10 DIY Monogram Cushion Tutorials

Monogramed Cushions or pillows are a bit of a home decor classic. If you have basic sewing skills it's not difficult to have a go at making them yourself.

I realised a few weeks back that I'd missed sharing the gift I made for the final wedding in our 'summer of weddings'. If you're curious I shared the gifts I'd made for the other weddings here, here and here.

I wanted to make something classy and unfussy for this couple as that suits their style but still wanted it to be personal for them. After some deliberation and time on pinterest searching for inspiration I took a plain gold shop bought velvet cushion cover and embroidered the couples initials in a very simple back stitch. 

I found this plain gold cushion in TK Maxx and fell in love with the velvet. A plainer fabric would actually have been easier to stitch on but the velvet has a beautiful sheen and texture which I do love.

I also chose an embroidery thread the same colour as the fabric so the embroidery is subtle, you could easily do a contrast for a bolder effect.

To make a Simple Initials Embroidered Cushion you will need:

• A cushion cover and insert

• Embroidery thread

• Computer, printer, paper

• Needle, pins, scissors

First go onto the computer and select a font you like. Play around with different ones you computer has, 

I used the font "Small Roundhand" for the N and & but I didn't like the E in that font, it was one of those backward 3's so I did the E in "Apple Chancery". If your PC doesn't have lots of great fonts you can use Picmonkey, Ipiccy or some other photo edit online site in design mode as they have lots of cute ones.

Print out the initials in the size you want, this will depend on your cushion cover size of course. You may have to print it a few times until you get the size right.

Trim the paper close to the initials then pin the wherever you want them on the cushion. I did mine centrally but yours could be anywhere you like. Use loads of pins so it doesn't slide about.

Using 2 strands of embroidery thread stitch the initials in backstitch going through both the paper and the fabric.

When you are done, gently pull the paper away. I found it easiest to tear the paper as close as I could to the stitching first then the little bits just pull out easily with your finger nails or tweezers.

Simple as that! You can see in my photo above that I had trimmed away the paper around the letters as I finished each one, that is not necessary, I was just checking it had worked!

All these photos are taken on an angle as that shows the embroidery better, with the nap of the velvet it was hard to get the initials to show up nicely on a photo.

If my velvet initials cushion doesn't take your fancy or suit your style how about some of these beautiful DIY monogram cushions and pillows.

This beautiful cushion was made by Robyn from The Farmer's Nest, it's another done on a ready made cover using a super simple embroidery stitch.

I love this twirly font Trisha from The Sweet Survival chose for this felt monogram pillow, so classy. The Sweet Survival site doesn't exist anymore so this is just an inspirational photo now.

Here is another felt letter but with a completely different look. So cute and modern. It's from

How Does She and has a great step by step tutorial.

This cover from Beneath my Heart has a stencilled monogram. The tutorial includes a great set of instructions of making the cover, including that pretty contrast piping.

Another stencilled idea from Merrick's Art, so simple, so effective.

If more colour is your thing, how about this beauty from Yes Spaces. It's made using a traditional machine applique method and a ready made plain cover. It would be a great way to use up fabric scraps.

This is a little bit different, a letter shaped cushion. What a fun idea from Classy Clutter.

I do love a good "crafting with buttons" project and this one from It all Started with Paint, is just lovely.

This beautiful letter made from fabric rosettes is so pretty. Kaitlyn from The Birds Nest used a liquid stitch glue so this is a "no sew" option, but of course you could make a "sew" version if you prefer!

Whether you call them cushions, pillows or something else entirely, hopefully you have found some letter and monogram inspiration here. 

Funny how so many of these tutorials are for the letter B - 5 out of the 10 - I wonder why that is? 

Julie

I'll be linking up at these great link parties

SHARE A COKE WITH picture

Share a Coke with bottles with your name on them are fun to try to find, but then what do you do?

I don't know if this is a world wide thing, but last year here in the UK we had the shops full of coke bottles with names on them. Like most kids, mine found bottles with their names, drank the pop..... and then we kept them on the side in the kitchen! 

And there they've sat for best part of 8 months! I thought I would think of a brilliant and creative way to use them - humm! In the end I realised it is the label that is the fun bit and also the bit most likely to get damaged just sitting on the side. So I made them into a "Share a Coke with" picture.

I carefully unstuck the labels (they are kind of plastic-y and not paper so they didn't rip), arranged them on a piece of thick white paper, then stuck them down with regular Pritt stick.

I had an old picture frame which I had attempted a white paint respray on a few months back.

What can go wrong: If you are not careful and patient when spray painting things they can go a bit bubbly and lumpy, like this:

Not to worry, that can be easily covered up with Washi tape! Since my birthday I now have 8 rolls to choose from - whoop whoop! These are my red/white options.

I stuck the Washi tape over the frame, cutting the corners into a mitre with my craft knife. I just did my best attempt at pattern matching.

It covered the bumpy paint no problem.

Next I cut a piece of card to fit the frame, glued the labels on to it and popped it in the frame.

It now hangs in the kitchen next to our awesome tractor calender (guess who went calender shopping in January this year and found there was a very limited selection?!)

The red and white doesn't really match the lilac walls but I kind of like it anyway. Maybe next time we decorate the kitchen it can be red. Did I mention I like red?!

They'd be a fun thing to put on a bedroom door too, or label a folder for school. 

If you made something fab out of your Share a Coke with bottle do tell us about it in the comments below.

Julie

I'll be linking up this project at all these lovely link parties