DIY Nautical Pillows

Sailboats look ideal when stitched onto nautical pillows.

Whether you are decorating an airy beach house or simply want to bring a taste of the nautical life into your home, making your own themed pillows is a lovely way to spruce up a space. Using marine-inspired colors, such as navy, white and red, will help set the tone for your pillows, and embroidering reminiscent images will give your design a finishing touch. Examples include sailboats, bold stripes, lighthouses, and the trinity of an anchor, cross, and heart.

Things You'll Need

• Canvas fabric
• Scissors
• Fabric pen
• Iron-on pattern
• Iron
• Embroidery floss
• Needle
• Embroidery hoop
• Sewing machine
• Pillow filling
• Gold braid
• Gold tassels
• Thread

Instructions

1. Cut out your fabric into two squares of the same size for each pillow. Cut them 1 inch larger than your required size to allow for seam selvages.

2. Select the front panel for each pillow and draw your desired design onto the fabric with the fabric pen. If you don't feel confident in your drawing skills, select an iron-on pattern from a craft store and iron the design onto the fabric's surface, following the manufacturer's instructions.

3. Place the embroidery hoop around the design outline and embroider the design onto the fabric. Knot the embroidery floss on the underside when you finish and remove the hoop.

4. Place the two layers of the pillow together with the right sides -- meaning the sides of the fabric intended for the outside of the pillow -- facing each other. Align the edges. Sew around the perimeter, leaving a 1-inch gap, or "hole," on one of the sides. Turn the pillow right-side out through this gap.

5. Tear off bits of pillow filling and push them in through the gap. When the pillow is completely stuffed, hand sew the gap shut using a diagonal stitch.

6. Hand sew a length of gold braid to the entire perimeter of the pillow. Sew four tassels on the pillow, with one at each corner, to complete the look.

Tips & Warnings

• Use contrasting colors of fabric for the front and back of the pillow, such as navy and red, or navy and white, or make the front a solid color and use a wide stripe for the back fabric.

• Add a rustic appearance to your pillows by using ivory fabric and embroidery floss instead of pure white.

References

• Home and Garden Television: Easy-to-Sew Pillows
• Home DIT: Inspiring Painted Costal Life Outdoor Pillows