Tuesday, March 5

Affordable Magnolia-Style Throw Pillows

The internet has been all a-buzz about Joanna Gaines' sneak peek of her new Spring pillow line for Loloi Rugs. They are stunning. My couch would cry tears of joy to have such pillows. But then I found out... Loloi pillows average around $75 each. Spending freeze or not, that's gonna be a hard pass from me. Even on the Magnolia website a beautiful pillow will set you back anywhere from $40-130! 

 


There just has to be a better way. So I did a little searching and rounded up a few budget-friendly Magnolia-esque pillows just for you!

Check out my follow-up post with DIY Magnolia-style pillows!


I'm using some of these on my own couch!


My first mega-deal is in-store, but if you keep scrolling I have a few online options and even some DIY options down near the end. If you find a deal too good not to share, let me know in the comments!!

1. Hobby Lobby
This was by far the best deal and best selection I've found. And it was totally a surprise! I didn't even know they had this pillowcase selection until I stumbled across it (ironically while searching through their upholstery fabrics for something to DIY a magnolia pillow). Hobby Lobby doesn't sell online, but if you have a store nearby you're in for a treat. And nothing beats being able to hold an item in your hand before buying!


At our store this section was right next to the upholstery fabrics and the pillow forms. And the best part? When I went Saturday, the whole section was on sale for 50% off! Hobby Lobby runs a rotating list of sales so, even if you missed it this time, you can keep an eye out for the pillowcases to hit 50% off again. Because they will. And if you don't want to wait, they always have a "40% off one item" coupon on the website that's almost as good.

Enough chit chat, let's get to the pillow goodness. I took pictures of the ones I loved most, but there were dozens more to choose from! Hold on to your hats, folks. You're not going to believe these prices. 

1.  $14.99 ($7.50 on sale!) with tons of thick yarn and beautiful texture (a hallmark of magnolia pillows!)

2.  $10.99 ($5.50 on sale!) super-clean farmhouse-style stripes on a medium-weight fabric (higher-end feel than thinner fabrics!) with pom poms to boot. I love this one so much.

Update: After the spending freeze, I went back and bought option #1. I'm not a fan of fringe to begin with, but this was just awful. It stuck out everywhere like a bad haircut. So... I gave it an actual haircut.


Now I love it:


3.  $11.99 ($6 on sale!) gray and white pattern beautifully woven into the fabric (not printed on like lower-quality fabrics) with tassels in the corners (another very Magnolia move).

4.  $14.99 ($7.50 on sale!) dark gray, almost denim-look fabric covered with tiny tassels - probably  in my top two!


5.  $14.99 ($7.50 on sale!) classic black and white pattern woven in with thick yarn for tons of texture - my other top two!

6.  $14.99 ($7.50 on sale!) covered in taupe-y yarn texture, this a perfect neutral to support your other pillows or interesting enough to be the star! Love this one so much - it's my third "top two."


7.  $14.99 ($7.50 on sale!) beautiful black + white tribal-style pattern that can totally act as a neutral. This pillow cover has the pattern printed on (instead of woven in like the others we've looked at) so it's a bit less luxe, but it's still printed on a thick canvas fabric that gives it a good "hand" and feels true to its style. Still a winner in my book!

8.  $14.99 ($7.50 on sale!) plain white, but wait! these guys have a rainbow of pom poms or tassels all around the edge. These were just too cute to skip and would be adorable in a kid's room.


Last but certainly not least...

9.  $5.00 ($2.50 on sale!) and I'll say it once more in case you missed it: $2.50 on sale. This plain cotton cover looks like high-end linen and will be a perfect co-star to just about any pillow you throw at it. AND IT'S SO CHEAP. The only catch is that it felt a bit thin, so you'd definitely need a plain white pillow insert (no re-purposing an old printed pillow inside this guy).


Like I said, those are just a few of my favorites. There are so many more! 

Pro-tip: there are several pillow covers with fringe (some with looong fringe) and if you're on the fence about fringe but love the rest of the pillow - you are allowed to cut it off. The end. 

Pillow covers are nothing without pillow forms to fill them. Luckily, there are some just down the aisle. A basic 18x18 form is $10 at Hobby Lobby, but they also happened to be on sale Saturday for 30% off bringing the price down to $7. (pillow forms also run the sale cycle and will go on sale fairly often, even up to 50% off. Joann Fabric does the same with their pillow forms. I'm also a big fan of Ikea $3 pillow forms, but their standard size is 20x20 and won't work with the industry standard 18x18. I mean, it might work if you shove it, but I haven't tried. )


So with a $7 pillow form + $7.50 pillow cover, you're looking at $14.50 tops for a beautiful throw pillow. You can dress your whole sofa for the price of one magnolia pillow!


Now what about the folks who don't have a Hobby Lobby handy? I grew up in a rural area with the nearest Hobby Lobby an hour away. I feel your pain. So if you just can't get to a store, this is the next best thing I can give you.

2. Amazon (prime!)
I haven't has as much luck here, but I did find a few pillows with a Fixer Upper vibe that can tide you over. They're even prime so you don't have to wait:


When I link Amazon items I feel like I have to give you two disclaimers: first, their prices change all the time so the price I listed may not be accurate now. Second, some amazon products are good quality and some... not so much. I haven't actually held these in my hands so read the reviews and use your judgement! Now on to the goodies...

1. $14  (under $7 per cover) set of two 18x18 faux linen pillow covers (here's another option for a similar price and style)

2. $13 ($6.50 per cover) set of two 18 x 18 black + white stripe pillow covers I love these so much I'll probably buy a set for myself!

Those two were both pillow covers that will need pillow inserts like this set of four for $25 ($6.25 per pillow!)

3. $40 (not so budget friendly, but hang with me for a minute) It's an 18x18 striped pillow cover that you could totally DIY for way less! You just need a white pillow cover (or the linen-look I linked above) and some black embroidery thread. Check out this tutorial with another Magnolia-inspired DIY for details on how to add simple embroidery to a cover!

4. $27 (a whole pillow so you won't spend more to add an insert) 20x20 with lots of texture and fringe This is one of the more expensive in the round-up, but the only lower-price option I've found with lots of texture and fringe on Amazon. And it's still about half the price of a pillow from Loloi! Remember, you can always trim the fringe if it's not your speed.

Those are the only low-budget pillows I've got for you (let me know if you have any others!) but I do have a few other amazon ideas if you're up for a DIY!

3. DIY Pillow Covers

Pillow covers are so easy to sew (like the Star Wars cover I made here) and with the right fabric you can make your own Magnolia-inspired covers!  The trick is finding fabric with a thicker, high-end feel. Preferably with the pattern woven in instead of printed on (details like that are key to ending up with a pillow that measures up to Magnolia quality). One simple and affordable option is in the embroidery aisle at Hobby Lobby. These towels have beautifully woven stripes that would be perfect for pillows, and some even have fringe! They were just a few dollars each.


If you're looking for fabric with a lot of texture (like all those magnolia pillows!) one of my favorite tips is to look for blankets to use as your fabric! So I also rounded up a few blankets on amazon that could be cut up and used with my pillow cover tutorial.


Each of these blankets should be large enough for two double-sided throw pillows or at least four one-sided pillows if you use another, cheaper fabric on the back! Keep that in mind as you look at the prices!

1.  $50  white blanket with a black stripe pattern woven in  - I love this one! It would be beautiful to work in the fringe on the sides of a pillow. 

2. $23  taupe blanket with white stripes and fringe that's a little farmhouse and a little beachy.

3. $25  light gray chevron blanket has a subtle pattern with tons of texture that makes it feel interesting and high-end without stealing the show.

4. $50  handwoven black + white pattern blanket with thick yarn and fringe to boot!

5. $80  the most expensive by far, but if you get four pillows out of it you're still only talking $20/cover. This blanket looks super high-end with a subtle pattern and beautiful texture woven in, plus pretty spectacular tassels. It looks just like one of the Magnolia line pillows!

6. $19  subtle gray diamond weave blanket and did I mention $19?? The Magnolia line has carried several monochromatic pillows with beautiful raised patterns, and this definitely fits that bill! But for a much smaller bill.



7.  Okay, this one is actually the Ikea TUVALIE blanket (it also comes in red) but it needed to be on the DIY blanket-to-pillow cover list! Those black + white stripes are speaking my language and it's only $15!

8.  (not pictured) Feed sack fabric is another great option for farmhouse-style pillow covers. You can find it by-the-yard here.




4. Update What You Already Have
There's one more trick to save some serious $$ on a Magnolia-style pillow - updating a pillow cover you already have! Or any cheap pillow cover if you're starting from scratch (like one of the plain linen-look options listed above).  Here are my top two tips:

1. Sew fringe or some tassels on your favorite pillow. It's an easy way to dress up a pillow and add some great texture. You can buy pre-made fringe or tassels at Hobby Lobby, Joann Fabric, or online. Try searching "fringe by the yard" for some great options like this one from Etsy.


2. Add details with embroidery thread. Check out my suggestion up in the amazon pillow descriptions to make one like this, and check out this tutorial for making another style of Magnolia-inspired pillow cover with embroidery thread! And guys, embroidery thread is so cheap. If you've already got a pillow, you're looking at less than a dollar for this project.


That's it for my affordable Magnolia-style throw pillows! And now for the final question: which pillow covers did I buy for our poor, lonely couch??

NONE OF THEM. Because spending freeze, guys. The spending freeze shows no mercy. Unless we have a gift card. Then it shows a little mercy. But I don't have a gift card to Hobby Lobby, so I won't be hitting these up until... 2020. Sigh. In the mean time, I'll just wait to see what you guys come up with!

Let me know which cover was your favorite, and if you have any other great resources to share!

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. I receive a small commission at no cost to you when you make a purchase using my link.

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