This was a long, long, long awaited commission. 4 years ago, I got the request to make a pillow plushie of a sticker emoji. I only just finished this plushie recently and I felt that it would be fun to share my DIY process. This tutorial can be adapted to make any design into a cute pillow format.
Tools and materials
Fabric: I used beige microfleece. Alternatives include felt and old t-shirts.
Fabric paint OR embroidery thread
Fiberfill stuffing
Make your template
I used a pillow that I already have to trace out a rough outline. If you choose this method, I recommend tracing about a half inch around the pillow in order to accommodate for the depth. Otherwise, I have included the dimensions of my template in the image. I like to cut my templates out of cardboard to make it easier to trace onto fabric. Mark a little v on the top to make it easier to match up the front and back side.
Trace onto fabric and cut out
Once you have your template, trace it onto the wrong (or back) side of your fabric using a pencil, chalk, or sliver of soap. Mark the V onto the fabric as well. Flip the template over and trace it onto the fabric again. This will be the back piece. Cut the two pieces out, leaving about half an inch of seam allowance outside your lines.
Optional: Paint your design on
If you have a particular design in mind, this is the time to put it on. It is much easier to add details while the fabric can be laid flat. I chose to paint my design for this pillow plushie. I had tried embroidering the design on a smaller model but I realized that I do not have the patience to do it fully so I actually gave up on that halfway through.
Important note! Make the design smaller than you think. In the picture, the face looks fine when it is laid flat, but I forgot to account for how it will look once it is stuffed. Learn from my mistakes: make the design smaller than you think.
Stitch your front and back pieces together
Once you are happy with your design, the stitching can begin! Place the right (or outside) sides of the fabric facing each other and line up the V’s on each piece. I added a few pins to keep the two sides together while I stitched them together.
Using a back stitch, sew around the pillow, following the outlines you traced earlier. When you get close to the end, leave about an opening about an inch long. Remember, you are still working on the plushie inside out.
Turn right-side out and stuff
With the stitching done, all that’s left is to turn it right side out and stuff it. I use fiber fill stuffing from Michael’s. You can theoretically use cotton balls, but I do not recommend it for a plushie this big because you would use up a heck of a lot of cotton balls, and at that point you might as well have just gotten the stuffing.
After the plushie has been stuffed to your desired huggable-ness level, sew up the hole using a ladder stitch.
And you are done! I finally got to present this plushie to its new home after 4 years of waiting. While it definitely isn’t perfect, I learned the lessons that I am now imparting to you and made the mistakes that you now know to avoid.
Let me know what you would use this pillow plushie tutorial to make in the comments below or over on my Instagram or Twitter @thenerdiyblog. If you'd like your crafting questions answered live, I stream on Twitch at twitch.tv/finding_doro.
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