Hellobee

Help your little one have sweet dreams with this nearly no-sew pillowcase project! The reality is it might take more that just a new pillowcase, but having something special and handmade certainly helps.

The letters are easy to cut out when you use freezer paper as a pattern. Plus you can use fabrics that match your decor…choose lots of fabrics to mix and match or make all of the letters the same! After you iron the letters to a regular pillowcase, all it takes is a few simple stitches for a special accent.

You will need:

A pillowcase
Fabric scraps
Freezer paper
Paper-backed fusible web (such as Wonder-Under)
Embroidery floss or perle cotton
Pencil
Iron
Scissors
Needle

Sweet Dreams Pillowcase Pattern

Note: It’s best if both your pillowcase and fabric are pre-washed OR that neither are pre-washed. Mixing the two can cause things to come out strange!

Trace the “sweet dreams” letters onto the matte side of the freezer paper and decide which letters you want from each of your fabric pieces.

Iron the fusible web to the back of the fabric, then iron the freezer paper to the front.

Peel away the paper from the fusible web. This will make it easier to cut out the letters.

Now, cut out the letters. Sometimes the paper will start to lift from the fabric, so be sure to pay attention so the letters don’t become too wonky. It’s okay if they aren’t perfect though!

Remove the freezer paper from the letters.

Lay out the letters on the pillowcase. For mine, I placed them in a gentle arch at the top of the pillow, but you can try different layouts.

A straight line is often easier than a curve, but you could also angle the letters back and forth so they look playful, put the words on two lines, or move them to a different location on the pillowcase.

When the letters are where you want them, iron them down to the pillowcase.

Now, thread a needle with embroidery floss or perle cotton. Stitch through the letters with running stitch. The stitches should be centered within each line of the letters. Start and end each letter with a knot. It’s best not to jump from letter to letter with the thread connected because it will show through the pillowcase and will potentially pull the stitching.

If you’d rather, you can add more security to the letters (and a different look!) by stitching with running stitch around the entire letter close to the edge. Blanket stitch also works well for this.

With the stitching done, your pillowcase is finished and ready to go on a pillow. (You may want to iron it first though!)

Because these letters have the raw fabric edge exposed, you should expect there to be a bit of fraying with use and laundering. That will add to its charm! To reduce the amount of fraying, turn the pillowcase inside out when washing.

Now invite your child to rest their head and enjoy some sweet dreams!