You've probably heard the term your entire life, but never thought to ask "what is a sham?" when admiring or selecting your bedding. Don't worry, we can answer this question for you, and you may even be a little surprised at the versatility behind this type of pillow.

What is a Pillow Sham?

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Let's start with the basics. A sham is simply defined as "a cover for giving a thing a different outward appearance," so when we are talking about a pillow sham, we're referring to a cover for a pillow. A sham for a bed is a cover designed to cover and highlight the outside of a pillow.

The Difference Between a Pillow Case & Pillow Sham

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At this point in your quest to learn more about shams, you may think it sounds mostly like a glorified pillow case. However, there are a couple of key differences between a pillow case and pillow sham. A pillow case is simply a cover to keep the pillow clean. A pillow sham's main role is to change the appearance of your pillow – mostly for decorative reasons!

You'll notice most pillow cases are open at one end, which makes it easy to remove the pillow inserts and clean the case as needed. Pillow shams aren't nearly as open and like to hide their tie closures, zippers, or overlapping flaps in the back. The result? Nothing distracts the eye from the decorative parts of the pillow sham.

In summary, while pillow cases are all about comfort and cleanliness, a pillow sham is more about adding overall aesthetic and extra support to your bed.

Why Should I Use a Pillow Sham?

If you're looking for an easy way to bring your personality or a pop of color to your bedding, then a sham is an effortless way to incorporate something extra. A pillow sham may use the same material as the rest of your bedding to tie together a decorating scheme, or it might be different to introduce a new design element.

You can put your pillow shams to work by layering them in with your other pillows to create extra back and neck support for when you're lounging in bed. When you insert a sturdy pillow inside the sham, you'll have a great prop for reading or relaxing.

How Do I Choose a Pillow Sham?

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If you're sold on incorporating shams into your bedding, then your next step is to figure out how to choose the right kind. Keep these tips in mind as you shop:

Choose the Right Pillow Sham Sizes

Like other bedding elements, there are multiple sizes of pillow shams. With pillow shams, you can mix and match sizes since you're layering them. The most common pillow sham sizes include:

• Standard/Twin
• Queen
• King
• Euro: What is a Euro sham? It's a square sham, versus the rectangle shape for the other sizes. The most common size is 26" x 26", but you can find them in larger sizes too. When contemplating standard vs. Euro sham, Euro shams are a great addition in front or behind other bed pillows for a decorative flourish.

Create the Look

For a simple look, you can stack the pillow shams flat one on top of one another. A symmetrical layered look is a fun way to mix multiple sizes and colors of pillow shams. For a more creative look, try something asymmetrical where you place the larger sized shams on one side of the bed and the smaller ones on the other.

Pick the design elements: Choose your decorative preferences. Do you prefer flange or no flange? Closures are part of the sham too, and you can choose a zipper, button, or envelope-style closure.

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Make your pillow shams more than an afterthought by choosing them for your bedding's overall look and extra support.

Article by Sara Coleman.