Faux Fur Heart Pillow DIY

I'm not going to smother everyone with excessive V-day stuff, but I wanted to share this faux fur heart pillow. I made it last night with some scraps of faux fur. It's so cute and I can't stop touching it! The little one (shown here) is surely going to become an outlandish brooch a la Miroslava Duma. I had some other thoughts while holding the pre-stuffed pillowcase...like lining it and making it into a hot-water-bottle bag, or turning it into a cutesy fluffy purse or clutch with a zipper and chain strap. Do what you feel! Full written  instructions after the break.

Materials

1. Desired template shape {download my hearts here:  large, medium, small}
2. Suitable amount of faux fur

3. Scissors + pen/chalk
4. Needle + thread or sewing maching
5. Fur or fabric scraps, for stuffing

Step One: Tracing

Smooth the fur down in the direction it naturally goes and lay it pretty side down. Your pillow will look neatest if the fur "grows" from top to bottom. However, it's not a big deal if you don't have/use enough material to lay out your template this way. Most faux fur is attached to a somewhat stiff knit backing, so I just used gold sharpie so I could see the marks easily. Trace your desired heart shape onto the back of the fur.

Step Two: Cutting!

Here's an important tip to remind you of before you start cutting: don't cut faux fur the same way you cut fabric! You don't want to use big, open-and-shut chopping actions here; you want to cut mainly just the faux fur backing, not the actual fur itself. This is best done by inserting the tips of your scissors and cutting in short, careful snips. This will leave you with long fur all the way up to the edge of each piece, which will in turn make for a fluffier heart and well-hidden seams. Cut two pieces.

3. Sewing

Another important component of sewing fur is to get as much fur from the edge of each piece tucked into the pillow, not sticking out like it wants to. The fur of the inch or so around the edges should be coaxed toward the center of the heart. The top half of the fur should be easiest to deal with, and this is where you'll start sewing {in a second}. Lay the pillow pieces fur sides facing each other and start sewing at the top center of the heart. Remember to tuck in the fur as you sew! Leave a two or three inch {5-7cm} space open on one side, for turning. Turn your heart inside out (figuratively!). If your material is particularly stiff and the top center crease of the shape is giving you trouble, clip the edge of the fabric there first, just don't cut through the seam. Stuff the pillow, stitch up the hole and be enamored with your new throw pillow!