I Promised a Tutorial on Making Burlap Pillows, and Finally.....

My friend, Carla French, who owns "The Screen Door" (two locations - Crossville, TN, and Fairfield Glade, TN, bought several wreaths I made, along with some burlap pillows.
So, here's how I did it...the pillows, that is...

First, I like the lighter burlap, just personal preference.  It's harder to find, but, inexpensive.  I wash it and dry it with lots-and-lots of fabric softener.  Be SURE to empty your lint trap often, as it throws off so much...could be a fire hazard.  Once washed and dried, I iron it with a steam iron, set on high.

Cutting burlap is easy..if you know how....

I have two cutting mats, a cutting straight edge, and a cutting wheel.  I seldom used scissors, as they are not nearly as precise and easy to use.  You can find all this in the quilting section at hobby and fabric stores.  It's an investment, but they last for years. The most expensive thing are the sharp, cutting wheel blades...but, replacing them frequently is good.  ALWAYS make sure your blade retracted when not in use..very sharp.  

Measure out the size of your pillow (I add one inch all around", mostly I do 18", so that means my piece of fabric needs to be 20x20".  Snip about an inch into the fabric, find a thread and pull..gather the fabric to the other end. When the thread breaks, cut between the line it leaves.  Do so on the other side.  (I start at one end, and work my way down).  If you do this, make sure you have straightened the end (same method) of the fabric.

I line my burlap pillows with a heavy batting (can be bought cheaply at Hobby Lobby).  Again, I lay my piece of burlap on the batting, and using my straight-edge and wheel, cut a piece around it.  You will have four pieces...two burlap, two batting.  Sew one piece of burlap to batting.  I come in about a quarter-inch or so.  Do this twice.  

I have images that I  have either bought on Etsy, or from the Graphics Fairy (those are free).  One thing I have learned from using the white or off-white burlap is not to print anything that has a pinkish background to it..looks awful..it should either be full-color (such as our Santa) or a white back ground. You can purchase at hobby shops, packets of transfer fabric...I don't use the iron-on for this purpose, but rather, the sheets of fabric with a backing, that you can run through your printer.  It's expensive to print full-color, as it soaks up ink, but, hey, it's only money (kidding).  I have a six-color printer, which gives pretty good results.  I did the others in black-and-white.

Once I have printed my image, I trim the threads with a paper cutter, and position it on the front of the burlap. Sew around it as closely to the edge as possible.  Then, using a hot glue gun and some gimp or whatever trim you want, carefully apply the trim in order to cover the edges.  I start in the middle bottom of the print, and slowly apply the glue, carefully turning the corners, all around and meeting at the bottom.  Cut off the end and figure out something you want to glue on to cover the spot where it meets. For Santa, I covered a self-covering button with velvet.

Putting right sides together, (Santa's on the inside) pin the four pieces together, and starting at the bottom (I place my big-fat hand on it, to make sure that I leave enough space to stuff the polyfil in the pillow.  Sew around the edges (I do a 5/8ths to a one inch seam.  I sew to the very edge, then, take my needle out, cut the thread, and sew the next edge (make sure you backstich to keep it from falling apart).  Once I am back at the bottom, and made sure I have left enough space to turn it and get my hand in there, I backstich and cut my threads.
Before you turn the pillow in-side-out, carefully clip the corners diagonally (not too close to the corner, or you are in trouble...in fact, I often sew over those corners to reinforce them..just in case.
Now, turn your pillow...I use a tool that is rather blunt, but have resorted scissors in the past.  Be CAREFUL (sorry for the shouty-letters) not to go right though the corners. I also trim about a quarter-inch all around, so the seams aren't bulky.

Take polyfil, and starting in each corner, start stuffing...keep pushing it into corners as you go...until your pillow is full.  Flatten in as you go, and make sure it isn't lumpy.  Then, turn the bottom open part in to match the seam, and with matching thread carefully sew the bottom together....Viola...a pillow.

Since "Laughing all the Way" are the words in "Jingle Bells", I attached these bells at the top (not the bottom).

 

Because of the shape of the sled, I made this pillow a lumbar pillow.

Because I loved this one, I kept it...love it so.

By the way, I can always make these for anyone interested...or who do not have the time or energy to do it yourself. 

By lining the pillows, they have a nice bulk to them, and the polifil doesn't come out the loose weave.

Have fun!