How to Make Your Own Pillows as a Sleepover Craft
Lots of Options for Pillow Crafts
Offering a pillow craft at a sleepover serves a dual purpose. It keeps sleepover guests occupied and provides them with a nice take-home treat the next day. Congratulations -- you just got out of making treat bags.
The downside to making pillow crafts for a sleepover activity is that there are many types you can make. You have to decide which is right for your group of kids. The good news is that's the toughest part of the pillow craft!
Fleece Tied Pillows
These are easy to make for children old enough to tie knots. Buy a pillow form for each guest. Also provide fleece blocks that are cut 12 inches wider than the pillow forms. Stack pairs of the fleece together and cut 6-inch long strips all the way around the border. To assemble, participants will center their pillow form between the fleece and tie together corresponding strips from the top and bottom. The result is a fringed pillow.
The down-side: This craft can get expensive. Pillow forms must be purchased and fleece is not inexpensive. Watch for fleece sales!
Fabric Marker Drawings
Ask guests to bring a pillow, but you provide a pillowcase. Give your sleepover guests fabric markers and allow them to draw, doodle, and decorate their very own pillowcase. This is a great craft because it allows participants to be creative and to express their individuality, making it a perfect activity for 'tweens and teens.
Since standard pillow cases are relatively inexpensive, this is an affordable craft. Your biggest expense will be the fabric markers. Many craft supply stores sell them in packages or individually, giving you a chance to add extra colors to the basic ones.
The downside is the cost of fabric markers (but you can use them many times).
Iron-On Designs
Ask your guests to bring a pillow. You provide a white pillowcase, drawing paper, and fabric crayons. Give the guests a sheet of transfer paper and allow them to draw designs that you will transfer to their pillowcases while they play a party game or eat a snack. Follow the transfer instructions carefully and iron the designs onto the pillowcase.
The downside is the extra work required for transferring the designs onto the pillowcases. Another challenge is that designs must be made in reverse in order to print correctly. With most designs this won't be a problem. If participants plan to spell out their names, they will have to do the work in reverse.
