Pillow With Button Letter

Add some charm with buttons! Make your own pillow or add a button letter to pre-made pillow.

Materials:

Fabric to make pillow (1 yard for 18″ pillow) or ready made pillow
Buttons in different sizes
Needle
Thread and DMC floss (cross stitching thread)
Paper to make your letter pattern
Dressmaker’s Marking Pencil or chalk
Pillow form (inside stuffing) I’m using a 14″
Ruler
Sewing machine, scissors
Embroidery hoop (optional)

Directions:

Start by cutting your pillow front an 19” square ( I’m making an 18″ pillow with a pillow form of 14″). For the back cut two pieces 19″ by 12″. This is going to be a simple pillow with an opening in the back for the pillow form to side in. On a piece of paper draw out and cut our letter, I’m doing an R. Place on top of our 19″ front of pillow, when you have it centered or where you want it, trace the outline with the marking pencil or chalk.

Now I have my R outline, with matching DMC floss (or thread) do a quick stitch on chalk line to outline the letter.

I”m leaving the outline of the R on my pillow but if you wanted to do a quick stitch with thread and then pull out the thread after you sew that buttons that also looks good. By doing the stitch outline it makes it so much easier.

Now for button fun. Use your paper letter as a pattern for your buttons. This will help you see where the buttons should be sewn and just how many button you need before you start sewing. I did not use a embroidery hoop, I think it would have made it easier to sew on the buttons.

Start sewing buttons and more buttons. I found when sewing that I needed to shift and add or move some buttons from how I had them on the pattern. Notice that I stacked a smaller button on top of a larger ones.

Now we need to make the pillow. First turn back twice and sew down the 19″ side of each back piece. Place the front of pillow right side up and place on back piece on top with right sides together.

Now place the other back piece on top, pin in place and sew all four sides. Turn pillow right side out and lay flat (maybe iron around the edges). With a ruler and chalk mark each corner 2″ in and down (remember I’m using a 14″ pillow form for the inside). And sew all four sides of the pillow 2″ in, this will make a 14″ square in center.