Cheep Ideas

Pillow with Scarf Embellishment

You probably think I only stalk other people’s blogs for ideas, but I do come up with my own ideas from time to time. Are you shocked? Are you amazed? Are you mad that I didn’t post another roundup of great links today??

My 6-year anniversary with my wonderful husband was fast approaching, and I had NO idea what to get for him. He’s the kind of guy that will just buy what he wants (when he wants!) leaving nothing for me to buy for him. I decided to dust off the sewing machine and surprise him this year with something handmade and original.

By the way – I made this with materials I already had, so it was a total cost of FREE for me. The scarf that I used was gauzy, crinkly, and off-white:

Here are some quick instructions if you’d like to try it yourself. And PS – Before you get really confused, yes, the pictures below are from two different pillows. I used photos of both to create this tutorial, so I hope it doesn’t throw you off that there are 2 sets of anniversary dates.

Materials:
Fabric for pillow (I used muslin): 2 or 4 pieces 23″ x 12″
Pillow Stuffing
Embroidery Floss
Embroidery Needle
Embroidery Hoop or Wire Coat Hanger with Clips
Scissors
A scarf you don’t wear anymore
Computer with Printer and Graphic Imaging Software
Pencil
Masking Tape or Quilter’s Tape

1. With your computer and favorite word processing or graphic program (I used Photoshop), create a new document that’s 8.5″ x 11″.

2. Type in the date of your anniversary and blow up the numbers to fill the entire page. I used Bickham Script Pro as my font. Print and tape the paper to a sunny window.

3. Tape one piece of your fabric over your paper, making sure the numbers are centered on the fabric. Trace the numbers onto your fabric with a pencil.

4. Put your fabric in an embroidery hoop, or make a ghetto hoop like mine with a wire coat hanger.

5. Embroider your letters/numbers using a satin stitch. If you don’t know how, here’s a great satin stitch tutorial. As you can see, my stitches aren’t perfect, but from far away, they look just fine.

6. Now you’re ready to start assembling your pillow or “pee-bow” as my son would say. Put your fabric pieces right side together, pin, and stitch around the outside using a 1/4″ seam allowance. Make sure you leave a gap big enough to turn it right side out. NOTE: My muslin was a little on the thin side, so I doubled up on fabric. I actually have 4 pieces instead of 2 so that it didn’t feel too skimpy.

7. When you’re finished sewing the perimeter, trim your corners, flip your pillow right side out, and use your scissors to gently poke your corners out. And grab some chocolate while you’re at it, you’re more than halfway done!

8. Iron your pillow to make the seams nice and crisp, and use your masking tape to make a box around your letters/numbers. This will mark where you’ll sew to make the flanges of your pillow. Don’t worry about measuring, just put the tape where you think it looks nice. Sew around the perimeter of the tape, leaving one side open so you can stuff your pillow later.

9. Now here comes the part where you want to make sure you reeeeeally want to part with your scarf. Lay your scarf around the outside of your pillow and cut off any excess. Sew then ends of your scarf together so that it is one continuous loop.

10. Pin your scarf to your pillow so that it lays nicely. Sew lines (as seen in the pictures) through the scarf to attach it to the pillow. I sewed all 4 corners, and 2-3 more lines on the sides. Remember to leave one side open so you can stuff your pillow. Here’s what the back of my pillow looked like after I was finished sewing my scarf on:

And a close-up of the front:

11. You’re almost there!! Stuff your pillow with your favorite stuffing and sew the flange closed. Then either top stitch or blind stitch the outside of your pillow closed. Sew 1-2 more lines over the remaining end of the scarf, and voila!! You’re done!

By this time, your child has probably awoken from his/her nap, so give them a giant hug and kiss!

About the Author

Katie is a graphic designer turned stay-at-home-mom currently residing in beautiful Washington state. She loves Jesus and all things related to design, photography, saving money, and fancy coffees. She has gone Mac and will never go back. She also loves feedback, so please leave the good, the bad, and the ugly.