I’m very excited to be here today to show you how to make a monogrammed bolster pillow. If you don’t know what a bolster is, don’t worry, I didn’t know that is what they were called either until just a week ago! It’s basically a cylinder-shaped pillow.
Here’s mine. M and our family were established in 2004 when we were married. These are actually really easy to make. Here is what you’ll need.
Fabric (I used burlap), freezer paper, acrylic paint and stencil brush and ribbon.
First I used my Cricut to make the monogram stencil. Simply place the freezer paper on the mat {shiny side down}and cut out whatever you want transferred to your fabric. If you don’t have a cutting machine, you can certainly trace or print a letter on the freezer paper and use an exacto knife to cut it out.
Once you have your letter cut, place it on the fabric and use a hot iron {steam off} to adhere the freezer paper to the fabric. *Note: the freezer paper did not completely stick to burlap. I used packaging tape around the edges to help keep it in place.
If you’ve never stenciled before, there is a technique to help ensure the paint does not bleed under the paper. Squeeze a small puddle of paint onto a plate. Dip your brush in the paint and use a rolling motion to cover bristles in paint. Dab off excess on the plate and gently apply to fabric using dotting and circular motions.
Once the paint is dry, remove the freezer paper. {I had a little boo boo with one of my zeros. I used a wet tissue to try to remove some of the paint. Ooops, mistakes happen!}
Measure and cut your fabric to the desired size and sew a hem around all edges. If you do not have a sewing machine you could do this with hemming tape. {Because I used burlap, I added an extra layer of fabric so that it wouldn’t be see through. That is the extra “flap” you see.}
Fold the fabric in half horizontally making sure your monogram is on the inside. Pin the edge and then sew. Invert the fabric so your monogram is now on the outside.
Slide your pillow into the center of the sleeve leaving equal amounts of excess fabric on each side. If you do not have a pillow to use, you can use a sheet of Styrofoam or poly fil batting. Just roll it into a cylinder to fit inside your fabric.
Secure the ends of the pillow with ribbon.
Now proudly display your new pillow in your home!