Christmas Gift Box Quilted Pillow Cover: Step-by-Step Guide

This pillow uses the Log Cabin and Four-Patch techniques combined to create a festive gift box design.

I. Materials & Tools

• Fabric:
  • Gift Box: Various scraps of green and white prints (use small squares, e.g., $2.5$ inches or $1.5$ inches).
  • Ribbon/Bow: Red solid or patterned fabric (requires pieces for the bow and strips for the ribbon).
  • Background: Solid white or cream fabric for the pillow top background.
  • Borders: Green patterned fabric (for the inner border) and striped fabric (for the piping effect).
  • Backing Fabric: For the back of the pillow cover.
• Notions: Rotary cutter, quilting ruler, cutting mat, sewing machine, thread (matching colors), batting (lightweight), and a pillow form (e.g., 18″ x 18″).

II. Cutting the Pieces (Example Sizes for an 18″ Pillow)

• Gift Box Squares: Cut many small green/white squares (e.g., $2.5″ \times 2.5″$).
• Ribbon: Cut red strips (e.g., $1.5″$ wide) to cross the box center.
• Bow: Cut two large squares of red fabric (e.g., $5″ \times 5″$) for the Half-Square Triangles (HSTs).
• Background Corners: Cut four white squares (size depends on your final block size, e.g., $6″ \times 6″$).
• Inner Border: Cut four strips of green fabric (e.g., $1.5″$ wide).

III. Piecing the Gift Box Block

1. Assemble the Gift Box: Sew the small green and white squares together into columns and rows to form a large central square (the Gift Box base). Ensure the finished size is centered for your pillow cover (e.g., $12.5″ \times 12.5″$).
2. Add the Ribbon: Carefully cut and insert the red ribbon strips, sewing them across the center of the Gift Box block both horizontally and vertically. Trim the intersections neatly.

IV. Creating the Bow

1. Make Half-Square Triangles (HSTs): Take your red $5″ \times 5″$ squares. Place two squares right sides together. Draw a diagonal line corner-to-corner. Sew a $1/4″$ seam allowance on both sides of the drawn line. Cut along the drawn line. Press the resulting triangles open to create four red HSTs (These will form the bow loops).
2. Assemble the Bow: Arrange the red HSTs and two small center squares so they resemble the bow loops seen in the image. Sew these pieces together to form the complete bow unit.

V. Assembling the Pillow Top

1. Attach the Bow: Sew the completed red bow unit onto the top center edge of the Gift Box block.
2. Add Background Corners: Sew the white background squares to the four corners of the combined Gift Box/Bow unit. This squares off the central design.
3. Add the Inner Border: Sew the green $1.5″$ strips around the entire central block. Press seams open or to the side.

VI. Quilting and Finishing

1. Layer and Baste: Layer the assembled pillow top, the batting, and a square of muslin or backing fabric. Baste the three layers together (using pins or spray).
2. Quilt: Quilt the layers by machine or hand (e.g., stitching a simple stipple or quilting around the squares of the gift box).
3. Trim and Final Border: Trim the quilted piece to the final desired size (e.g., $18.5″ \times 18.5″$).
4. Create the Candy Cane Edge: Use the striped fabric to create a faux piping or a flange border that gives the candy cane look. Sew this decorative border strip around the edge of the pillow front.
5. Assemble the Pillow Cover: Sew the pillow front to the pillow backing (usually using an envelope back closure or zipper). Insert your pillow form.