Make your own stenciled pillow from extra fabric you already have. This décor piece is a reminder of our blessings this holiday season and all year long.
Well, if you've been hanging around here lately, you won't be shocked by today's post. Not one bit.
Today I'm combining my love for my Silhouette Cameo, contact paper and drop cloths! Three of my newest favorite things.
When I started thinking about everything I'm grateful for, I kept coming back to one word: "Blessed." I have a fabulous husband; a beautiful, wonderful daughter; lots of loving extended family; loyal friends; a lovely home; a gracious Savior; and so many other things.
So, I decided to make a craft using the word "Blessed." I could use some more throw pillows. Well, "need" isn't quite the right word. But I have a small stack of pillow inserts at home just waiting for someone to make or buy covers for them.
I had some leftover drop cloth fabric from my curtains, and I'm kind of obsessed with stencils and paint. So, why not! My thankful craft plan was born.
Supplies for DIY Stenciled Drop Cloth Pillow Cover
- A drop cloth pillow cover in the size of your choice. Mine was 20 inches x 20 inches, and I used this tutorial to make it.
- Silhouette Cameo
- Contact paper
- Design in the Silhouette Studio
- Scrap piece of cardboard to slip inside my pillow
- Foam craft brush
First, I made the pillow cover. I measured my material against my other pillow covers. I didn't have quite as much drop cloth as I wanted, so I made the pillows 20×20 inches. The insert is meant for a 26×26 inch cover, but I like a full-looking pillow. So, it worked.
If you need a tutorial on how to make an easy pillow cover, I wrote one HERE.
I used my Silhouette and contact paper again to make the stencil. You can read about how to create stencils with contact paper HERE. This time, using a script word for the stencil was much easier than when I used it on my pallet signs, because I finally learned the welding feature on my Silhouette. It cut the one word as a single piece instead of each individual letter. Victory!
I slipped a piece of cardboard into the pillow before I painted to keep the paint from seeping through to the back.
I used the same font for "Blessed" as I did on my pallet signs: Chopin Script. And I absolutely adore the laurels you see floating around Pinterest and other places in chalkboard art. So, I found this digital file on Etsy and converted the .png file into a cut file. I followed this tutorial to show me how to convert it. I loved learning how to do that! It opens up so many options!!
Once the stencils were made, I placed them on the pillow, peeled off the backing and started stenciling. I pressed the contact paper stencil down with my Pampered Chef food scraper before painting. It really helps seal it down so the paint doesn't sneak underneath.
I didn't just swipe the pillow with a paintbrush. I used a little foam stenciling brush and dabbed the paint on in an up-and-down motion. You'll want to use just enough paint to color the fabric. Too much paint and it gets pushed under the stencil, and you won't get crisp lines.
When I finished painting, I peeled up the stencils and admired my work. I loved it! It was so simple and free {to me} because I just used items I had on hand. Nothing better!
