This DIY button pillow is simple, stylish, and a fraction of the store price

Brightening up a couch, love seat or armchair is often as simple as finding the perfect pillow to complement the cushions. While colorful, season-inspired pillows are readily available at most home goods stores, the price tag can make you cringe. Instead of overspending on an item that frequently gets changed out, consider creating a unique DIY pillow using nothing more than a traditional pillow cover and some well-placed buttons.

A pillow insert is inexpensive and provides a convenient way for you to swap out pillow covers as needed. With a solid-colored cover, you can easily sew buttons onto the surface to create unique and eye-catching designs. Thread a needle and get ready to make a splattering of button flowers across the fabric using a dark wood button as the center and a collection of unfinished wood buttons as the petals. Once you're finished, place the insert inside the cover, and your beautiful button pillow is ready to go. Add as many buttons or as few as desired to create a comfortable, stylish pillow.

-Pillow cover, 18 by 18 inches
-Needle and thread
-Small dark wood shirt buttons (8)
-Thread clippers
-Small unfinished wood shirt buttons (48 )
-Pillow insert

1. Smooth an 18-by-18-inch pillow cover on a flat working surface.

2. Thread a needle and sew a single round, dark wood shirt button somewhere near the center of the pillow cover. Knot the thread inside the cover once you've secured the button. Cut away excess thread as needed.

3. Sew eight small, round and unfinished wood shirt buttons around the dark center button. Make sure each of the unfinished wood buttons touches the center button to create the look of flower petals.

4. Sew seven additional button flowers across the pillow cover surface. Space them out evenly, and make sure they aren’t too close to the edge of the fabric to account for the curve of the cover once you've added the insert.

5. Stuff the pillow insert into the cover and place the button pillow on a couch, armchair or love seat for immediate use.