Door Pillow Project for UFOs
Make door pillows to use up your UFOs -- Unfinished Objects!
For a super-quick gift or a great way to add something special to a boring room, use up your already-stitched projects to make a door pillow.
If you're anything like me, you have a little bin somewhere with finished cross-stitch or embroidery projects that haven't been framed, mounted in greeting cards, made into Christmas ornaments, or otherwise used. They're sitting there on their little square of aida or evenweave, made from kits or just leftover bits of ribbon and floss, waiting to be made into something useful.
This project isn't actually very useful, but it will be unique and pretty when you are done. Door pillows hang from the doorknob with ribbon, with a design on one or both sides. These are great for a gift at Christmas time when every available surface is stacked solid with other holiday paraphenalia, or if you just want to add something new to an otherwise boring room. If you make your stitched project in advance, a new bride might appreciate one with her wedding date stitched in "her" colours.
If you have your sewing machine set up (or a needle and thread handy), scissors, a felt backing or another stitched project, ribbon, and some batting to stuff it with... you're ready to go.
Instructions:
1) Trim around your stitched piece to eliminate any fraying threads; make sure the motif is centered. If not, cut the aida or evenweave until the motif is centered. Make sure there is some room on all sides of the stitching... you'll be sewing with a seam allowance around it and will want to keep the motif from being hidden in a seam.
2) Cut your backing piece of felt to the same size as your project.
3) Cut two pieces of ribbon. I prefer a 12" length, but you may choose to make yours longer or shorter. This ribbon will be tied into a bow, so the length between the doornob and the pillow will vary depending on that. Also, it can always be trimmed later.
4) Lay your stitched piece right side up. Tack down one end of each piece of ribbon about 1/2" from the outside top of each side using a scant 1/8" seam allowance. The ribbons should be "pointing" towards the middle of the project.
5) Curl up the loose ribbons and place them on the project, away from the other three sides where they will be stitched.
6) Place your felt backing on top, matching all sides.
7) Using a 1/4" seam allowance, stitch around the top, one side, and bottom. Leave a small section of the fourth side open, big enough for you to stuff the batting into.
8) Being careful to avoid cutting any stitches, clip the corners on an angle. This keeps the corners from being too bulky and ugly, and easier to push out.
9) Turn the project right-side out. Push the corners out gently with a pencil or chop stick.
10) Stuff with batting until the pillow pudges out as far as you'd like; hand-stitch the open seam at the side.
Tie the ribbon into a pretty bow and hang from a door knob! How easy is that?
Please let me know if you've used this pattern to make your own door pillow and if you have any pictures, share them! You can contact me at sewingneedlework@suite101.com or by starting a discussion here on the site. I'm looking forward to hearing about your results.
