You can master how to make your own body pillow in two easy steps. And what’s excellent with this guide is you can use two pillows that you already have to make a body pillow. This is the quickest and easiest way to have a body pillow, and you can still customize it to your needs.
While there are many kinds of body pillows with varying uses, the most versatile type is a full-body or rectangular body pillow. You can use it to keep your spine straight in any sleeping position, and it’s easy to make yourself compared to curved types. However, you can also use this guide as a base to make other body pillow shapes and sizes.
How To Make Body Pillow The Easiest Way
Step #1. Making the case
The first step is making the case of your body pillow, and as mentioned earlier, the type of body pillow you’re making is the traditional rectangular type. Therefore, you’ll be using the cases of two regular pillows. After removing the fill, turn both pillow covers inside out and secure them together.
You’ll then have full control over the pillow’s width at this point, so trim them accordingly. Ensure to leave at least an inch of allowance for the side seams before placing the pillow covers together from their right side. The seams should also be well-aligned at the center before sewing both sides.
You can also do your own technique to combine the two pillow covers as long as the finished product is durable and secured. Remember that you can always experiment and get creative in combining two pillows to get a larger pillow that can accommodate your body. Measuring everything beforehand is crucial, so your body pillow has the right size for comfort and support.
Step #2. Stuffing
After you finish the body pillow cover, turn it inside out and fill it with your chosen material. You can also just use the stuffing you got earlier from the two pillows or mix the material with other types to achieve a specific feel or loft. Do note that you can choose to sew a zipper as your closure if you want to adjust the stuffing later on.
Otherwise, you can blind stitch the opening to lock your pillow. Be mindful of the gaps to prevent the pillow stuffing from spilling. Finally, you can follow similar guides in making a pillowcase using the appropriate measurements for your body pillow.
Types Of Body Pillows
There are many types of body pillows, not only because of their materials but also because of their shapes. As you can assume, the most comfortable body pillow to make is the rectangular or straight-shaped ones compared to those with curves. Nonetheless, you can keep your spine posture in check and relieve pressure efficiently with any pillow type as long as you know how to use your body pillow correctly.
Straight
The most common type of body pillow is the straight one that also resembles the letter I. You can easily make this body pillow by connecting two pillows and reducing their width. And because it is lengthy, this pillow should comfortably support your whole body from head to knees.
U-shaped
The second type of body pillow that you’ll find is the U-shaped pillow. Compared to the first one, this pillow is best for side sleepers and is generally popular among pregnant women. It can support both the upper and lower portions of the body to relieve pressure and also provide you something to hug.
J-shaped
If you don’t have enough space in your bed, you can consider the J-shaped body pillow. It also offers support on the whole body, but you can easily adjust it to target your head, neck, shoulder, and knees. Some sleepers also use it as a headrest to relieve neck pain.
C-shaped
Lastly, you might also benefit from the curved arms of a C-shaped body pillow. The advantage of this body pillow is you can modify it to target pressure points by folding and rotating the pillow. However, you can also get creative and use this body pillow for full-body support.
What Can I Stuff My Body Pillow?
The materials you can use to stuff your body pillow is virtually limitless. However, remember that you need something that will support and relieve pressure in the body. A popular filling for body pillows is memory foam because it is firm yet also workable to adapt to your body.
A drawback in memory foam is that it retains heat, which means a suitable breathable replacement would be cotton. In addition, body pillows with cotton are easy to clean and maintain. However, cotton tends to lose its form over time.
Conclusion
Body pillows are useful for preventing body pain and relieving pressure points. But did you know how to make your own body pillow? You can create one using two regular pillows and connecting them.
Reduce the width to what is comfortable for you until you achieve the right size for full-body support. Stuff the pillow to your desired loft and firmness with a filling that suits your needs. Finally, choose between stitching the closure or using a zipper for optional adjustment later on.