Updated on July 23, 2024
Joy to the World Pillow. Sew a beautiful joy to the world envelope pillow cover and fill it with a Fairfield World pillow insert. All designs are cut with the Cricut.
It’s that time of year again for the Fairfield World Pillow Party! It came at the perfect time because I needed a holiday pillow for our bedroom. And the lumbar pillow we were given to craft with is perfect to display on the bed.
Today, I am going to show you how to create an envelope pillow cover with an iron-on design on the front.
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Cut Iron-On Designs with the Cricut
Open the Cricut Design Space project I created. I used the contour tool to make the joy to the world design (#M2FD02F45) three different colors. I also added some snowflakes (#M272AD7D2) to fill up the extra space on the pillow.
Cricut Design Space File: Joy to the World Pillow
RELATED: How to Contour in Cricut Design Space
Once I had the design planned out, I cut out all the iron-on with my Cricut Maker 3 machine.
When cutting iron-on, be sure to select Mirror Image on the mat preview page. Place the iron-on shiny side down on the Cricut mat, and select the specific iron-on from the drop-down menu.
I used white everyday iron-on, green foil iron-on, and red holographic sparkle iron-on.
After all the designs are cut out, weed the excess iron-on from the plastic protective sheet.
Helpful tip: To prevent waste, cut out around the designs before weeding to save as much of your material as possible before weeding. In this design, I wanted the correct placement of the red berries, but it ended up using a large piece of iron-on. I was able to save most of it by carefully cutting around the berries, while still leaving them all attached.
Cut Fabric Pieces for Envelope Pillow
The basic pattern for any envelope pillow is the same. You will be cutting 3 pieces of fabric – one large piece for the front, and two smaller pieces for the back. All measurements account for 1/2″ seam allowances.
My lumbar pillow is 14″ x 28″. The front piece of fabric will also be 14″ x 28″.
To determine the size of the back two pieces, you will divide the length (28″) in half, and then add 5″. So my back two pieces will each be 14″ (width) x 19″ (length ÷ 2 +5).
Note: It is best to pre-wash your fabric before cutting. I don’t typically do this, but it is best practice to do so. I do always iron my fabric before cutting.
Apply Iron-on Designs
Apply the iron-on transfers before sewing the pillow together. This way you don’t have to worry about bulky seams causing problems on the design.
I chose to add a design to the larger, front piece of fabric. Make sure you are ironing on your design to the RIGHT side of the fabric.
Look up the specific heat transfer instructions using the Cricut heat guide. I started with the hottest temperature iron-on and worked to the lowest temperature iron-on.
I used the original EasyPress, EasyPress mat, and my fabric is 100% cotton, so the settings were:
- 330° for holographic iron-on
- 315° for everyday iron-on
- 295° for foil iron-on
I ironed on the designs by first applying the holographic, then the everyday, and lastly the foil iron-on. Allow the iron-on to cool before peeling off the protective layer.
I find it can be helpful to have a protective iron-on sheet to cover the parts of the design that have already been applied. If you don’t have one, be sure to place the clear protective backing on the parts you have already pressed.
Once everything is ironed on, make sure to press the backside for 15 seconds at the lowest heat setting.
Sew the Envelope Pillow
Once you have the iron-on design complete, you can sew your pillow together.
Start by sewing seams on one short edge of each backside fabric piece. Press the edge over by 1/2″, then fold over again and press. Sew along the folded edge to secure.
Now you will place your fabric right sides together. Lay the front piece (right side up) on your work surface. Place the first back piece (right side down) on top of the front piece. Line up the raw edge with the left side of the front. The sewn seam should be in the middle.
Next, place the second back piece (right side down) lining up the right raw edges of the back and front pieces. Again the sewn seam will be in the middle.
Use a 1/2″ seam allowance and sew around all four pillow sides. There is no need to leave an opening, as your seams in the middle allow you to turn the fabric right side out.
I chose to go around the edge with a zigzag stitch so the fabric wouldn’t fray too much, but that step is optional. If you don’t plan on changing out or washing the pillow cover much, I wouldn’t worry about it.
Turn the fabric right side out, poking the corners out. Iron if needed. Place the pillow insert inside the pillow cover.
Envelope pillows are an easy way to create a removable cover for a pillow if you are not comfortable with buttons, snaps, or zippers.
This pillow is the perfect shade to go with our navy bedroom wall, and helps bring a little more holiday cheer to our room. My favorite part is how the holographic iron-on berries catch the light.
Fairfield World Pillow Party
This craft is part of the Fairfield World Pillow Party. The pillow party is a series hosted by Fairfield World and Me and My Inklings. Some of your favorite crafters come together to create pillows that are all the same size! Check out all the posts for more holiday pillow ideas.
The Giveaway
Enter to win a $100 gift card to JoAnn Stores and a 10-pound box of Poly-Fil from Fairfield World.
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Laura Kelly says
I love your pillow. Thank you so much for participating and sharing your creativity.