Transform a plain white pillowcase

pillowcase trimmed with Liberty print fabric

You only need basic sewing know-how to make these expensive-looking pillowslips that will look fabulous with plain white bedding and cost a fraction of their shop-bought equivalent

You will need:

● two plain pillowcases
● white thread
● scissors
● tape measure
● edging fabric or ribbon

Top tips:

Be sure to wash border fabrics before sewing, just in case there is any shrinkage.

Choose borders in same-weight fabric as the pillowcases - they will be easier to sew.

Scarves, vintage fabrics and embroidered edgings work well, so keep a look out in markets, vintage shops and at car-boot sales.

Liberty-print border

The amount of fabric you need depends on the width you want your border to be. Ours (above) is quite wide, but we already had the fabric - as Liberty prints are expensive, you could get away with it being narrower, so buy 25cm* if you don't have any off-cuts lying around. Before you start, unpick the side seams of the pillowcase to the same width as your border. Press under 1cm across the width of your strip and stitch to the edge of your pillowcase. Repeat at the other edge. Turn pillowcase inside out and stitch side seams together.

*Please note the minimum amount Liberty will sell is 50cm, enough for four pillowcases

Paisley print

Follow instructions for the Liberty print border, above, using paisley-print cotton

Picot edge

This was originally a square cotton scarf, but the edging was so pretty it makes a lovely finish on this pair of pillowcases. Just cut two strips as wide as you want the border to be, Follow instructions for the Liberty border, but make sure the pretty edging slightly hangs over the edge of the pillowcase and stitch as close to it as possible.

Monochrome ribbon

Unstitch sides of pillowcases around 10cm down or lower depending on where you want your ribbon border. We chose black and white striped ribbon for a clean, crisp look, but ribbon comes in a huge variety of patterns. Cut your ribbon slightly wider than the width of the pillowcase so you can tuck in ends at the side seams. Tack ribbon in place and then stitch between stripes. If you are a beginner and you don't feel confident about stitching such straight lines, you can hand sew.

Feature: Sue McNeill. Photos: David Giles. Styling: Selina Lake