Christmas patchwork pillows: making a free pillow pattern

Some quilting projects are simply too fun to stay tucked away in the photo archives forever. These Christmas patchwork pillows are exactly that. I made them a while ago, enjoyed decorating with them during the holidays, and somehow never shared them here on the blog. Since it's Christmas in July (well August to be more accurate), it feels like the perfect time to finally give them the spotlight.

Sometimes the smallest projects become the ones we use the most, and these pillows have certainly earned their place among my favorite handmade Christmas creations.

Two Beginner-Friendly Christmas Pillows

These pillow designs were created by Beverly McCullough of Flamingo Toes for Riley Blake Designs, and they're such a lovely introduction to holiday quilting.

The set includes two coordinating pillow patterns:

• Patchwork Present Pillow
• Patchwork Tree Pillow

Both pillows finish at 24" × 24", making them perfect for decorating a sofa, reading chair, or guest room during the Christmas season.

Although they're designed as beginner-friendly projects, they offer plenty of opportunities to play with color, fabric placement, and quilting.

A Great Way to Use Christmas Scraps

One of my favorite things about these pillows is how scrap-friendly they are. Instead of searching for large pieces of fabric, I was able to dive into my red and green scrap-fabric basket and combine different prints and shades. Mixing reds, greens, low-volume prints, and festive novelty fabrics gave each pillow its own personality while still making them feel like a coordinated pair.

A Free Pattern and Video Tutorial

One of the best things about these projects is that they're available as free patterns from Riley Blake Designs.

If you're new to quilting, or simply prefer learning visually, there's also a helpful video tutorial that walks you through the construction process step by step.

These beauties were gifted to dear friends on Chstmas eve 2024, and they are surely enjoying them ever since.