16 Best Places to Buy Beautiful Budget Throw Pillows (Under $30)
Inside: The best places to find cheap throw pillows and affordable pillow covers, plus four throw pillow secrets you should know to make your pillows look more expensive. Pillows are an affordable way to change up your room’s color palette, season, design trend, or just give new life to old furniture!
If you open the door to my home decor storage closet, you may see a teetering tower of throw pillows. Before you judge my pillow obsession, let me plead my case for the lowly throw pillow.
Throw pillows bring in color. And style.
Throw pillows call to us to cuddle up and be cozy. They elevate every room and piece of furniture into a sanctuary.
All this AND they can be one of the most affordable home decor items—if you know where to look.
And if you know a few tricks to make them appear more expensive.
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The pillow case for throw pillows.
Why should you change out your throw pillows?
They’re an easy way to make a big decorating impact! Here are just a few reasons why you need new pillows:
- Pillows change the design style. Or mix in another style. A pillow with a modern design will freshen up furniture. See other tips for mixing design styles.
- Pillows add interest with texture and pattern.
- Pillows disguise a couch or chair you don’t love. Try dressing up a dark brown sofa that you’re tired of with some light-colored neutral pillows.
- Pillows can change the color palette of your living room in an instant. Insert a touch of trendy color or change the seasons in your room with pillows. In neutral spaces, this is easy. Read more about decorating with neutrals.
If I’ve convinced you it’s time for a change, let’s first talk about where to find the best deals on pillows.
Where to buy affordable throw pillows.
1. Amazon
Amazon is a bargain treasure trove for throw pillows and throw pillow covers. And with Amazon Prime and their liberal return policy, you can have them right away with free shipping to try them out in your space.
I found these amazing velvet pillow covers to use this summer in the living room. Oversized at 24″ x 24″ for $23.99 for a pair! They come in many different solid colors and sizes.
And I ordered a similar pillow cover in gorgeous midnight blue and the geometric navy and white pillow cover for last fall:
And these look like a Pottery Barn dupe for their linen pillow covers:
This knitted pillow has great texture and can make any room feel cozier with its neutral color.
Same for these pretty embroidered detail pillow covers.
2. Home Goods / TJ Maxx / Marshalls
I make a run through the HomeGoods pillow aisle when I’m decorating for every new season. I’ve found some awesome deals on high-quality pillows there! Word to the wise, don’t wait to buy them because they won’t be there next time. They also have a good return policy in case they don’t work out.
3. Target
Target is always on point with trendier styles including their Studio McGee and Hearth and Hand lines.
These ivory cable-knit pillows have been my go-to’s for coziness for the past two winter seasons:
4. Walmart
The Better Homes and Gardens and Mainstays lines often have something cute and stylish!
Like this tufted trellis pillow:
6. Kirkland’s
Love their selection of seasonal pillows! They are sold out of the blue and white pillow in my living room this summer, but this embroidered one when you catch it on sale is a beautiful substitute!
7. Hobby Lobby
Not just for craft supplies, but a great place to find pillows for cheap. And did you know they also have pillow covers?
9. Etsy
Most Etsy sellers are small businesses that don’t mass produce, but you can find some gorgeous custom pillows here in your price range.
How cute is this customizable lumbar pillow?
10. Overstock (Now rebranded as Bed, Bath, and Beyond)
With free shipping and constant sales and discounts, you can often catch deals on great pillows like this black and white stripe pillow for under $30:
11. Tuesday Morning
I also make a pass through Tuesday morning each season and have found some great deals, like these pretty pillows in my master bedroom:
Update—another one bites the dust.😢 I’m always on the lookout for new places. If you know one to replace this go-to let me know in the comments!
12. H&M
H&M is not just for cheap clothing. Their discounts are just as deep on their home decor offerings.
13. Ikea
And it doesn’t get much cheaper than the cushion covers at Ikea! The most expensive one may be $15.
Don’t waste money on the wrong area rug—Take out some of the guess work with these guidelines for the best size by room and where to place it in the post “Area Rug Rules: Easy Guide to the Perfect Size and Placement (+Printable)“.
14. Nordstrom Rack
While you’re racking up deals at the Rack on dresses and shoes, you may also find that perfect pillow.
15. Poshmark, eBay, and Consignment Stores
You can often find affordable options at these places on high-end preowned custom pillows.
If it bothers you that someone has had these in their home before, it may help to replace the insert. And to steam the cover with a steamer or in a dryer with a steam fresh option (most pillow covers do not look good after washing).
Read more on how to remove smells from furniture and upholstery.
16. End of season clearance sales at Pottery Barn and other retailers
I’ve never been disappointed in any of the Pottery Barn pillow covers I’ve invested in. But they are an investment, so I like to mix them in with less expensive options. You can actually find a good deal at Pottery Barn if you are willing to wait until their big sales. You won’t have it for the current season but Pottery Barn styles are usually so timeless that they will still look good next year.
Most retailers mark down pillows toward the end of a season, so if you have a favorite pillow store, check out this option for getting their pillows at a discount.
How to make your cheap throw pillows look expensive.
Now that we’ve scored some awesome deals on affordable pillows, let’s make sure they don’t look cheap! Here are a few of my secrets to make pillows look high-end for less money:
- Switch out the pillow inserts that come with the pillow with nicer down feather inserts or down alternative inserts. Then style them on your seating with the “karate chop”.
- Always size up the insert one or two sizes from the cover size for a full, plump look. For example, if you have an 18×18 pillow cover, use a 20×20 or 22×22 insert.
- Double up on the pillow inserts for existing pillows that are looking sad and deflated. You might save some old inserts from pillows you aren’t using anymore for this purpose.
- Only buy pillow covers instead of the whole pillow. This is sometimes cheaper and definitely more storage-friendly!
Do you share my same pillow obsession? I’ll never tell. Or judge—if you let me in on your favorite shopping secrets. 😉
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What a wonderful post! Love your pillows! They are gorgeous.
Thank you Tammy!!
I have enjoyed every blog you have written since I found out you have this incredible skill (gift). You are so clever.
Thank you Tammy! That’s high praise coming from someone as creative as you!!
Oh my goodness, these are beautiful. I have made some gorgeous throw pillows with feather/down inserts. And family and friends sit down and pretty soon the pillows are next to the sofa or chair instead of where they are supposed to be. My husband says our furniture is all so comfortable, we don’t need them. Baloney, I love them, it seems others don’t so much.
Making them absolutely would be the best budget way, I just don’t like to sew. And all of those people that think you don’t need throw pillows are WRONG. 😂 (I have to put them back into place every morning too)
I love this! I’m going to feature this on my newsletter this week.
Hugs to you, my friend.
Thank you Renae!! ❤