How to Make an Autograph Pillow

Autograph pillows are a versatile and memorable gift for anyone. They can be large or small, personalized with a photo printed on fabric paper or an embroidered name or made in advance with regular fabric allowing you to have a great gift waiting for just the right occasion. Use your imagination and this general guide and you can make each one unique.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Fabric
• Printable fabric (optional)
• Electronic image for printing (optional)
• Scissors
• Thread
• Needles
• Sewing Machine (optional, but recommended)
• Stuffing or Pillow form

1. Make your decisions first. Know in advance if you plan to have a photograph on the pillow, if you want to make the pillow in a single piece or create a pillow sham to go on a pre-bought form and what size the finished pillow should be. For the purposes of this article, assume you're creating an 18" by 24" single piece pillow with a printed photograph of the recipient.
2. Select your photograph size. In the 18" high by 24" wide pillow, the optimal size for a single centered photograph is no smaller than 5" x 7" and no larger than 12" x 9" (use this larger size only if it's a horizontal photo, otherwise it will look awkward in the middle of your pillow).
3. Print your photograph. After making sure your software is prepared to print the size you need, follow the instructions from the printable fabric manufacturer. These instructions will usually include steps to set the ink on the fabric before doing anything else with it.
4. Frame your photograph with your chosen fabrics. If possible, use patterns or colors that will match or complement the recipient's decor. The shape of the frame is entirely up to you. Determine whether you want an oval or round frame, or if you want thin strips to create a rectangular frame or large triangles to turn the photo into a diamond-in-square quilt block. This last option works best if using a square cut photo, but can be made to fit around a rectangular photo as well.
5. Create the rest of the pillow front. In most cases, you'll need a white or light colored fabric for the remainder of the pillow front and it should definitely be thick enough that the fabric markers won't bleed too much. A thick cotton or soft denim is good for this part of the pillow as well as the backing.
6. Cut your backing to match the size of your pillow front, face them right sides together and sew the edges, leaving about 6 to 8 inches open on the bottom of the pillow. Flip the pillow inside out, stuff it through that open hole, then fold the edges in and blind stitch it shut.
7. Present the pillow to the recipient along with fabric markers for the autographs. If appropriate, include your name and special message as the first signature on the pillow.

Tips & Warnings

• These pillows are great gifts for a baby shower, birthday, graduation, going away present, wedding or any other special occasion.
• Be sure to follow manufacturer's instructions carefully on the printable fabric and let the recipient know if there are any special care instructions for their new pillow.