Personalized Heart Pillow!

Hi everyone! It's been a while since I've posted a new instructable! This is a present I made for a friend in May, I just didn't have time to post due to a long few months of exams. I was even a day late in making and giving this to her for her birthday because it happened to be on the same date as a big exam! In this instructable, I'm going to teach you to make your very own, personalized heart pillow for a friend or significant other. You can even make it a sachet by stuffing it with lavender! Not only is this heart pillow beautiful, it is incredibly simple, and will take no longer than an hour or two! I hope you enjoy this instructable!

Love,

Fuzzy Monkey

Step 1: Materials!

For this project, you will need a few, simple materials.

You will need.....

1. Red felt, or pre-cut red felt hearts (can be pink or any color you want, really)

2. A needle and red thread

3. White embroidery floss and an embroidery needle

4. Scissors

5. Stuffing (or lavender if you wish to make a sachet.... I didn't)

Step 2: Cutting and Embroidering

1. In order to cut out the felt hearts, I drew an outline with pencil on one side of the felt, cut it out, and then cut the other side out using my already cut piece as the outline.

2. Take one felt heart piece, and thread your embroidery needle with white thread.

3. After making a knot at the end of your embroidery thread, push the needle through the felt such that the knot will be on the backside of the felt, and the inside of your finished heart.

4. Since felt is pretty sturdy, and I did not have a small enough embroidery hoop for this size project, I simply used my two fingers of my left hand (I'm right handed so I use the needle in the right hand) to keep the fabric stretched so my stitches were not distorting my fabric. However, an embroidery hoop is always helpful, especially if you're using a different fabric.

5. Using backstitch, begin to embroider your friend/significant other's name. If you do not know how to do backstitch, check out the photos, and this simple tutorial by Mary Corbet on youtube. (I take no credit for this video.)

6. After you have done the whole name in backstich, and possibly a small heart, tie off your stitching and cut the end of the thread. You are finished embroidering!

Step 3: Sewing Your Heart Together

1. Now that you have finished embroidering, put your felt pieces inside out, so that the backside of your embroidery is showing.

2. thread your needle with red thread, knot it, and put it through the 2 felt pieces. I began sewing in between the 2 bumps at the top of the heart, and went around one way. You can use regular running stitch to sew the pieces together. You will be sewing the raw edges together during this part.

3. Once you have gotten almost all the way around, tie off your stitch, and leave a hole large enough to fit stuffing into.

Step 4: Adding Stuffing

1. Push stuffing through the hole you left in your heart pillow. Once your pillow is as stuffed as you wish, thread your needle again with red thread and get ready to sew your pillow shut! Make sure your pillow is stuffed evenly before you do this.

2. Using slip stitch, also known as the invisible stitch, sew your pillow shut. You will not be sewing the raw edges of your fabric, and will instead be sewing a folded over edge. If you do not know how to do the slip stitch, here is a video tutorial by Jack Dempsey Needle Art on youtube. (I do not take any credit for this video.) She also shows you how to tie off, which if you don't know how, could be useful.

3. Tie off the stitch and then make another stitch through your pillow before you cut off your thread. This way you will have the end of your thread on the inside of the pillow and not visible. You are done!

Step 5: Finish and Gift!

You have finished your pillow! Wrap it up with a ribbon and put it in some tissue paper to give to your friend, significant other, parent, or anyone else! Watch their excitement when they open it! They will love it!

I hope you all enjoyed this tutorial! Follow me for more! I'll be posting more very soon! Thanks so much!