Graphic Painted Pillow

Yo! I’m Dena from Hearts & Sharts and today I’m sharing how easy it is to make a graphic painted pillow to match any room in your home.

First, measure your pillow insert and cut two squares of fabric one inch larger than your pillow insert.

I use the 20″ x 20″ pillow inserts from Ikea, they’re a super deal at $3.99, but they’re actually 18″ x 18″. So, I cut my fabric 1″ larger than my pillow, two pieces of white canvas, both 19″ x 19″.

Using your preferred width of painter’s tape, start with a diagonal line in any direction. Get crazy.

Use a scrap piece of tape to keep the lines equidistant.

Change directions a few times and mix it up until you get a pattern you like.

I painted this pillow using leftover latex paint from a dresser in our bedroom that I recently finished. This is a foolproof way to get a pillow that matches your furniture perfectly. When using latex or enamel paint, it’s best to use canvas or duck fabric for your pillow cover. Thinner, quilt weight fabrics will absorb the paint and your lines may bleed. With the canvas, the paint will sit nicely on top of the fabric.

Some people prefer to mix a fabric medium with their paint. I skip this step. I have gotten paint on enough t-shirts to know that it’s not coming off.

Using a foam brush, go over the exposed fabric with your paint.

Once it’s dry, peel off the tape and heat set the paint with an iron. Put an old pillowcase in between the painted fabric and the iron to keep from getting paint all over your iron.

Next, place your other fabric square on top of your painted fabric square. Make double-sure that it’s dry.

Sew almost all the way around the square, leaving an opening for your pillow form. This can easily be done using a no-sew method, but I’m a putz with glue, so I always use my machine.

Once you’ve sewn all the way around, clip your corners, minding the stitch, and turn the pillow cover right side out and insert your pillow.

You can hand sew the pillow closed using an invisible ladder stitch, run it through your sewing machine using matching thread, or simply glue it closed if you’re going the no-sew route.

Boom! All done!

This graphic tape method also works well as a background for some quick wall art, or even on a tote bag. You can make several at once using the same paint color and different line pattern to create a living room full of graphic matching pillows.

Easy peasy! Happy sewing!