Chances are, your greatest treasure from childhood are fond memories your parents helped create.
Finding activities you enjoy together is the surest way to make priceless memories and memory-inducing traditions for your own children.
When Karen was just a youngin, we'd shop together for supplies — from clay and popsicle sticks to yarn and fabric — then spend countless afternoons crafting.
There are plenty of crafts you and your youngster can enjoy making that are simple and fun that can be made in an afternoon or less. We're big fans of making pillows for their room, potholders for gifts, and Christmas ornaments, which create a great family tradition.
Check out our class schedules for sewing classes you can take with your son and daughter in 2020 — we'd love to see you in our shop and have you as part of our sewing family!
Until then, I'm including easy-to-follow instructions for sewing an envelope pillow cover. Please send us photos of you sewing with your children and your finished pillowcases — we'd love to post them!
ENVELOPE PILLOW COVER
You'll only need:
- A pillow insert or an old pillow that you want to cover-up
- Fabric (about a yard of material, but exactly how much will depend on the size of your pillow)
- Scissors or a rotary cutter (which is the most awesome cutting too ever, btw)
- Cutting mat if you are using a rotary cutter
- Sewing Machine and thread
- Iron (optional)
MAKING AN ENVELOPE COVER
- Step 1: Cut the front side of your pillow cover the size of your pillow insert. So, if your insert is 16 inches square, you'll cut a piece of fabric that is 16 inches on all 4 sides.
- Step 2: Cut 2 pieces for the backside – be sure that your fabric is going in the same direction as the front unless you don't want it to. Each backside piece will be the same width as the front side and 1/2 of the length plus 5 inches to account for seams and overlap (the envelope part.)
- For example, my pillow insert is 16 inches, so 1/2 of that is 8 inches + 5= 13 inches. So, each of my back pieces will be 16 inches wide and 13 inches tall.
- Step 3: Fold the bottom edge of your top back piece over about 1/2 an inch and then again and sew along the edge to create a finished edge. Repeat for the top edge of the bottom piece.
- Tip: it's often easier to sew these types of seams if you iron them in place first.
- Step 4: Now place your front piece good side up –with the fabric going in the direction you want the finished pillow to have. Then place the back bottom piece good side down, lining up the corners, and then the top back piece good side down. It will overlap the bottom piece. Pin in place all the way around.
- Step 5: Sew all the way around your pillow with a 1/2 inch seam.
- Step 6: Then, run your sewing machine around the edges with the zig-zag stitch so that the needle lands just off of the fabric on the outer edge. This will keep your fabric from fraying.
- Step 7: Turn your pillow cover right side out and add your insert! DONE!