How to Put Cording on a Pillow: Video and Step-by-Step Guide

At 3:24 min., Sailrite’s throw-pillow video begins making piping; at 6:11 min., it shows sewing the piping to the pillow panels, and at 9:09 min., it moves to inserting the pillow form. To put cording on a pillow, first baste the corded trim to the right side of the pillow front, then sew the front and back together with the stitching close to the cord. The key is choosing the cover closure before you cut the backing pieces.

How Pillow Cording Works

Cording, often called piping or welting, is a cord wrapped in fabric or attached to a fabric tape. It sits in the seam between the pillow front and back, creating a raised outline around the edge.

Purchased piping is the quickest option. It already has a cord enclosed in a fabric strip, sometimes called the flange or tape. Custom piping lets you match the pillow fabric exactly: you wrap bias binding around cotton cord, sew beside the cord, and use the finished strip as trim.

A zipper foot, welting foot, or roping zipper foot is important because it lets the needle sew closely alongside the raised cord. A standard presser foot tends to push the cord away from the needle, leaving a loose-looking seam.

How to Attach Cording to a Pillow

Choose the closure before cutting the backing, because it determines the pieces you need for the cover.

This table compares the cutting, closure, and cording plans for each pillow-cover style:

Cover Style	Cutting and Closure Plan	Cording Plan
Zippered cover	Two matching front-and-back squares, with a zipper installed along the bottom edge	Purchased decorative cording works well
Envelope-back cover	One pillow front and two overlapping back pieces	Custom or purchased piping both work well
Sewn closed cover	A front and back panel with an opening left for the pillow form	Best for a pillow form that will stay inside the cover

Step 1: Choose the Closure and Cut the Pillow Pieces

For its own 20-inch zippered corded cover, BERNINA uses two 20″ x 20″ fabric squares, a 20″ zipper, a 20″ x 20″ pillow form, and 3 yards of purchased decorative cording. Those measurements apply to that particular pillow form and cover pattern; use the cutting dimensions listed for your selected form and pattern when making a different size.

One Suzy Quilts envelope-pillow pattern specifies two backing pieces measuring 14″ x 21″. In the Suzy Quilts pattern, the backing pieces overlap in the middle by about 5″ after the cover is assembled.

Cut the pillow front carefully and keep its edges square. If your fabric has a directional print, decide which edge is the bottom now. The cording ends are easiest to hide at the center of that bottom edge.

Step 2: Make or Prepare the Piping

If you bought ready-made piping, unroll it and make sure there is enough to travel around the full pillow edge, plus enough extra to form a neat join at the bottom.

For custom piping:

Lay bias binding around the cording with wrong sides together, enclosing the cord.
Attach a zipper foot, welting foot, or roping zipper foot.
Sew beside the cord with a basting stitch length of 4 or longer. This first stitching line does not need to sit tightly against the cord; it mainly holds the layers together for the next seam.

I use my basic sewing machine for this basting pass because it keeps the cord and fabric layers aligned for the final seam.

One Suzy Quilts envelope-pillow pattern specifies 3/16″ cotton cording in a 2 1/2-yard length. Common pillow cording in these examples ranges from 3/16″ to 1/4″; Sailrite’s pillow video uses medium 1/4″ welting cord. Confirm the exact cord size in the materials list for the pillow pattern or video you are following.

Step 3: Baste the Cording to the Pillow Front

Place the pillow front right side up. Set the piping on top with the raised cord facing inward and the raw edge of the cord tape aligned with the raw edge of the pillow front.

Start at the center of the bottom edge, leaving the first end loose.
Pin or clip the piping around the perimeter, letting it curve naturally at the corners.
Use the zipper or welting foot to baste close to the cord. On BERNINA’s specified setup, use Zipper Foot #4 and move the needle as far left as possible to stitch close to the cord.
Stop before reaching the starting point so both piping ends remain loose.

At each corner, keep the cord rounded rather than trying to bend it into a sharp point. If the fabric tape pulls or puckers, make small clips into the tape only, stopping short of the stitching beside the cord.

To join fabric-covered piping neatly, open the outer fabric cover at one end and expose the inner cord. Trim the cord so its end meets the cord at the starting end without overlapping. Fold the opened fabric cover diagonally around the join, then finish basting the piping in place. The fabric cover hides the join, while the inner cord remains continuous.

Step 4: Sew the Pillow Cover

Put the pillow front and back right sides together, keeping the basted piping sandwiched between them. The cording should face inward, while its raw tape edges line up with the fabric edges.

For a zippered cover:

Sew one side of the zipper to the bottom edge of the pillow back, right sides together, stitching close to the zipper teeth.
Position the free zipper tape along the bottom edge of the pillow front. Keep the section where the piping ends meet free until you have arranged that join neatly.
Open the zipper before sewing around the rest of the pillow. This is what allows you to turn the finished cover right side out.
Pin the remaining three sides, catching the zipper tape near the lower corners.
Sew around the perimeter with the zipper foot, keeping the final stitching close to the cord.

For an envelope-back cover:

Finish the inner long edge of each backing piece with a folded and stitched hem.
Lay the pillow front right side up.
Place both backing pieces right sides down over it, aligning their outer edges with the front. For the Suzy Quilts envelope-pillow pattern, arrange the two 14″ x 21″ pieces so they overlap by about 5″ in the center.
Pin around all four sides and sew the perimeter close to the cord.

Sew slowly around corners. Keep the zipper-foot edge against the cording so the finished seam sits snugly beside it rather than drifting out onto the fabric tape.

Step 5: Turn, Fill, and Finish the Pillow

Trim the outer fabric corners to reduce bulk, taking care not to cut the seam or piping. Turn the cover right side out through the open zipper or envelope opening.

Use a blunt tool, such as a chopstick or point turner, to gently shape each corner from the inside. Do not push hard enough to pierce the seam.

Insert the pillow form, smooth the corners, and close the zipper or settle the envelope overlap into place. Check that the cord appears evenly rounded around the entire edge.

Handling Corners, Joins, and Braided Trim

Smooth corners and neat joins come from sewing close to the cord and finishing braided or rope trim at the bottom center.

Keeping Pillow Corners Smooth

Piping naturally creates rounded corners, even on a square pillow. The result is often more polished than a sharply pointed corner because the cord needs room to bend.

If one corner looks bulky after turning, check whether excess fabric has gathered under the piping or whether the seam is too far from the cord. Restitching closer to the cord usually improves a loose, wavy edge.

Sewing Braided Cording on a Pillow

Braided cording is different from fabric-covered piping. If it has a flat flange or tape along one edge, treat that flange like piping tape: align it with the fabric edge and catch it in the pillow seam.

If braided trim has no flange, attach it after the pillow cover is turned right side out. Position the braid just inside the pillow seam and hand-stitch it in place with discreet stitches that pass over the braid and into the cover. Begin and end at the bottom center, securing the thread knots inside the cover.

For a braid that can be separated into strands, unravel enough of both ends to interlace the strands at the meeting point, then stitch the strands and their tape securely into the seam. If the braid cannot be separated cleanly, a tidy overlap at the bottom center is usually less noticeable than a bulky attempted splice.

Adding Rope Trim Instead of Piping

Thick rope trim is usually better as a surface embellishment than as a seam insert. Finish the pillow cover first, then couch the rope onto the front edge with hand stitches.

Keep the rope just inside the seam line and make the stitches as inconspicuous as possible. Finish both ends at the bottom center, where an overlap or decorative button can conceal the meeting point.

Check the Finished Pillow and Keep Cording Neat

Before calling the pillow finished, check these details:

The seam sits snugly against the cord with no exposed raw piping tape.
The cording follows an even line around all four sides.
Each corner is smooth, not pinched or lumpy.
The piping join lies flat.
A zippered cover opens and closes without catching the piping.
The pillow form fills the corners without straining the seams.

If the seam looks loose beside the cord, turn the cover inside out and sew another line slightly closer to the cord. Avoid sewing through the cord itself; stitching beside it preserves the raised, rounded finish.

Frequently Asked Questions

What size cording should I use for a pillow?

Use 3/16″ to 1/4″ cording for the pillow styles covered here. One Suzy Quilts envelope-pillow pattern uses a 3/16″ cotton cord, while Sailrite’s throw-pillow video uses 1/4″ welting cord. Choose the exact size listed in your selected pillow pattern or video materials list.

Do I need a zipper foot to sew piping on a pillow?

Yes, a zipper foot is the simplest way to sew close to the raised cord. A welting foot or roping zipper foot also works because it guides the stitching beside the cord rather than over it. For BERNINA’s featured corded cover, the specified attachment is Zipper Foot #4.

Where should the ends of the piping meet?

Meet the piping ends at the center of the pillow’s bottom edge. This location hides the join when the pillow is displayed and keeps it away from the most visible corners. For fabric-covered piping, trim the inner cords so they meet end to end and wrap one fabric cover over the join.

Can I add cording to an envelope pillow cover?

Yes, you can add cording to an envelope pillow cover. Baste the piping to the pillow front, then layer the two finished backing pieces over it and sew around the perimeter close to the cord. One Suzy Quilts envelope-pillow pattern uses two 14″ x 21″ backing pieces arranged with about 5″ of overlap in the center. Baste the piping to the pillow front first, then layer the two finished backing pieces over it and sew around the perimeter.

Can I use ready-made piping instead of making my own?

Yes, and ready-made piping is often the easiest choice for a first corded pillow. Align the piping tape with the pillow-front edge, baste it in place, and sew the final cover seam close to the cord. Custom piping is most useful when you want the trim to match the pillow fabric exactly.