I am delighted to share with you our new family holiday tradition: our Kids Christmas Pillowcase. The idea is new to me, having just heard about such a concept recently. It’s a fun new tradition that kids get to pull out a festive pillowcase that is normally stored in the attic with other holiday decor. They slip it on their pillow for the month of December, then pack it away after Christmas so it will be just as fun to pull it out next year! I ran out to the store to buy fabric, and as I stood there perusing the Christmas fabric, I had to make a decision. Is this for ME, or is this for MY KIDS?!? If it were for me, I’d get chevron, polka dots, and pom pom trim in the holiday colors. But since it was for my kids, I went the Santa and reindeer route.
I have 4 kids: 2 boys (10 and 12) and 2 girls (7 and 3). I couldn’t decide if I should make them all the same, or each a different pattern, but then would they be sad if they didn’t get one that the other got? My youngest was in the store, and made the decision for me, which was a blessing and a curse. She was adament about THIS Santa and reindeer fabric. I’ll admit it wasn’t my favorite, but I reminded myself it wasn’t for me.
When I got home, I asked my seamstress mother the right size to cut the fabric for a standard pillow, and she said 22×30. So I took her word for it. I probably should have ironed this, but I didn’t.
I flipped the fabric so that the patterned sides faced each other, and cut 4 big rectangles. (By the way, I bought 2.5 yards of each fabric). Now, I did NOT take after my mother in the seamstress category. I cut, and sorta sewed straight lines, that’s it. This is why I thought I could totally whip this up myself–simple!
Once I cut, I pinned 3 sides and sewed up the sides with not so straight lines. Then, on the open side, I flipped it over an inch or so, and hemmed the top. I’m not going to show you how un-even the lines are. I don’t aim for perfection with such things.
All done in under 30 minutes! Look how happy she is…;)
My kids were SO delighted, I couldn’t believe their excitement over a pillowcase! It’s not too late, you can get the fabric, cut, and sew it all in one afternoon. Make it for the 12 days of Christmas this year!
Hope this can be a fun new tradition in your family as well! Have you heard of this? Do you do this at your home? Do you have a sewing machine with little to no sewing skills like me? You can do this, too!
{Originally posted at Positively Splendid’s Swell Noel series.}
Kristen Duke
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Cute idea for younger children than mine!
You never know, Carol…;) Future grandchildren idea?
I’ve never heard of that tradition, but I can see how the kids would love it. When I was little, I had a Bambi pillowcase that I remember to this very day, it was my absolute favorite. Who would think that kids would care that much about a pillow case, but they do!
Bambi–how sweet! I think little visuals like this are impressionable to kids!
What a great idea! Think I’ll skip the laundry and whip some up today! Thx!
So did you do that?!? Your comment made me laugh…;)
Well, I got my fabric out……and got sidetracked. Still hoping to finish them before Christmas. I think I skipped the laundry anyway, though.
ha! Well you’re on a roll! make it a Christmas Eve gift;)
I love the idea of this becoming another tradition for us. Your pillowcases turned out great, and you made it look really easy…..so easy, in fact, that I pinned on Pinterest and plan on trying it for my girls. Thanks for sharing yet another creative idea!
If you have basic sewing know-how, definitely easy!
Loved all you things Your website is wonderful. Love to get information about your projects Jean
I am totally doing this!! …next year.
plan ahead, I like it!
This is so fun.
I just finished five Christmas pillow cases for my grand-children.
A friend monogrammed the names on the band.
They turned out great!
Marian
that’s so wonderful, I’m sure they will love them!