Embroidering pillowcases for your bed pillows is a way to liven up your bed’s decor. You can embroider pillow cases in the same theme as your comforter, bedspread, and curtains.
You can find many embroidery patterns on the internet. The embroidery patterns that are available on the internet. You will find quite a few free embroidery patterns. You can print them out with your printer.
You can also find iron-on embroidery patterns at your local craft shops. You just choose which of the patterns that you want to use for your embroidered patterns. Iron the patterns onto your pillowcases with a hot iron.
The embroidery patterns that you can find on the internet. You can print them onto T-shirt photo iron-on sheets. You will want to iron them onto the pillowcases. You can also use quilt tracing paper to trace the patterns onto your pillowcases if you do not want the T-shirt iron-on remnants left on your pillowcases.
In some instances, you will be able to find prestamped pillowcases to embroidery. These types of pillowcases can be hard to find.
Materials Needed for the Embroidered Pillowcases
• One set of pillowcases for your pillows. There are standard, queen, and king-sized pillowcases. If you are unsure the size your pillows are, standard pillow cases come in the twin and standard sheet sets. The pillows for standard pillowcases are 20 inches by 26 inches.
• Embroidery pattern and threads. You will want to use an embroidery pattern that is in the theme of your bedroom. The embroidery thread will need to match the colors of your bedspread, comforter, curtains, and even the carpet.
• Embroidery needles and a hoop.
• Iron and ironing board. These two items are needed if you are going to iron the embroidery patterns onto the pillowcases.
• T-shirt iron-on sheets. The T-shirt iron-on sheets are needed if you wish to have the pattern on your pillowcase. Be aware the iron-sheets will not wash off after you are finished embroidering.
• Computer, printer, and internet service. You will need to have these three things if you wish to find embroidery patterns on the internet.
• Quilt tracing paper and tracing tool. You can use quilting tracing paper instead of the iron on sheets. The marks from the tracing paper will wash away.
• Iron-on Patterns. You can find several iron-on transfer patterns at some local craft stores.
Directions for Making the Embroidered Pillowcases.
Once you have the pattern, pillowcases, and embroidery threads, you will need to choose which method you want to use to place the pattern onto the pillowcases.
T-shirt Iron-on Method
NOTE: The T-shirt iron-on method allows you to print the embroidery pattern onto the iron-on sheets. The upside of the iron-on sheets is they will keep the pattern stiff and make them stand out after they are finished.
Once you have found the embroidery pattern you want to use, place the iron-on T-shirt sheet appropriately into your printer. (Some printers require the sheet to be placed face up and others while require the sheets to be placed face down.)
You will want to see how the pattern prints out before placing the sheet into the printer. Some sites will have the patterns that will print onto two sheets, some onto one sheet, some will also print any text that is on the page. There are sites that have their patterns on a webpage all to itself.
If all else fails, you can trim the text away from the embroidery pattern before ironing it onto the pillow cases.
Iron the pattern onto the pillowcase. Let the pillowcases cool before starting embroidering the pillowcases.
Embroidery the pillowcases following the design on the pattern.
You will want to use the color guide as a template for the colors that you have chosen for the pattern.
Trace Method
NOTE: You will want a hard surface to trace the pattern onto the pillowcase. A desk, diningroom table or kitchen cabinet top will work.
Place the tracing paper face down onto the pillowcase.
Place the embroidery pattern face up on the tracing paper.
Trace over the pattern with a tracing tool. This will transfer the pattern onto the pillowcase.
Embroidery the pattern on the pillowcase following the outline of the pattern that you traced onto the pillowcase. You can use the color chart and printed pattern as a template to embroidery the pillowcases.
The only downside of the trace method is that it will not show the colors that are on the pattern.
Iron-on Transfer Patterns
With the iron-on transfer patterns, you can mix-and-match the patterns to obtain an embroidery pattern that meets the decor of your bedroom.
Once you have the designs for your pillowcases. Cut them from the sheets. You will now want to lay them out in the way that you want them on your pillowcases.
One by one, lay the pieces’ face down on the pillowcase and iron them on. After you have them ironed onto the pillowcases, let them cool before embroidering.
Embroidery the pillowcase with the colors of thread that you have chosen for your embroidered pillowcases. You can wash the pillowcases after you are finished embroidering.
