How To: Sequin Heart Pillow

Now I'll admit, I'm not much for holiday decor.  It's not that I don't aspire to it, I love how seasonal changes in decor can change the mood of a room.  But I have a hard time since it can end up being quite a lot of work and so much of it ends up being trashed at the end of the season.  I wanted to make some seasonal decor that I could easily save for seasons to come, and tuck away when not in use.  What's easier to change out than pillow covers?  Here is a simple sequin pillow cover for Valentine's Day that can easily be stored for next year when March rolls around and it's time to take down the decorations.



You Will Need...

18" square pillow
18" plain cotton pillow cover
Red felt
Single strand red sequins
Sobo Craft and Fabric Glue
Red thread
Plain paper
Scissors
Needle

To Make...

Start by making a pattern out of plain paper.  Draw half of your heart and cut out.  Lay your pattern with the center on the folded edge of the felt and cut out.  You should have a perfect heart.

 

Now for the sequins!  Everything is better with a little sparkle.  Start with a bead of glue along the edge and lay the string of sequins, thread-side-down, on top.  Give the sequins a little press to make sure the glue really sticks into the thread on the back.  I like to work about 6" at a time to keep the sequins from getting tangled.  Follow the edge around, then begin the second row as close as you can to the first.  Don't worry if a little of the felt peeks through, it wont be noticeable when you are finished.  Keep going until you have the whole heart filled.  Be sure to protect your work surface as some glue might soak though the felt.  Let dry 24 hours or until fully set.

Once your heart is dry it's time to attach it to the pillow.  If you don't sew, you could glue it, but I found it just as easy to sew it on.  I used matching red thread in a quick whip stitch all along the edge.  It's definitely easier to do this if you take the pillow out of the cover, and I stuck some old newspaper inside to help prevent sewing through to the back.

And that's it!  A quick seasonal pillow that I will be excited to break out for Valentine's Days for years to come.  I might even be tempted to leave this out after the Valentine season has passed.