No-Sew Burlap Heart Pillow With Fringe Edge For Valentine’s Day
If you’re looking for a simple home decor craft, you’ll love this no-sew burlap heart pillow. The warm neutral texture this pillow brings into the room is so pretty. Especially when layered with other neutrals.
Decorative pillows are a great way to add some Valentine’s Day charm to your home. They are quick to put up and easy to change out. Removable pillow covers are even better, since they are easy to store away when the holiday is over.
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This year, I decided to avoid the pink and keep my decor neutral and leave it up until Spring. I’ve brought in lots of textures to keep it interesting but not over the top.
SUPPLIES
- BURLAP
- DROP CLOTH OR LINEN OR COTTON FABRIC
- HEAT N BOND
- CRICUT EASY PRESS OR IRON
- EASY PRESS MAT
- FABRIC SCISSORS
- PILLOW COVER (18 x 18 INCH)
- PILLOW INSERT (16 x 16 INCH)
PRE-WASH YOUR FABRIC
Before you begin, if you plan to wash your pillow covers, you will want to do this before using the Heat n’ Bond. The directions say to pre-wash all fabrics, including the drop cloth and burlap, before applying Heat n’ Bond. I don’t plan to wash my pillow covers, so I did not take this step. Also, be aware that washing large amounts of burlap in your machine will be messy and produce a lot of lint.
DOWNLOAD THE HEART TEMPLATES
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For this project, I’ve made the files available in SVG and PDF formats. If you have a cutting machine, download the SVG files and move to the next step (Cut Fabric).
OPTION 1: PRINT PDF TEMPLATES AND CUT WITH SCISSORS
If you don’t have a cutting machine, download the PDF files and follow these instructions. Because the heart files are larger than a standard printer (8.5 X 11) you will have an extra step. Open the PDF and then go to the print menu. Make sure the (Actual Size Box) is selected. Then choose landscape for orientation. When you print the file, the very tip of your heart will be missing. Tape another sheet of paper underneath and extend the lines with a ruler. See image.
Then cut out your pattern with scissors. Trace your small heart pattern on the burlap, your large heart pattern on the fabric and both size hearts on the Heat N’ Bond paper.
OPTION 2: CUT TEMPLATES FROM CARD-STOCK WITH CUTTING MACHINE
If you have a cutting machine, you can open the SVG files in your software. Cut the file templates from 12 x 12 paper or card-stock and use them as patterns to trace.
OPTION 3: CUT YOUR FABRIC WITH A CAMEO 4 OR CRICUT MAKER
If you have a Cricut Maker or Silhouette Cameo 4, you can cut the fabric on your machine. I have a Cameo 4 and use the Silhouette Design Studio. I placed my drop cloth fabric on a strong grip mat and rolled it with a brayer. Then I cut it using the rotary blade.
For the Silhouette Cameo 4, work on Tool 2. The material is Fabric, Linen. Use the Rotary Blade with a force of 25, speed of 5 and passes 1. Make sure you are only using the Rotary Cut Edge selection.
Also, be sure your rotary blade is loaded in Tool 2 on your machine. Under the send menu, you need to click on the heart on the left to select it. Then choose the rotary tool under Tool 2. If your heart turns blue, you know things are correct.
When I tried to cut the burlap, it left a lot of material on my cutting mat. I ended up tracing it and cutting it by hand. I’ll experiment with this in another tutorial. The burlap needs a backing to stiffen it up or maybe the Therm O Web before sending it through the cutting machine.
UPDATE: After experimenting with this, I found a solution that solves three problems. Add the Heat n’ Bond to the burlap before you cut it. This will stiffen the fabric, prevent the edges of the burlap from fraying and prevent your mat from getting burlap all over it. I was able to run the burlap through my Silhouette Cameo 4 on a Strong Grip mat with the Heat n’ Bond facing the mat. I used the rotary tool in carriage 2. My settings were fabric, wool with a lowered Force of 20 and Speed 3. Keep in mind that cutting a lot of burlap may dull your Rotary blade, just like it would fabric scissors.
CUT YOUR HEAT N BOND PAPER
If your using scissors: trace your large and small heart onto the Heat n’ Bond paper and cut them out. You may need to slightly trim them down depending on how much you frayed your cotton heart edge.
If you using a cutting machine: Cut 12″ X 12″ squares of the Heat n’ Bond and place them on a Strong Grip mat, glue side down. Then use the copy paper settings to cut them.
CREATE THE FRINGE ON YOUR HEART
For the fringe, start on the left or right sides of the heart. Grab a thread and pull. The direction of the fabric weave will matter. My weave ran left to right. So, for a consistent fringe, I started on the left or right side. You will need to pull these threads longer to get the fringe to be full on the left and right.
Then go back after you frayed the edge of the whole heart and trim these sections of thread back to match the rest of the heart. See image.
HOW TO ASSEMBLE YOUR BURLAP HEART PILLOW
STEP 1:
Preheat your Cricut Easy Press to 305 degrees. If you are using an iron, the directions on the Heat n’ Bond says to use the silk heat temperature. Ironing time may need to be increased for heavier materials or when using multiple layers of material. Take care not to overheat it.
STEP 2:
Place the smaller Heat n’ Bond heart, glue side down, on the backside of the burlap heart.
STEP 3:
With an ironing mat below your project, press the Heat n’ Bond for 3 seconds. Let cool a little and then peel away the paper backing.
STEP 4:
Place your burlap heart, adhesive facing down, on top of your drop cloth (frayed) heart. Taking care to center them properly.
STEP 5:
Cover the burlap with parchment paper and press it. I held it for about 8 seconds. Let it cool to the touch.
STEP 6:
Flip the heart over, so the back of the heart (drop cloth) is facing up. Now place your large Heat n’ Bond heart (adhesive facing down) on the drop-cloth heart.
STEP 7:
Use your Cricut Easy Press or Iron and heat it for 3 seconds. If you heart is larger than the iron, press and hold, then move to a new section. Don’t heat the paper for too long in one area, or you will ruin the glue.
STEP 8:
Let cool slightly and remove the paper backing from the Heat n’ Bond.
STEP 9:
Place a piece of parchment paper flat, inside of your pillow cover. This helps prevent the pillow cover from sticking to itself. Then iron out any of the wrinkles.
STEP 10:
Center your heart in the middle of the pillow cover. I used a ruler to make sure it was exactly in the center.
STEP 11:
Cover the heart with parchment paper and press it to the pillow cover for 20 seconds. Let cool and then check it. If it needs to go longer, press the areas that didn’t stick for another 10-20 seconds. The parchment paper helps keep the fabric from scorching, but if you heat it too long, you can scorch the fabric and ruin the Heat n’ Bond.
STEP 12:
Remove the parchment paper from the inside of the pillow cover and let it cool. Then insert a pillow inside the cover and zip it up.
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Hopefully this Heat n Bond tutorial gave you some inspirations for future projects, too. Enjoy your burlap heart pillow and have a wonderful Valentine’s day!
