Handmade Gifts 2014- DIY Pet Pillows

I’m sure most of you already know how much of an animal lover I am! My dog Beau goes everywhere with me. So of course I would have to make something pet related in my handmade gifts this year! I have long been a fan of Spoonflower, and absolutely love getting things printed from them! For those of you unfamiliar with this company, Spoonflower is a company where you can get your designs printed on all kinds of fabric as well as wallpaper and gift wrap. I’ve used them several times in the past for projects and I just can’t say enough good things about them! So, this year, I thought I’d get some of my favorite pet photos printed and make pillows for the family.

Here’s What You Need:

*Pet Photos

*Photo Editing Software

*Sewing Machine

*Scissors

*Fabric for Backing

*Straight Pins

*Stuffing like fiber fill

*Hand sewing needle and thread

*Spoonflower Fabric- I used the Canvas

Instructions:

 

If you have never used Spoonflower to print fabric before, you can find a ton of info on their help page Here. This is how I made my files…. I used photoshop elements, and I made a new blank file. You can make it to the size fabric you want to order. You will need to decide the fabric choice you want to print on and the width of the fabric if you plan on getting yardage. For a fat quarter the measurement is 27″x18.” You will need to cut out your pet’s image. I used the polygonal lasso tool and selected around Sadie in her photo. Once you go all the way around the image selection will be highlighted.

 

Now, click the move tool and drag and drop the pet image from its photo to the blank canvas. If you are printing more than one pillow, be sure to space the photos at leat an inch apart so you will have room for a seam allowance.

 

Fit your photos on your blank canvas the way you like best, making sure there is plenty of room for your seam allowances. Now, save your file as a jpeg at at least 150dpi and upload it to your Spoonflower account. Decide your fabric type and order your fabric. I bought a fat quarter of the eco canvas fabric. I meant to pop this tutorial up earlier this year, but life got in the way, and I ended up behind on everything this year. You can still order this fabric and have it in time for Christmas, but you will have to order the faster shipping.

Once you receive your fabric, you will need to cut out your photos. Cut out each photo at about 1/2″ or so away from the edges of the photo.

Pin your cut out face down onto your backing fabric which should be face up so that the right sides are facing. Cut out the fabric cutting along the edges of the pet photo fabric.

Now you should be ready to stitch the pillow. Stitch around the edges of the fabric with a half inch seam allowance all the way around leaving a couple inches open at the bottom for turning and stuffing.

Clip the curved parts of the seam allowance and trim where you feel you need to. Turn the fabric right side out through the opening in the bottom.

Next, take your polyfil and stuff your pillow. A chopstick or dowel may help you pack stuffing into tight spots. Stuff it nice and full.

 

To finish off, close up the bottom by hand stitching the opening closed with a ladder stitch or a whip stitch. Now your pillow is ready for gifting!

Aren’t they so darn cute! I think my family is going to go a little crazy for them! Our pets are super special you know! Aren’t they all though! These little pillows are super easy to whip up and they make a really fun one of a kind gift! I hope you all will try this one sometime too. I think you’ll love it! You can stitch them up yourself, or get the fabric and make a kit for your favorite diy enthusiast! I’ll be back next week with more handmade gifts. Until then…

Happy Crafting!