Make and Give // DIY You + Me Pennant Pillows

Felt is my new favorite sewing material. Geez this stuff is easy! I’m a total trial-and-error seamstress, so I wasn’t sure how this was gonna go. But I’m now forever a fan of sewing felt and I want to make these little You + Me Pennant Pillows for everyone I know. Let’s give it a go!

Materials

• felt in two colors
• pencil
• sewing machine and materials
• scissors
• iron
• batting

Make Time: 1 Hour

From your felt, cut two pennant flags of the same size, in different colors (one for the front and one for the back of the pillow). Choose the color you’d like the writing to be, and cut out your words in that color. I freehanded them, because I wanted them to look kind of natural. Place them on the flag that will be the front of the pillow to decide how you’d like them to be arranged. Also cut out a long rectangle, about an inch wide, and as long as the side edge of your pennant flags. Iron all pieces.

Using a straight stitch, sew the rectangle onto the side edge of the front flag, leaving about a 1/2-inch hem. Pin the words to the flag and sew these down as well. I sewed a straight stitch down the center of each letter, as though I was writing them in cursive with the sewing machine. It was slow going but definitely doable. You’ll need to pick up your presser foot and readjust your fabric often — just be sure that when you pick up the foot, the needle is inserted in the felt so that you don’t lose your place. (Unless you’re fancy and have a sewing machine that does embroidery. Then go to town!)

Once the letters are sewn on, place the two flags together with right sides facing. Sew a straight stitch around the border, leaving a 1/4-inch hem. Leave about 2 inches open on the side edge of the pennant.

Flip the pillow right side out by bringing all of the material through the hole you left. It helps to push the corners through with a pencil or similar long, thin object. Once it’s flipped right side out, stuff with batting. (The pencil is helpful here, too, to get the batting all the way down to the point of the pillow.

Once it’s stuffed, sew up the hole with a hidden stitch, tie off, and trim your threads.

Team You + Me! I love it! And obviously this one is so simple to customize — you can make it say any ol’ thing. (How cute would it be with holiday words like Jolly or Merry?) Make it and give it. xoxo

P.S. Head to This Little Street to enter today’s 24 Merry Days giveaway!