Easy Peasy Halloween Pillow

Once upon a time in a land far away, I hosted an annual Halloween bash.  And collected boxes and boxes of fun Halloween décor over the years.  But that was a different life.  We’ve only had one Halloween party at Perfect and that wasn’t even supposed to be a party.  It just turned into one and fortunately I had decorated for the season.  But this year, I wasn’t planning on even getting those boxes of orange and black out. 

Until I saw these creepy little mice from Martha Stewart.

And I had to make a pillow!  Which means I had to drag all those other boxes out to keep that pillow company!

Now you might think that it’s too late to make this before Halloween but this is an easy peasy pillow that anyone can throw together.

Here’s the link to get the creepy mice template.

I picked a couple of those mice out, cut a piece of freezer paper the size of printer paper – 8 ½” x 11”–then printed them to the paper side of freezer paper.  I ironed the freezer paper onto black felt.

The heat on the freezer paper makes a temporary bond so you don’t even have to pin the template.  If it comes loose while you’re cutting, just iron it down again.

Then I cut out B O O from that same felt.

I had a 16” square pillow that needed a new cover and some flannel and a bit of orange cotton fabric in my fabric trunk. 

I cut the flannel 16” x 40”   (32” around + 1 1/2” seam allowance + 6 ½” for coverage on the back. ) This should give me a 15” square—I like the case to be tight on the pillow.

Press under ¼” on each short end.  Then press under another ½”.  Stitch 3/8” from both edges.

Just to mark the center of the fabric, bring the short ends together and press the fold.

Cut the orange fabric 15 ½” x 16”.

Press under ¼” on the 15 ½” sides.

Fold together to mark the center and press.

Place the wrong side of the orange fabric onto the right side of the main fabric with the pressed centers of both matching. Top stitch close to the side edges of the orange piece.

The hardest part was deciding how I wanted to arrange my appliques.

Then I stuck them to the orange fabric with fabric glue!

The fabric glue says to leave it sit for 2 – 4 hours.  I had places to go and people to see so I let it set for several hours. 

I could have left them like that because the fabric glue is permanent but decided to do some top stitching around the edges because I like the look.  Totally unnecessary.  (If you do stitch, make sure the glue is dry or it will make a mess! Not that I’ve ever experienced anything like that!)

Fold the main fabric in at the edge of the orange fabric and overlap the flaps over the square. This should measure exactly 15” square. Plus that seam allowance on top and bottom.

Pin top and bottom and sew ½” seams.  Trim the corners.

Turn right side out and stick that pillow form in!

Here’s Maggie thinking, hmmmm, mom just went upstairs with her camera.  There could be a biscuit or two in this for me!

 Easy Peasy and SO CUTE!