DIY: Sew a Stenciled Burlap Pillow

Sorry for the broken images :( I have recently migrated from Wordpress to Blogger and am still working on getting everything switched over.

I have never sewn anything in my entire life but last night I decided I wanted a crafty holiday project I could do with my son. He loves to paint and I've wanted to try my hand at sewing so off we went to Hobby Lobby. These pillows were super easy, quick, and Aiden loved stenciling them.

Unfortunately, all you're getting today is the "Merry." I wasn't as prepared as I had thought and forgot to buy thread. I had some my grandma had given me that ended up being the perfect color but I ran out half-way through sewing the "Christmas" pillow. Bummer.

Here's what you will need:

• Sewing Machine, Thread, etc.
• 1/2 yard burlap fabric (any color)
• 1/2 yard burlap fabric (different color, optional - only if you're using another color)
• Fabric paint (I used Tulip Soft Fabric Paint)
• Round sponge brushes (one for each paint color)
• Pillow form or stuffing (I used stuffing)

The white burlap I had was loosely woven so I chose to sew plain fabric of a similar color as a lining on one side of each burlap square so the stuffing wouldn't come through.

I measured and cut two 14x14 squares each of burlap and plain cotton fabric.

After you have your squares cut, lay the stencils out, tape them down, and dab your sponge on the cut out opening. I let Aiden do most of this part. He only got outside of the line a few times and that could have been avoided by using a slightly smaller brush but he had fun so that's what matters!




Let the paint dry. If you're using fabric as a liner, sew it all the way around on the back side. Now, lay the unpainted burlap square on top of the painted side of the painted burlap square. Sew all four sides, leaving an opening at the bottom large enough to pull the burlap right side out and for the stuffing.

After stuffing the pillow, fold each side of the opening down to form a neat hem and hand sew it closed.