Decorative Pillowcases: From History to DIY Guidelines

On the bed, on the couch, on the floor. Stuffed with feathers, fibres, memory foam or buckwheat hulls. Pillows are a must-have in every interior, whether it’s a house, apartment, office, café or cottage. We use them for their primary purpose – head support – as well as for purely decorative purposes.

However, pillows looked quite different once upon a time.

When did the history of pillows begin?

The answer is a long, looong time ago – 9000 years ago in Mesopotamia (present day Iraq and Iran), to be more exact.

If you think that ancient Babylonians rested their heads on comfortable, soft feathers, you are in for a surprise: their pillows were actually made of stone. That’s right, their primary purpose was not comfort – pillows were made to keep those grovelling creatures such as insects out of citizens’ ears when they slept.

Similar kinds of pillows, but made of other materials, have found their ways into the households of ancient Egypt and China.

Luckily, the ancient Greeks and Romans took over the stage and began filling the pillows with soft materials such as cotton, straw and feathers.

Century after century of ups and downs, and finally we have reached the industrial revolution, when modern technologies enabled a lower price of this commodity. Therefore, decorative pillows weren’t something only the wealthy could afford; they became parts of all households, different sofas and chairs.

Today, pillows are no longer something we simply sleep on. They are the key to a good interior design, something that will elevate the charm of every room. Decorative pillows are here to embellish that boring grey couch or that chair that seems a bit dull.

However, why should we have three different kinds of pillows in case we wish for a different décor?

There is a much simpler way in which we can breathe in new life to these pillows. Of course, we are talking about pillowcases.

Endless decorative possibilities

When we talk about decorative pillowcases, we primarily mean the ones that will embrace the pillows on your couch, armchair, hammock, dining room chair, even the floor in front of the fireplace.

Pillowcases give us so many options, so many different styles that we can safely proclaim these pieces of fabric the central elements of every interior design décor.

Would you care for some oriental style? Choose a colourful pillowcase with tassels.

Are you looking for a Scandinavian style? Choose pillowcases with clear lines and light colours.

Would you like to make your friends laugh? A pillowcase with Nicolas Cage’s face is just the thing that will make it happen.

Another option the modern times give you is to design your own pillowcase! Caspar gives you the possibility to create your own custom design. You can upload it through our online customizer (pattern, colours, even photographs) and put it on a pillowcase with all over print.

We will print your design on the fabric, sew it and deliver it to your address! Here is what you need to know about the pillowcase.

The material we use is Heavy Twill – 100% cotton with a thicker structure (375g/m2).
Available dimensions are 40x40cm, 50x50cm and 40x65cm.

In case you are more of a do-it-yourself kind of person, and one of your favourite activities is mastering the art of sewing, you can also make your pillowcase from scratch.

Here are some tips and tricks that will make the entire process much easier.

What are the best materials for pillowcases?

When choosing the material for your pillowcases, keep in mind that it must not be stretchable and that it must be firm. This way, it can keep its shape (or stuffing) and give you the level of comfort you are looking for.

According to these characteristics, we have three perfect materials that will be great for your DIY projects:

Each of these fabrics is very firm, making them ideal for both indoor and outdoor decorations. The main difference between Twill and Canvas is that Twills are more resilient due to their weave (keep in mind that denim is also a kind of Twill weave!).

Detailed features of each fabric can be found on the links, but you can also contact us if you have some more questions on your mind.

Use this opportunity and create a unique gift for different occasions: birthdays, bachelorette parties, baby showers, Valentine’s Day and similar events. Shhh – additional decorations such as pearls and tassels are also a great idea!

You can print your design on all the fabrics we have on offer. We’ve even prepared a blog that will explain everything when it comes to creating your custom design!