It feels like a meadow stitched right onto fabric with tall stems reaching upward, each crowned with a button bloom.
The mix of colors, shapes, and textures brings out a sense of childlike joy, almost as if flowers are dancing across the pillow.
Materials Needed
- 1 pillow insert (12 x 18 in / 30 x 45 cm)
- 1 neutral pillow cover fabric (front and back, 12 x 18 in)
- 20 assorted buttons in different sizes, shapes, and colors
- Embroidery floss or strong thread (black for stems, matching thread for buttons)
- Embroidery needle and regular sewing needle
- Fabric pencil or erasable marker
- Scissors
- Optional: Fabric strips
Step-by-step Guide
Step 1: Cut your fabric pieces to fit the pillow insert. If you want the knotted edge look, cut the front and back panels about 2 inches larger all around so you’ll have fabric to tie later.
Step 2: Arrange your buttons on the front fabric to decide where each flower will go.
Tips: You can play with color placement, scatter brights among neutrals for a balanced, eye-catching effect.
Step 3: Use a fabric pencil to draw straight stems beneath each button. Vary the lengths so some flowers look tall while others are shorter, giving the design more movement.
Step 4: Stitch the stems with black embroidery floss using a backstitch. Then add tiny side branches here and there so the flowers feel more natural.
Step 5: Sew the buttons securely in place at the top of each stem. Now, mix large and small ones side by side, and layer a few smaller buttons on top of larger ones for dimension.
Step 6: If adding the knotted border, place the front and back fabrics together (wrong sides facing), cut small slits evenly around the edges, and tie matching strips into knots to close the pillow sides.
Otherwise, sew the panels together, leave an opening, insert the pillow form, and finish stitching.
Tips:
This pillow is pure fun because no two will ever look the same. I like to use mismatched buttons collected from old shirts, coats, or thrift finds as it adds a story to each flower.
If you prefer a more elegant look, stick to a single color palette like all white or all wood-toned buttons.
And don’t worry about every stem being perfectly straight; a little wobble makes it look even more organic, like real flowers swaying in the breeze.