NO SEW FLOOR PILLOW

As my oldest son’s second birthday was approaching, I decided that a reading tent was going to be the ideal gift! He can never get enough of his books, and his imagination was beginning to blossom. No better place to read than his own private teepee. In my mind, his gift would include a large, collapsible teepee, a floor pillow to sit inside, and a slew of new books to conquer (always used, got approximately 15 books for $40!). Etsy (as always) was the place to find unique and stylish tents (no Mickey Mouse crap!!). My adorable teepee was bought through StictchinNista at Etsy. She was amazing at helping me design exactly what I wanted in colors and patterns. Check out her shop here: https://

www.etsy.com/shop/StitchinNista.

Next, I began to seek a large throw pillow that he could sprawl out on, maybe with me or his father, or maybe a few of his stuffed animal friends. These pillows were atrociously expensive, averaging $100 for the size I needed. I even took the liberty of looking at dog beds, but those run $50 or more. SO – with a little Pinterest inspiration, I decided to make my own. It had to be simple (must be easy enough to enjoy a glass of wine and still have success), stylish (matching the teepee and his room decor), easy (I’ve no sewing machine) and of course, less expensive than what I was finding online. Below is the simple tutorial for a large, no sew floor pillow for reading, lounging, or even for your pets!

1) Find two fleece choices (one print, and one coordinating solid) and have cut to 1 1/2 yards each. Drive home, and pour a glass of wine.

2) Lay the two fleece pieces on top of each other. Be sure that the correct side is outward. Sip wine as needed.

3) Cut through both pieces of fabric, to your desired size and shape. Mine was 55″x55″. NOTE: Your pillow will be approximately 10″ shorter as an end result (so mine became 45″x45″ approximately). You could certainly make any shape including circular or rectangular with a few modifications.

4) Once the pieces are cut to your desired size, cut a 5″x5″ square away from each corner. Toss the scraps, and be sure to sample your wine.

5) Begin cutting fringe pieces across the first edge of the blanket (any side). Roughly 1 1/2″ each. Use a yard stick or measuring tape to ensure that you do not cut the strips more than 5″ in length.

6) Tie the fringe into knots, not too tightly, but do ensure the knots align and close the blanket. Occasionally pull the blanket taut, so that it lays flat and does not gather.

7) Continue cutting and tying knots on sides #2 and #3. Refill wine glass.

8) On the final side, cut all fringe. Begin tying the knots, but leave approximately 15-20 knots untied in the middle.

9) Stuff the open space with polyfil. I used 32oz, but it certainly could have taken more for a firmer pillow. Be sure that you are stuffing into all corners and to each side. Pull the polyfil apart and fluff it up before inserting. Occasionally, shake the filling around for even distribution. Sip wine.



10) Finish tying the knots to close the hole. VIOLA!

This project took me approximately 2 hours (I was learning as I went. I could maybe knock one out in 60-90 minutes now). I paid about $9 for the print fleece, $9 for the solid fleece, and $5 for the polyfil. This project was $23. I think I paid more for the bottle of wine!! Be sure to take coupons with you to your favorite craft store. I bought my items at 40% and 50% off. I even saw no sew fleece kits at $10 (not my taste in patterns). You’d still have to buy the polyfil stuffing, but that is a $15 LARGE floor pillow. I look forward to my son’s birthday next month – I’ve got to contain myself, to not let him enjoy his gift earlier.

Cheers & happy crafting!

