Your patio is an extension of your living space and it deserves to be just as cozy and stylish as your indoor living room. While there are plenty of trendy ideas for designing your perfect patio, one design element that never goes out of style is outdoor throw pillows. Throw pillows are an easy way to bring color, texture, and personality into any space. If you’re looking for fun ideas to make your patio feel more like a living room, then DIYing your throw pillows is a great place to start. Luckily, you can make fun, personalized throw pillows without busting out your sewing machine by using Dollar Tree placemats. Even better, you can use them around your home for an extra added touch, too!

Placemats work great for this DIY because they are available in such a wide selection of colors, patterns, textures, and seasonal designs that are perfect for holiday décor. To get started on this project you will need two placemats for each pillow you want to create, some polyfill or the stuffing of an old pillow, and a hot glue gun. With those items on hand, it’s time to turn your simple Dollar Tree fabric into a stylish pillowcase.

To get started, you need to choose placemats that will work well for this DIY. PVC or wicker placemats, for example, aren’t pliable enough to serve as a comfortable pillow. Instead, opt for something softer like these Dollar Tree reversible bee-themed fabric placemats.

Once you’ve settled on a placemat color and style that you like, lay the two mats on top of each other with the good side facing out. Then, begin adding a line of hot glue around the seams, leaving one side open for stuffing. Press and hold the fabric together as you add glue to ensure it’s securely together. Once the glue has dried you can take your polyfill or old pillow stuffing and begin stuffing your pillow through the open side. Once it’s filled to your liking, glue down the final seam. Just like that, your new pillows are ready to be placed outdoors or around your home.

If you’re looking for ways to customize this project, you can use holiday-themed placemats to make seasonal throw pillows. Alternatively, you could opt for plain white fabric placemats and tie-dye them to add a bohemian touch. If you want to add a personal touch, you can order custom photo placemats online and turn your throw pillows into cute family portraits. Whether you’re making some new patio décor, or just want a pillow or two to toss on the couch, you’ll love how these turn out.