I honestly don’t mind a bit of coldness – after all I come from a country where -15 degrees ain’t all that shocking in winter months. What I can’t stand though is gloominess. How terribly dank and gloomy it is outside right now? Urgh. Well, that’s lucky that today’s DIY is all about bright colours! I made these tassel pillows with Frida Kahlo in mind. You know – a bit of a Mexican vibe, with lots of sunshine and fun little details!
What will you need for these DIY stamped tassel cushions?
? embroidery thread (pick whatever colours you like, I got a rainbow mix from eBay – 100 different colours for £7, pick them up here)
? a pair of white pillows (you can pick up a nice set from IKEA for £3)
? golden thread (mine is from eBay – you can get it here, but it’s very thin so I recommend getting a slightly thicker one just for the ease of working with it)
? foam sheet (I got this one, however you could just use a bit of an old vinyl flooring)
? fabric paint (I’ve got this set)
? needle, brush, scissors
? a bottle of your favourite wine (we will need just the cork from it but it would be terribly silly to go and buy a cork when you can have a whole bottle to go with it, wouldn’t it?)
DIY tassels
I have made 10 for each edge, that’s 40 altogether (I made 2 pillows). I followed this tutorial however instead of adding the little ring I tied it up with a piece of thread. Just remember that if you’re making a pillow rather than a cushion you have to seal the dye in your threads. You can easily do that by letting them soak in vinegar for a few minutes, rinsing in water and then drying.
DIY textile stamps
I cut out 2 triangles from my foam sheet and glued them to a cork which I had cut in half. It’s THAT easy.
How to stamp textile
Before you start stamping I recommend drawing your pattern on a piece of paper. Mine was really simple so I just did a few marks with a pencil in places where I wanted the pattern to be symmetrical (I measured the edges at the top & bottom and the negative space around the centre piece). Don’t forget to stuff the pillow case with a few sheets of paper or cardboard to avoid the paint seeping through. Now you can start stamping! I used a little brush to make sure the paint was spread evenly on the stamp but you could also just pump out a little on a piece of cardboard and just dab the stamp in it. You will have to wait a couple of hours for the paint to air dry. Once dried you will need to iron the pattern (ideally on a higher setting) so it doesn’t come off in the wash.
Sowing the tassels onto the pillows
Again, I marked the spots where I wanted the tassels to go. I used a double thread and did quite long stitches across one edge securing tassels in their places. Once they were all dangling in the right places I went back across the stitches from the other end making a cross-stitch pattern. This really secures the tassels in place and also adds a little extra design!
Et voila your bright sunshine pillows are done! Well done! Look also at these matching colourful DIY planters!
