Excited to share another kids craft activity in our summer camp series. Now that school is out for the summer, maybe you have some fantastic adventures planned! If they involve any road trips, this easy travel pillow tutorial will help your little ones stay comfortable and entertained in a fun way! The cheerful smile is sure to bring sweet dreams and the hidden back pockets are perfect for storing their favorite books and music. It’s great for any sewing skill level, because it’s just rectangles and straight lines! Don’t be intimidated! Your kids will love getting to pick out their fabrics and colors and it makes it more personal too. Make it have a silly face or dress it up like their favorite character. Just follow the steps! Once you make one, the possibilities are endless for making more. If you don’t have a sewing machine, you can certainly tackle this project with hand sewing, or even fabric glue! Now, where’s your next adventure? Enjoy your summer!
What you’ll need:
1/2 yard of muslin
1/2 yard of cotton in two different prints
2 pieces of felt
embroidery floss
embroidery needle
matching thread / needle
polyester fiberfil
pencil
scissors
pins
sewing machine
iron
1. First, you will need to cut a bunch of rectangles. Here are the sizes and fabrics:
Cut two 9-1/2″ x 16″ rectangle from muslin (body)
Cut two 9-1/2″ x 3-1/2″ rectangle from felt (hair)
Cut one 9-1/2″ x 9″ rectangle from one of the printed fabrics for the shirt
Cut one 9-1/2″ x 6-1/2″ rectangle from the other printed fabric for the pants
Cut one 9-1/2″ x 9″ rectangle from one of the printed fabrics for the back book pocket
Cut one 4″ x 5-1/2″ rectangle out of felt for the music player pocket
2. Next, get sewing! We will start on the front. Pin one of the felt rectangles to the top of one of the muslin pieces and sew a line across the top and bottom at 1/4″.
3. Using your iron, fold down 1/4″ from the top of both the cotton fabrics for the shirt and pants and press a crease toward the wrong side.
4. Pin the top of the shirt fabric on first (fold at the top), then lay the pants fabric on top (fold at the top) and pin through all the layers. Sew a line across the top at the fold as close to the edge as possible on both fabrics.
5. Mark with a pencil where you want the eyes to be (a good spacing is 3-1/2″ in from each edge), then using embroidery floss, make a french knot for the eyes.
span style=”text-decoration: underline;”>French knot: coming up through the back of the fabric, pull your floss through and wrap the floss that is between the fabric and the needle around the middle of the needle 3 times. Hold it tightly so it doesn’t come undone. Using your other hand, push the needle back through the fabric right next to where you started and gently pull the the floss taut. Tie off the ends.
6. Attach, if desired, a mouth and nose using scrap from the felt. Keep it simple or be creative!
7. Moving to the back of the pillow, attach the other felt rectangle to the other muslin piece in the same manner as step 1.
8. Again, using the iron, fold down 1/4″ from the top of the fabric you’ve chosen for the back book pocket and press, then fold again at 1/4″ and press again, encasing the raw edge in the fold. Sew along the pressed fold as close to the edge as possible.
9. Pin the felt music player pocket on top of the back piece and sew around three of the four edges, leaving the top open.
10. Pin the entire back book pocket to the back muslin piece and sew a small stitch at the bottom to tack the pocket to the muslin.
11. It’s time to put the pieces together! With the right sides touching each other, pin the two large rectangles together, then sew around the entire thing at 5/8″, leaving a 4″ opening at the bottom.
12. Cut each of the four corners off. This helps reduce bulkiness when it’s right side out.
13. Turn the piece right side out through the opening and stuff your pillow with the fiberfil until it is as firm as you would like.
14. Using matching thread and a needle, sew the opening closed, being sure to catch both sides, then knot and cut your thread.
15. Surprise your child with their fabulous new pillow and admire your handiwork!
Very adorable !!! Great idea.
[…] This fun travel pillow from Mom’s Best Network does double duty with a surprise in the back. Use it as both a pillow and a spot to store books and […]