DIY painted pillow tutorial

We are so happy to welcome back Susie, from Pins And Procrastination, a guest contributor who is here to share such a cute idea for any home. You might remember her cute dog leash hanger tutorial she shared the last time she was here. Let’s find out how to make a house a home with this fun DIY painted pillow tutorial!

I love how much words have been incorporated into home decor, lately. What better a word to embody the feeling of warmth and comfort than home? That’s why it fits so perfectly onto a pillow. So I thought it would be perfect for a fun DIY pillow!

This DIY pillow is so simple and foolproof. And it looks amazing as a finished product! In total the project took me about one hour, but most of that was drying time in between paint coats.

Let’s get to it! I’ll show you how to make this pillow step by step.

Supplies:

freezer paper
a cricut or silhouette machine, or a printer and an exacto knife
fabric paint
foam brush
a plain pillowcase
an iron

If you want to use the same stencil as I did, here is the 12×12 “home” design (click to download):

Step One: Cut out freezer paper

To do this step, you either want a cutting machine like a cricut or a silhouette, or a printer. I’ve used this method with both a printer and a cricut explore air. The cricut is quicker and easier, but the printer method is also effective!

If you’re using a cutting machine, simply cut the design onto freezer paper; cut to 12″x 12″. I reversed the design and cut shiny side up.

If you’re using a printer, you’ll want to print out your design, and then trace it onto the freezer paper. The shiny side of the freezer paper should be face-down when you’re ironing, so keep this in mind for tracing. Carefully cut out the edges using an exacto knife. This takes a little longer but the results are just as good!

Step Two: Iron on

The next thing you’ll want to do is iron the stencil onto the pillowcase. Make sure you are using a heat-only setting. Iron over several times until the freezer paper is adhered to the fabric

Step Three: Paint!

Make sure to place something like some spare cardboard in between the pillowcase so the paint doesn’t leak through. I actually used an old file folder and it worked great.

Use your foam brush to paint the fabric paint over the stencil. Let dry in between coats. The fabric paint I used said to do two coats, but I actually did 4 because I wanted the white to really pop. Once you’re finished, simply peel off the freezer paper and put that pillow to use!

If you’re a fan of DIY pillows, you’ll want to check out my tutorial on this adorable moose pillow as well. I got these navy pillows as a set of two so I know I wanted to do two different designs on them! They are both in my living room and make it feel so much warmer and brighter.

Seriously, DIY decor is so much fun! I have seen pillows with designs similar to both of these on sale for upwards of $50! Why do pillows cost so much?! I was able to make both of these for less than $20.

I am so happy with how this turned out. There is something I just love about the combination of white and navy. The contrast really pops.

Plus I got to pick my own font for my own design. I love how great it feels to see things in your home that you designed and made with your own two hands.

Well, I hope you enjoy your new home pillow! Good luck DIYers!

Thanks so much, Susie! We love the way pillows customize a space to really reflect your own unique personality and style. Check out a few more fun pillow tutorials that you’ll love:

Gold Sequin Word Script Pillow