says
This is the perfect way to make one of these. I am making two for my grandsons. This is perfect for when they are here om the farm and there are no beds for them! Thank you so very much. So glad I found you!
Stacy D says
Exactly
maxine striha says
thank you thank YOU! gramma here in Canada. B.C. Mailed two of these great pillow beds to my grandson in New River AZ. |She bought the pillows at Walmart. They are just great for kids(boys here) to have sleep overs! hugs for you as I sew another one. xoxoxoxo
Joyce says
Thanks for the tutorial. I made one for my granddaughter and it was a big hit!
Cindy says
I made two for my grandsons today for Christmas. Took less than two hours, not counting the measuring and pinning. Walmart twin sheet, $4.99; Five Walmart pillows, $11.84 ($2.37 each) = $16.84! They’re going to love them!
Diane Kelly says
Just wanted to comment on this. I made four of these for my grandkids for Christmas. I splurged and bought Lush Fleece and flannel from JoAnne Fabrics. They turned out wonderful. The kids LOVED them. One of my sons-in-law loves them so much he regularly uses one of his daughters. So now I’m making him one for his birthday that might be a little bit more adult size with king pillows.
I did make a little adjustment to the pattern with only a 3″ overlap. This makes it much easier to get the pillows in and out but still holds them in place.
This was a huge hit. Thank you so much for sharing the pattern and idea.
Mason says
Extra comfy looking pillow. I really like the fold up feature.
Maggie says
Thank you! I’m going to make a couple to keep on hand for camping trips- we’ll just raid the beds for pillows before we go! So much cheaper and easier to store than camp beds and we can use them for movie nights!
Irfan says
I like your post thanks for sharing this article thank you so much.