Upcycling Goodwill Challenge - Pillows!

I have been in a serious pillow-making mood lately.  I have a pillow obsession going on my Pinterest page - check it out.  While I don't sell pillows or pillow covers in my Etsy store, Pretty Pretty Cindy, I might someday.  I am starting to sell on Sundays on my Instagram Pretty Pretty Cindy account, so follow me there.  In the meantime, I need some pillows at my house!

I have been working on our master bedroom for a while and wanted to work in some pillows on our blue/green-gray bedding.  The bedding set came with two European shams, but I wanted throw pillows for color too.  But have you seen the prices of home decorating fabric, and worse yet, pillow forms? My pillow fetish could easily break the bank.  Goodwill to the rescue!

Last month I visited our local Goodwill store on a half-price Saturday.  For only $22, I brought home the following stash:

2 26x26" European pillows

2 18x18" pillows

2 14" round pillows

2 large pieces of fabric

Large scarf (it's that pink silk in the corner)

Minky baby blanket (not shown)

Obviously I bought the pillows for the forms, but not everyone is comfortable buying used pillows.  I pick pretty carefully.  Once you get them home and remove the fabric covers, you can always spray them with a diluted bleach solution and put them in the sun.  I was lucky these pillows (while ugly) were very clean.  I think the two pieces of fabric were originally a table cloth and maybe some curtains.  By looking in slightly different places for fabric and pillow forms, I was able to engage my pillow obsession without breaking the bank!  Here's the result:

For the two big pillows in the back I used the forms from the Goodwill pillows and the shams that came with the bedding.  Buying ONE pillow form alone in a 26x26" size could cost more than $22.  I made the pillow covers on the other four pillows.  Two of the pillows came from forms I bought at Goodwill and the fabric mostly came from Goodwill.  I didn't buy any new fabric or trim for these pillows.  Isn't that awesome?  These are also all "envelope" style pillow covers, so I can remove them to dry clean or just change for a different design.  

I'll post how I made these pillows, but I will admit that I shamelessly copied designs I found on Pinterest.  

The best part - this isn't even using the whole Goodwill haul!  I still have other pillows and was able to recycle some of fabric from the Goodwill pillow covers.  Upcycle!

More pillows to come.

cindy

Sew Practical: Drawstring Backpack

This pattern can now be found in my Etsy store, Pretty Home Threads.  Just click Drawstring Bag Sewing Pattern to go directly to the post.

Be sure to check out all kinds of items for home and baby at Pretty Home Threads on Etsy!  Thanks for your support of small handmade businesses!

Sew Practical - Essential Oil Sachets

Did you know I sell Scentsy products?  I have my own website at www.straddlingthegap.scentsy.us so you can order for delivery to your house anywhere - no need to have a local party.  If you are a Scentsy user without a local consultant, it's a great option. Anyway, I'm always looking for ways to extend good smells wherever I am, including places where melted wax and electrical outlets might not be practical.  Today I'm combining my favorite smells through Scentsy with a little practical sewing to make sachets scented with Scentsy essential oils.  Oh, you didn't know Scentsy sells oils and diffusers?  Get over to my Scentsy website and check it out!

These sachets are so easy to make.  You just need some scrap fabric, a bit of ribbon, uncooked rice, scented oil and a plastic bag or bowl to mix.  I used Scentsy Lavender Orange Blossom.  Mix about 1 cup of rice to 6-8 drops of oil.

   

To make the heart sachets, you just need two pieces of cotton fabric about 3" x 5".  My hearts are the same fabric on both sides, but you can use different fabrics.  Because you will be cutting these without a pattern, it also doesn't matter the exact size.  Fold each piece of fabric in half with the right side showing.

 

Slide one of the pieces inside the other, and using pinking shears, start from the bottom left (folded) side and cut to the right on a diagonal until you get near the top right and then curve back around to make the middle of the heart.  When you finish and pull the fabric pieces apart, it will look like this.  Unfold to reveal two identical hearts.

Every heart looks a little different (which is why you cut two pieces simultaneously) and you can practice with paper to get it just the way you want.  Using the pinking shears gets you that jagged edge look, but if you don't have any, just use regular scissors and you will have ragged edges.  Place the hearts on top of each other, wrong sides together, and cut a piece of ribbon about 14".  There is nothing special about this length, other than if you want to hang one of these from your car mirror, you will need that length or more.  You also don't need a ribbon if you don't want to hang the sachet.  Pin the ends of the ribbon inside the heart.

Now you're ready to sew.  You will be sewing on the right side and need to leave a hole to fill the heart.  I've found it easiest to begin sewing from the left top corner, so when you come around and leave the top of the left "hump," it's easy to open and fill.

As you come down to the center where your ribbon is pinned, go about 3 stitches past the center and stop.

Backstitch 3 stitches to the center again, lift the presser foot and pivot the heart so your presser foot will be facing the upper right portion of the heart.  Now backstitch 3 stitches and then stitch forward around the right side of the heart all the way to the other side, leaving about a 2 inch opening.

If you're wondering why you did all that backstitching stuff where the ribbon goes into the heart, this secures the ribbon with several stitches and allows you to pivot with a little decorative X.  Now you are ready to put the scented rice in the heart.  Don't fill it too much or you won't be able to use the sewing machine to close the heart.  Sew the gap closed and you're done!

These little sachets are great in clothes drawers, hanging in the car, on door knobs or closets.  They also make nice gifts.  As a Scentsy consultant, they are a great way to "sample" the oils for customers.

cindy