Thanksgiving Decor: Painted Burlap Pillows

This is a repost from two years ago. I still love my "Count Your Blessings" Pillow and It is actually on display on the planters shelf in my bedroom all year round (unlike my Christmas Pillows).

Not that I am complaining but I seemed to have missed Thanksgiving. Not in real life thank goodness, but in the virtual world (which is way less tragic:)) Why you may ask (or maybe you won't ask- but I'll tell you anyhow).

Well, one week I participated as a vendor in a huge event that My city puts on called "The Festival of Trees" It is a holiday event that showcases entertainment, Decorated Christmas tree and a boutique like shopping experience. After that was over, I began to prepare my home for Thanksgiving holiday guests, While I was cleaning my garage, my baby decide that she needed to pull our luggage rack (that hooks onto the back of our car) on her toe and all but sever it. You can imagine the panic and frenzy that follows such an event. It is encompasses, ER visits, stitches and lots and LOTS of follow of visits. We are still waiting to see how it will all turn out. You can see why I have been absent form the virtual world. Lucky for me, virtual life continues to go on:)

I did however make this cute little pillow out of burlap and cotton:

You can also customize a pillow for yourself or a neighbor gift for Christmas:

You will need:

Burlap

White cotton Fabric

Sewing machine

White and black thread

ribbon

batting

Black paint

Textile Medium

1. I got a yard of burlap (super cheap stuff) and cut out pillow squares. I didn't measure, I just made sure I had two matching pieces that I could sew together.

2. I cut out my white fabric to a measurement that would fit in the middle of my burlap pillow.

3. I painted the phrase I wanted on the white fabric by mixing a textile medium wit craft paint and then heat setting with my iron as per manufacturer's directions.

For the "Joy" phrase I used a homemade stencil. If you have a cutting machine then good for you, but I had to print the word "JOY" from my computer and then create a stencil.

Directions for Stencil. Print out word from your computer and trace on freezer paper. Cut out using an exacto knife. Once your word is cut out, place in desired location on fabric (shiny side down) and iron for temporary hold. Cut out a matching size piece of freezer paper to iron onto the opposite side of fabric so that your paint won't bleed and spread. Mix paint with textile medium and paint proceed to paint your stencil. Let stencil dry, remove freezer paper, and heat set according to manufacturer's direction.

4. Sew black border around your white fabric to frame your phrase and then, pin to burlap and sew it on with white thread.

5. Take your burlap pillow pieces, turn them inside out and pin them into place and sew them together with white thread. Make sure to leave and opening about 2 inches wide to stuff pillow with batting.

6. Turn pillow right side out and stuff with batting and either hand sew closed or sew it close with your machine (which is what I did. It was hard, but it worked.)

7. Garnish by adding a ribbon. (you can sew it on if you want too)

And you are done! Cute and easy!

Happy Crafting!

XOXO,

Amy