How to Make a Sweet Fifteen Pillow

Sweet-15 pillows can make a great keepsake gift. You can make the pillow as elegant or as funky as you think the teenage recipient would like. The sweet-15 pillow can be square, round or heart-shaped, or you can even make two pillows, in the shapes of number 1 and 5. Many fabric stores offer iron-on appliqués, printable iron-on transfer paper or fabric paint and markers perfect for adding personal touches. You may want to include the recipient’s name, date and the number 15, or a favorite animal or motif.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Fabric
• Matching thread
• Lace or trim (optional)
• Iron-on appliqué or transfer and iron (optional)
• Fabric paint or markers (optional)
• Scissors
• Straight pins
• Fiberfill stuffing or pillow form
• Sewing machine
• Hand sewing needle (optional)

Make a Sweet Fifteen Pillow

1. Cut two pieces of fabric, both the same size and about 1 inch larger than you want the finished pillow.

2. Use an iron-on appliqué or transfer, or fabric paint or markers, to decorate one or both pieces of fabric for the sweet-15 pillow. Leave the outer half-inch of the fabric plain.

3. Place the two pieces of fabric together and pin them in place around the edges. If you plan to stuff the pillow, leave an opening about 4 inches long. If you plan to use a pillow form, leave one side of the pillow open.

4. Stitch around the edges of the pillow using a quarter-inch seam allowance. Leave the unpinned area unstitched.

5. Turn the pillow right side out. Fill it with stuffing, or insert a pillow form.

6. Turn the edges of the opening to the inside and pin them together. Stitch the pillow closed using a sewing machine or a hand whipstitch.

7. Cut a piece of lace or trim long enough to wrap all the way around the edges of the pillow, with the ends overlapping slightly.

8. Pin the trim around the edges of the pillow.

9. Sew the trim to the sweet fifteen pillow using a sewing machine, or a hand sewing stitch such as the whipstitch.

Tips & Warnings

• Make sure to use the recipient’s favorite colors for the fabric and any trim.
• Use caution when working with scissors, pins, irons, sewing machines and sewing needles.

Resources

• Here are some ideas for sewing decorative pillows.