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Chalkboard pillows for kids and adults redux

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Merriment :: Chalkboard pillows by Kathy Beymer

UPDATE: Dinosaur and Birdie Chalkboard Pillows are now for sale at UncommonGoods! Great gift for kids.

So when I first invented chalkboard pillows I handmade the chalkboards out of plastic, a knife, drill and chalkboard spray paint. Yeah, it took a long time.

But now I’ve discovered the joys of chalkboard cloth fabric which has allowed me to make shapes galore for adults and kids – trucks, airplanes, butterflies, dinosaurs and flowers for the kids and rectangles for adults. And I think they look just as cute blank as doodled.

And when you use the special Chalk Ink no-smudge, non-toxic markers your drawings stay put until you remove them with a wet cloth.

Merriment :: Chalkboard pillows by Kathy Beymer

Merriment :: Chalkboard pillows by Kathy Beymer

COPYRIGHT NOTE: You’re more than welcome to use this project and pattern for your own personal use. Please post a comment below or email me if you use this project so I can smile when I see that it’s being created. Craft and pass it on!

Supplies (for the 16″ x 16″ pillow):

Create chalkboard front

Merriment :: Chalkboard pillows by Kathy Beymer

Print and cut out one of my free templates or make your own shape. Cut your 17″ x 17″ front and back pieces and two pieces of stabilizer using your rotary cutter, ruler and self-healing mat. Place the front piece and pattern on top of your pillow to make sure you like the size (you can re-print to shrink it if you’d like).

Merriment :: Chalkboard pillows by Kathy Beymer

Place the right side of the template face down on the wrong side of the chalkboard cloth fabric. Trace it using a black pen. Cut using good fabric scissors, using the Xacto knife on any tight corners.

Merriment :: Chalkboard pillows by Kathy Beymer

Put one of your stabilizer interfacing pieces of underneath the front fabric square (it helps you sew a smoother applique). Center your cut chalkboard shape on the front fabric square, placing straight pins on the sides to mark placement. Zigzag stitch the shape onto the front fabric square. Remember to backstitch.

Put in your zipper
Zippers can be scary sometimes but I really like having zippers in pillows so that I can take over the cover if needed. First, take your front chalkboard piece and zigzag down the side that you want to put the zipper on (like the side with the bottom of the plane) to attach the stabilizer to the front of your pillow (left photo below). Repeat on the back of your pillow by stitching along the edge to attach the back stabilizer to the wrong side of the back of the pillow. This zigzag step makes it easier to work with and your seam finish is nicer.

Merriment :: Chalkboard pillows by Kathy Beymer

Now open your zipper and lay it face down onto the right side of the front of your pillow, centering the zipper along the bottom of the pillow front (see right photo above). Pin the bottom side of the zipper to the pillow front. Leave the top of the zipper free (you’ll be sewing that to the back of the pillow).

Change your presser foot by putting your zipper foot on your sewing machine (you can sew it on with the regular foot but the zipper foot lets you sew closer to the zipper teeth). Sew a straight stitch down the zipper as close to the teeth as you can. Remember to backstitch.

Merriment :: Chalkboard pillows by Kathy Beymer

Put the right side of your bottom on your table. Lay your pillow front on top of your back piece, right sides together, matching up zipper tops and bottoms to be sure that your zipper will close straight. Pin the unsewn side of the zipper to the back of your pillow. Your zipper will be face down on the right side of your pillow back. Sew a straight stitch down the zipper as close to the teeth as you can. Remember to backstitch. Now your zipper is in.

Sew pillow front to pillow back

Merriment :: Chalkboard pillows by Kathy Beymer

Line up the pillow front to the pillow back, right sides together. Pin. Be sure the zipper is open. Now sew 1/2 inch seam around the pillow. On the bottom where the zipper is I sew about 2 inches on each side (don’t sew across the entire zipper side).

Merriment :: Chalkboard pillows by Kathy Beymer

Finish your seams by zigzagging around the three sides of the pillow (not the zipper side). Cut any stray threads. Turn right side out. Stuff your pillow with your pillow form.

Start doodling! I strongly recommend using the special Chalk Ink no-smudge, non-toxic markers because drawings stay put until you remove with a wet cloth. If you use regular chalk, be sure to rough up your chalk using a piece of sandpaper to avoid permanently etching the chalkboard.

Merriment :: Chalkboard pillows by Kathy Beymer

Merriment :: Chalkboard pillows by Kathy Beymer

Merriment :: Chalkboard pillows by Kathy Beymer

COPYRIGHT NOTE: You’re more than welcome to use this project and pattern for your own personal use. Please post a comment below or email me if you use this project so I can smile when I see that it’s being used. Craft and pass it on!

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Comments

  2. 2

    i love all your cute ideas! so creative! could you post the other templates for the appliques? i would love to make different ones for my kids, if i can…you will be a hard act to follow:) thank you!

    Reply
  7. 7

    I just made a similar pillow without a zipper, and added the appliqued childs name to the back. I did a sea type theme with a fish. I love the chalkboard fabric and all the neat projects that it can be used for. This is going to be a gift and I think the little boy will love it.

    Reply
  9. 10

    Hi, I just started to sew 2 years ago, ( only ten years old) I was wondering when you make the pillow would you perfer an already stuffus pillow so you can just make a pillowcase or should I stuff it with cotton?? Thanks, I’m a big fan,

    Reply
    • 11

      Hi Clare, when making square or rectangular pillows I personally think it’s easier and less lumpy if you buy a pillow insert (an already stuffed pillow). You can find them at Joann or online at Wholesale Pillow Inserts. If you do choose to use loose stuffing, then be sure to pull big handfuls of the stuffing apart to get it fluffy before stuffing your pillow. I tend to only use loose stuffing when I make pillows that are odd sizes, like an animal shape or something, or really tiny pillows like my ring bearer pillow.

      Thanks for your comment! I love comments 🙂 I started sewing about your age (there’s a silly photo in the About section). Good for you. Have fun with it!

      Reply
  11. 13

    I’ve been wanting to make pillows ofr my front porch bench and do the house numbers on them and then switch them around for the holiday’s, but instead I think I should make this and write something different each holiday. Thanks!

    Reply
    • 16

      Hi Terri Ann, that’s a great font find. It may be a little tricky to zig zag some of the ins and outs so you might want to simplify the shapes a bit but I’d love to see how it turns out!

      Reply
  15. 19

    Hi ! Love the pillows..could i please have the butterfly template for my friend whose business is called “flutterbythreads”..thank you 🙂

    Reply
  18. 22

    Thanks so much for posting this…I do have a question regarding chalkboard paint and fabric (from before the time when actual chalkboard fabric became popular)…I’m attempting to make a round table cloth (54″ w/a little drop so about 60″)…the actual chalkboard fabric isn’t really a solution bc it would require me to stitch together 2 pieces (I don’t have a sewing machine)…so my thought was to buy a cheap round table cloth and paint it with chalkboard paint…however I’m finding conflicting instructions on how to execute this idea…any advice you could give is greatly appreciated. (Also will the fabric still be pliable—it obviously needs to be able to go on a table) 🙂

    Thanks a bunch!

    Reply

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