DIY Crazy Pillows, Great Project for teaching Kids to Sew

Lessons with my princesses are going well. It is amazing what they have learned and to watch them approach their sewing machines with confidence now instead of trepidation. Both girls chat away and giggle as they work and this week's lesson was no exception.

"Crazy Pillows", so named because of the crazy trims the students love to put all over the top. Its a great chance to practice using a zigzag stitch as well as working on pivoting, designing and just stitching in a straight line.

This is a wonderful chance to Up-cycle an old garment and some trims left from other projects. Don't be afraid to cut up that old dress you have not worn for 20 years. Believe me, it won't ever fit again! (or be in style)

You will need:
scrap of fabric large enough to cut 12"x12" x 2 or about 1/2 yard.
Fiber fill stuffing
Assorted trims
Thread ,ruler, scissors and lots of pins*

*A note on pins, I prefer the pins with the colored heads simply because I use the colors as a code with my students when their projects require them to stop and start,etc....For example, on this project, we used a pair of black headed pins to mark where to start sewing up the pillow and where to stop. If they saw black, it meant something important. With really young students, you can use red and green for stop and go also.

Step 1: Cut two 12" squares from your fabric.
Step 2: Find and measure the trims that you want to use on your pillow top.
Step 3: Pin the trims to just ONE pillow top. Set the other one to the side until you have finished with your design.

I used to sew for a Ballet Company in Carmel so I had some interesting pieces left from the bodices of the Snowflake costumes with lots of sequins. One of my little princesses decided to go with a "bling" theme and use two of these and some other metallic trims.

My more conservative young lady chose some vintage lace and other trims that matched her bright pink fabric very boldly. As you can see by the photos, they spent some time carefully considering where to pin all this trim. In tricky spots where trims overlapped or crisscrossed, we had to sew down one layer at a time.

The crossing piece was carefully pinned back and out of the way without losing her desired placement.

Step 4:Attaching the trims to the top of your pillow.

It takes some time to sew on all these trims. I would say in general that this should be a two hour project for your students. If they put too much trim, they may never complete the project. We came close to that and both girls had to sew the opening closed at home later.

I made the girls change the thread colors to match their trims for a more professional look. Ok...yes, no professional would be making pillows quite this "crazy" but its a great habit to start now. I told them that nothing screams "homemade" instead of "handmade" more than someone that did not bother to use correct thread colors. Sewing white lace with black thread would just be tacky!

I always love it when my children tell someone "mommy made my clothes" and the person is amazed! That is what we aim for when we create our own garments and I want my students to know from their earliest lessons about ways to make their projects more professional.

Step 5: Sewing the pillow together.
Place the back piece of your pillow with the right sides together on top of the trimmed half and pin all the way around, leaving an opening of about 4" to 5" for turning the pillow inside out.

Step 6: Turn the Pillow: Trim your corners carefully before turning the pillow right side out. Iron your pillow top before stuffing with the fiberfill.

Step 7: Finishing: Starting with the corners, grab a handful of stuffing and push it into the opening with your hands and fill up your pillow from the bottom to the top. Each girl used half a bag of stuffing. You can decided just how full you want your pillow. Slip stitch the opening closed.

Our finished projects! They are bright and colorful pillows, well deserving of the name "Crazy" pillows. The princesses did a fantastic job and are ready to start working on some more difficult projects. We can't decide what they want to do next but I am thinking of some pouches with zippers. The girls want to applique on jeans and get that trim out again.

We also tossed around the idea of pajama pants but one young lady claimed she only sleeps on old sweats and t-shirts. I was a bit disappointed as I had imagined her in a Princess Nightgown all this time! After all, isn't she royalty?