The heart is a very familiar symbol which everyone knows and uses. It didn’t always symbolize love but it became a symbol of love in the 15 century, becoming widely popular in the 16th century. We have been using it ever since to express our appreciation and affection for those we interact it or for things we enjoy. Heart pillows are popular decorations and make wonderful gifts for a variety of occasions. They’re also easy to make, even though there are plenty of models to choose from in stores. But if you really want your gift to come from the heart, you’ll prefer to make the pillow yourself.

It all starts with a piece of fabric which you fashion into a pillow case. It’s just a matter of measuring, cutting the fabric and then sewing the edges together, leaving an opening for the filling. But the interesting part is making the heart decoration out of several strips of red fabric. You can use them to cover the front side of the pillow case (on the inside) and then you can just cut out a heart at the front.{found on vanessachristenson}.

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The project featured on pitterandglink starts with a plain white pillow cover. To obtain the watercolor design, use sharpies in different colors and alcohol. Scribble with sharpies on the pillow cover until you cover it completely and then spray it with alcohol until it’s saturated. Let it dry. Then make a heart stencil and tape it to the corner of the pillow case. Glue pink paracord along the line. You can then cover the inside of the heart with fabric paint.

Isn’t this pillow lovely? It’s soft and fluffy and really cute. You can make a similar one yourself. You’ll need white and red flannel, muslin or cotton, a zipper and a sewing machine. Layer the flannel pieces, alternating the colors. Cut out a heart shape to expose the red underneath. Sew diagonal lines and, when you’re done, use a pair of sharp scissors to cut the flannel without reaching the muslin base. Check out craftpassion for more info.

There are also easier ways to decorate a pillow case. For example, use cotton fabric in various shades or red, pink and white to make cute heart decorations which you then sew onto the pillow case as shown on twomoreminutes. First you cut out the small hearts, you arrange them on the pillow and then you sew them on using thread in a contrasting color. If you’re making the pillow case from scratch this should be easy. You can then sew on the back piece.

Another lovely design idea is offered on yourhomebasedmom. In this case you’ll need a burlap pillow case. Cut out a heart shape out of paper and pin it to the front of the pillow. Don’t center it. Push it up an inch or two. Then take some red satin ribbon and a needle or safety pin and thread around the heart template. Start from the bottom so you end up in the same spot for a symmetrical look.

Heart-shaped pillows are another option. Making one is fairly easy. You can find out how you can do this on designlovefest. You’ll need fabric in the color of your choice, thread to match the fabric, stuffing, pins, a needle, some paper and a sewing machine. Make a paper template for the pillow. Then stack two pieced of fabric and pin the template to them. Cut around the template, remove the template and stitch around the edges. Leave room to insert the stuffing and then sew the pillow case shut.

A different strategy for making a heart-shaped pillow is described on persialou. The pillow is actually made up of several small, hexagon-shaped crocheted pieces. They feature different patterns on them and they’ve been sewed together to form a heart shape. It’s a time-consuming project but, at the same time, it’s an interesting and unique one.