Unique DIY Gift: Love Letter Pillow Case

Who doesn't love a beautiful handmade gift? Nothing says I love you more than taking the time and effort to hand make a beautiful gift for someone special. Plus with Valentine's Day on the way maybe I can help ease some of that stress that comes along with choosing that perfect gift. This is a unique DIY (do it yourself) gift idea that hopefully any of your loved ones would be happy to receive. It's also a great gift to give a loved one who lives far away, spouses who go on frequent business trips or that significant other in a long distance relationship because when they lay their head down at night they will know they are loved and will feel like they have a part of you with them... How could it get any sweeter than that?

What you will need:

• Pillow Case (new or used)
• Sharpies
• Ink jet Printable Iron-On Transfers (Optional)

You can purchase a brand new pillow case if you like but a used would actually work better and it's a great way to upcycle an old pillowcase. A lighter color is best. If your pillow case is new, be sure to wash and dry the pillowcase first. Take your pillowcase and iron it, making sure it's nice and wrinkle free.. Make sure you do this on a table or other hard surface.

Now the fun begins!! Take your sharpie and write on the pillowcase.. get really creative with this! You could write a love letter, a beautiful quote or your own artwork.. The possibilities are endless. I wrote a love letter on a pillowcase for my husband on our 2nd wedding anniversary and he really loves and cherishes it. You could even put a photo, personal note etc. on a pillow case for a loved on in a nursing home. Fellow Hubber RTalloni came up with that great idea. Thank you RTalloni!

Once you have your design or lettering on the pillowcase, iron it again one more time to help set the sharpie ink into the fabric.. unfortunately, there really is no way to stop it from fading some through time and repeated washings but setting it with the iron will help set the color some.. So that's it folks! You are already done. So simple yet so beautiful..

Another easy option that you can do if you prefer not to use Sharpies is design something on a computer and print it out on Inkjet printable transfer paper and then iron it onto the pillowcase.

You can use any program that you can print from.. like Photoshop or other photo editing programs... Just write your letter in the font of your choice just like you would if you were going to print it off on regular paper but print it on the inkjet transfer paper instead. There are many different brands of inkjet printable transfer paper. I've used the HP brand and also Wilton.. but any will work. Just make sure to follow the instructions completely for whatever brand you use. Directions for ironing on the transfer will also be included.

What I love about ink jet transfer paper is the options you have. You can put a photo on your pillowcase, you can put digital art or even your own art work that has been scanned into your computer! I love the idea of putting a photo on the pillow case. Your special someone can lay their head next to you every night even if you aren't there :0)

Really there are lots of ways to embellish the pillowcase. Here some other ideas I came up with:

• Paint on it with fabric paint. Just make sure it doesn't dry too stiff
• Attach a soft applique or fabric using fusible web or by sewing
• Cross stitch a design onto it
• Tie dye it
• Add lace to your pillow case
• Do a combination with any of the above

I'm sure there are tons more things you can do.. this is just a few I came up with. Whatever you do, have fun and I am sure that whoever is the recipient of this lovely pillow case will cherish it for years to come.

Thank you for reading and Happy Hubbing!!