What Is A Continental Pillowcase? [And How Big Is It?]

Pillows are one of the most important things that one would look forward to in a bed. Aside from providing comfort while sleeping, pillows are also used as a decoration for the bed, as with the case of continental pillowcases. Now, you might be wondering what a continental pillowcase is and what purpose it serves for your sleeping space. We’ve discovered these answers for you!

Continental pillowcases are square pillowcases or what we call euro pillowcases. They are usually used as decorative pieces on the bed and they are quite big. They are also often used as back pillows placed against the headboard. Because it is mostly used for decoration rather than for sleeping comfort, continental pillowcases come in either an Oxford or housewife design with different styles and patterns.

Having a pillow with a continental pillowcase might be something that you’d like to add to your bed. Continue reading to learn more about continental pillowcases because we’ve compiled the answers to some of your curious questions about them.

What Is A Continental Pillowcase?

Most of the time, a bed will consist of a set of bedding (fitted or flat sheets, top sheets, blankets, a comforter, or a duvet) and a set of pillows encased in their own pillowcases. Sometimes when the bed space permits, you can add a few pillows that you can use to help support your back while reading or bed, or simply as an added decoration.

These decorative pillows are what we call euro pillows or euro sham pillows.

Euro pillows are typically oversized square pillows that are used for decorative purposes. They are typically sized at 26 by 26 inches, making them perfect oversized pillows. It’s a perfect way to add fill and height to your bed, giving it the aesthetic illusion of having many pillows.

These euro pillows are often placed against the headboard, and it provides the perfect back support while reading or watching television in bed. For a queen sized bed, you would probably need about two or three euro pillows, and for a king sized bed, about three or four euro pillows should suffice.

Get these Euro pillows on Amazon.

In order to cover a euro pillow, you should look for continental pillowcases or euro shams. These pillow covers are often decorative and it’s a perfect way to create a base to which you can layer different pillows to create a great bed ensemble.

A great way to do this is to coordinate your euro pillows with the other layers you have for your bed. If you are planning to have a printed bedding set, you can start with a basic white continental pillowcase. It will go well with your printed pillowcases, giving it a decorative, textural layer on your bed.

Get these continental pillowcases on Amazon.

If you’d like to add some color and texture to an otherwise plain bed ensemble, you may try using colored and texturized continental pillowcases. There are a lot of different designs and styles to choose from, all of which should complement or coordinate well with your current bedding.

Check out this waffle weave continental pillowcase on Amazon.

What Are The Pillowcase Styles?

As mentioned earlier, continental pillowcases often come in a housewife or Oxford type of pillowcase. There are three primary types of pillowcases, namely the housewife, the bag type, and the Oxford pillowcase.

Housewife Pillowcase

The housewife and the bag type pillowcases are often used on pillows used for sleeping. The housewife pillowcase is designed to have one side sewn closed, and the other side open for your pillow to be inserted in. It has a flap on the inside of the pillowcase, securing the pillow inside.

Bag Type Pillowcase

The bag type pillowcase is commonly used for hotels and other lodgings because it is easy to put on and remove. It simply has an opening on one side to put the pillow in, and the ends are folded underneath to secure the pillow in place.

Oxford Pillowcase

Lastly, an Oxford pillowcase is a fancy, decorative style that is often used on pillow shams. An Oxford pillowcase often has a two-inch wide border on all sides, making it look a little bigger and wider than most of your pillows. It looks great as a decorative piece for your bed.

Final Thoughts

Continental pillowcases are pillow covers often used for big, oversized decorative pillows called euro pillows. These pillows are perfect decorative pieces for the bed, or used as a back support whenever you’d like to read or watch television.

A continental pillowcase is square shaped and it comes in many different styles and designs, mostly complementing or coordinating with other bedding designs.

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