By Dena Fishbein
Tribune News Service
When I travel, I really miss my dogs. This pet pillow is a great gift idea for friends who travel or kids who are away from home and miss their pets. Your furry friends can now go wherever you go.
Gather:
A very cute photo of your pet
Medium weight white canvas
Photo fabric
Polyfill
Sewing thread
Sewing needle
Sewing machine
Pins
Fine point Sharpie marker
Small safety pin
Create:
1. Print out the photo of your pet on the photo fabric following the directions on the packaging. Make sure it is the size you want and is centered on the page with about half an inch to spare on all sides.
2. Cut out the image leaving about 1/2 inch of space around all the edges. Sew the photo fabric onto your canvas and the trim the canvas to the appropriate shape, again leaving about 1/2 inch around all edges for seam allowance.
3. Cut a second piece of canvas in this same shape for the back of the pillow.
4. With the right sides together, pin the front and back of the pillow together and sew, leaving about 2-3 inches open on one side.
5. Notch all edges of your pillow by cutting out small triangles from the seam allowance. This will allow for smooth, rounded edges when the pillow is stuffed.
6. Flip the pillow right side out and stuff it with your Polyfill.
7. When the pillow is good and full, hand stitch the remaining 2 to 3 inches of the seam.
8. Now you can embellish your pillow with a personalized message or greeting and attach it with a small safety pin.
If you have friends that don’t have pets, use a photo of something else they might miss while away. It’s always a little more personal to attach a cute message, so get creative!
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