Kilim-Inspired Painted Pillow

by Katie Nathey

I LOVE me some pillows, and one day while browsing the aisles of Hobby Lobby I came across their selection of pillow covers that were on sale for 50% off. I snagged a few and later decided to paint a graphic pattern onto one of the covers that was inspired by a pillow sold at CB2.
I figured this was the perfect opportunity to create my own stencil using my Silhouette machine, that I could then paint onto the pillow. This project was created for a summer knockoff series I am a part of, and you can view the full tutorial, along with 4 additional CB2 inspired projects over on my blog.

diy kilim inspired painted pillow, crafts, how to, reupholster

DIY Painted pillow using a stencil created with my Silhouette machine.

First I created the stencil template - which was just a slightly tweaked version of the template I created for my painted rug, and then cut the template out on a stencil blank with my Silhouette machine. You could use any stencil, or create one yourself by cutting out a pattern in cardboard.

Here is the orange pillow cover I picked up at Hobby Lobby for $2.50.

I placed parchment paper inside the pillow cover to avoid the paint from bleeding through. You could also use wax paper or cardboard.

Rather than use fabric paint, I added some textile medium to some sample white paint I had. This turns basically any paint into fabric paint and makes it machine washable. Just make sure to pre-wash your fabric first.

The stencil I made had an adhesive backing which helped it stay in place while I added the paint. I used a foam brush and added the paint in a dabbing motion.

Being that I was painting white paint on orange fabric, I did have to use a few coats of paint, and actually went over the entire pattern with a small craft brush afterwards. If you are painting a white pillow you likely won't have to use as many coats as I did.

Here is my new pillow in our entryway and I just love the added pop of color! You could always spray the pillow with some water sealant to make it weatherproof for outdoor areas too. Be sure to visit my blog for the full tutorial.