I love projects I can work on while watching TV or attending Zoom webinars, and ones I can easily pack up to take with me on the go. This sequined pillow project checks all those boxes. Plus, it’s budget-friendly, easy to make, and doesn’t require a pattern.

The process behind this sequined pillow design is simple. Secure individual sequins to a premade pillow in several spots. Then surround each sequin with circular rows of sequins in the color order of your choice. Eventually, the design will resemble fireworks-like bursts, which run into each other and fill the pillow’s background.

Materials

To get started, you need a solid color pillow. I made one for this project that measures 9 inches square and is stuffed with polyester fiberfill. Additional supplies needed are a hand-sewing needle, thread, and sequins. I chose black thread to match my pillow’s background and two multicolor packs of sequins from Joann fabric and craft stores.

Embellish the pillow with sequins

1. Prepare the design.

Determine how you’d like to order the sequin colors, starting from the center sequin and going out to the final color. I used a total of six colors and chose rainbow order, starting with pink.

2. Attach the sequins.

Choose a place on the pillow to attach the first center sequin. Ideally, there should be about 2 inches of background fabric surrounding each center sequin.

Sew the first sequin

Use the following manner, or use your own method, if desired.

a. Thread a needle with a doubled strand of thread, so the doubled thread is about the length of the distance from your fingertips to your elbow.

b. Knot the thread ends.

c. Insert the needle into the pillow where you plan to attach the first center sequin and come up about 1/8 inch away.

d. Then insert the needle through the sequin’s hole and secure the sequin in place (over the knot) by inserting the needle back down into the fabric directly next to one side of the sequin and coming up a full sequin’s length away on the opposite side of the sequin.

e. Next, place the needle through the sequin’s hole again and come up through the fabric about half a sequin’s length away from the sequin’s edge in any direction.

Watch the demonstration

For additional help attaching sequins, refer to the video below:

3. Start the second row.

Once the first sequin is attached, place a sequin from the second color row of your sequin design onto the needle and attach it to the pillow in the same way as the first sequin.

Note: To make the stitching more uniform, attach all sequins (except for the center sequin) so the stitches radiate from the center sequin. Then, when the needle is placed back into the fabric through the sequin’s hole, come up through the fabric about half a sequin’s length away from the edges of the surrounding sequins. This starts to form a curved row around the center sequin.

4. Tie off the thread.

Continue attaching the sequins as explained in step 3 until the second color row is complete. Then start the third row and continue attaching sequins in a ring-like shape around the second row until you are about to run out of thread. This will most likely be in the middle of a sequin “burst,” as shown.

Simply tie off the thread inconspicuously beneath a sequin, rethread the needle, and begin creating another burst about 2 inches away from the first center sequin in any direction. Continue adding to this burst until the thread is about to run out. Then tie it off inconspicuously, create another burst, and so on.

5. Add to the bursts.

Once you’ve created enough bursts, as shown below, it’s time to fill in the blank space between each burst. This will take some time, but it will all be worth it in the end. Simply pick a burst and continue attaching sequins where you left off in the appropriate color order. Once you run out of thread, tie it off inconspicuously once again, and move to another burst.

6. Finish the pillow.

Eventually, the bursts will start running into each other. When this happens, you’ll notice that some bursts end sooner than others. The same thing happens when you start to reach the pillow’s corners and edges—assuming you only cover one side of the pillow, as I did. This is all part of the design. Just know that when this happens, you may need to strategize a bit to make sure the empty space is used efficiently. For instance, you might need to give some sequins a little more space, while others might need to squeeze together.

Regardless, your pillow will turn out beautifully.

Have you ever hand-embellished something with sequins? Please share your thoughts below.