Picture Pillows: Should You Make Your Own?

A picture pillow is a one of the wonderful and lasting gifts that you can give someone. They’re a perfect gift for friends, family, coworkers, neighbors, coaches, and teachers.
When it comes to picture pillows, you essentially have two options: you can order one or you can make one on your own.

If you have some expertise with a sewing machine and have access to a high-quality printer you can make your own picture pillow. While this kind of picture pillow won’t last as long as one that’s professionally made you may be able to save some money by making the picture pillow by yourself at home.

There are several steps in the process of making your own picture pillow:

1. Take the picture. Your picture can be of anything you want. Just make sure that the picture used the highest resolution available for your camera or your scanner. Also, you’ll want to make sure that there’s plenty of detail and contrast, and that the subject of your picture takes up most of the frame.



2. Prepare your fabric. You want to use a piece of fabric that is just a little bit bigger than a regular sheet of paper.  Make sure the fabric is flat and smooth.



3. Cut an equal size of freezer paper for your fabric.



4. Iron the shiny side of the paper to your fabric.



5. Cut the freezer paper and the fabric down to an 8 ½ x 11-inch size, so that you will be able to feed it through the printer.



6. Print your picture.



7. Peel  the freezer paper away from the fabric.



8. Cut out the shape of your subject. Leave about an inch around the outside for the pillow seam.



9. Cut another piece of fabric out for the back of the picture, and pin it together.



10. Sew the pillow together. You’ll want to leave about a two inch space, so that you’ll be able to put in the stuffing.



11. Fold your seams under and sew close the opening.

For most people, having someone else make your picture pillow is ideal. Most people just don’t have the resources or the time to make a quality picture pillow that will make an appropriate gift.
In addition, a hand-made picture pillows just won’t last as long as one that’s professionally made. Because you’re using ink from your printer, the image will fade with time.

When you have a picture pillow made professionally, on the other hand, the manufacturer will use more powerful dyes to preserve your image. This means that your pillow is going to last much longer than if you make one at home.

When you pick a company for your picture pillow, make sure to choose one that uses high-quality materials, too. Cheap materials and poor workmanship will mean that  a picture pillow won’t last you very long. Instead, choose a reputable manufacturer who has extensive experience, used the highest grade materials, comes highly recommended, and who stands by their products.