JOY Pom Pillow DIY

I have a thing for making yarn pom poms lately. Something about these little happy yarn balls just make me happy. I find myself making them in front of the TV at night in coordinating colors, dreaming up new ways to make projects with them. And wouldn’t you know it? The little pom pom just happens to be the same circular shape of an ‘O’. Naturally, I needed to capitalize on this during the holiday season.

How to make a Christmas pillow || JOY Pom Pillow DIY

Skill Level: Intermediate, embroidery and machine sewing skill needed
Time Needed: Weekend project

MATERIALS:

DMC Stardust embroidery canvas 15X18 (affiliate link)
JY download template
Red yarn
Red satin embroidery thread
Pom maker (affiliate link)
Scissors
Needle / thread
Pen
Embroidery hoop
Basic sewing essentials
12” x 16” Pillow form
(2) 13”L x 10”W Cotton fabric for envelope pillow back
*Optional – red piping or other trim

INSTRUCTIONS:

Step One: Print out the JY pdf template. Unroll your embroidery canvas and lay flat (if curling up on ends, iron on gentle to press flat). Mark the very center of your canvas. Slip JY paper underneath the embroidery canvas, and to the left and right of your center trace around the J & Y directly onto your canvas. (You will need to move the paper to the left and right of your marked center for each letter.)

Step Two: Place embroidery hoop around one letter, and thread your needle.

Step Three: Start filling in the center of the letter with your desired embroidery stitch. Repeat for both letters.

Step Four: Iron canvas on gentle setting to remove wrinkles.

Step Five: Following the instructions on the pom maker, make one 2.5” pom. Make sure to make the pom extra full by wrapping the yarn around the pom maker over and over again, until the pom maker side is almost too hard to close.

Step Six: Using a needle and thread, sew the pom directly onto the center of the canvas.

Make sure to go up and over the pom when you are sewing, pulling the thread tight, to secure. If needed, trim the pom yarn with scissors to make a nice round ‘O’.

Trim pillow front canvas around the side edges evenly, until your front canvas pillow is 13”L x 17”W.

*Optional Trim, Step Seven: Add piping or other trim around the outer edge of the front pillow canvas by matching up the raw edges and sewing around using a baste stitch ⅛” away from the edge.

Step Eight: Fold one 13”L side edge of the cotton pillow back side ¼” towards the wrong side and press. Fold again ¼” and press, sew. Repeat for other cotton pillow back. Overlap the sewn side edges, until the entire width of the pillow backs together is 17”. Pin overlapped edges and baste stitch ¼” away from the edge to secure in place.