Young House Love

Home Decorating & DIY Tutorials

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How To Stencil A Pillowcase

This is a heartwarming story featuring Ethan Hawke and Gwyneth Paltrow about getting crafty with a pillowcase, some fabric paint, and a metal grate, hence that pun-tastic title.

Grate Art4

I don’t know about you, but I always seem to have one or two extra pillowcases around. We only have one set of sheets per bed, but I think since I buy two extra pillows for every bed (and therefore need extra pillowcases) I must see them on sale and grab them without making sure I really need them (hence the over-abundance). Really, it’s sort of a mystery to me since I’m the girl who won’t buy tomato sauce or toothpaste unless I’m sure I’m out, but maybe in another life I was short a pillowcase and it ruined my day so now I hoard them. Truly, it’s weird.

But anyway, I had this extra pillowcase so I thought it would be fun to use it as spare fabric and get a little crafty. And thus this project was born. First I taped it off in a rectangular shape using painter’s tape to hold the fabric taut. Oh and I slipped a piece of cardboard inside the pillowcase to keep it from bleeding or sticking together before taping it down.

Pillowcase1

Then I taped this cute metal grate over it that I picked up at Home Depot for $9, which I immediately looked at and my brain said “um – STENCIL!” At first I debated doing this on paper to make some frame-able art, so you can go that route too, but then I thought using fabric paint on a pillowcase and stitching that up to make an easy little bolster could be fun, so I veered that way at the fork in the road that is Craft Street.

Pillowcase2

I raided my supply drawer for some Martha Stewart craft paints (they say right on the label that they work on fabric – and they’re only a few bucks a pop so I grab them in colors that I like whenever I see them on sale). I also had these stencil brushes (the ones in the blue package) in my craft basket after using a coupon to get them almost free a little while back from Michaels, so I was happy to finally put them to good use. All told, the only thing I bought for this project was the $9 grate, but if you had to pick up the paint and the brushes and the grate it would probably be around $20 as long as you have some fabric on hand. The good thing is that the grate is reusable, so you could make a few pillows or even a table runner and matching napkins and then make some art/stationery/gift tags with it. Oh man, now I’m thinking about the holiday-gift potential…

Pillowcase3

Next it was stamping time. I tried not to load my brush up too much (I worried from the start that things could bleed under the grate – and thick paint applications can make fabric crunchy) so I dabbed it on a paper towel a few times to get rid of excess paint before tap-tap-tapping my way around the grate. I tried to do sections of colors in sort of an irregular wave shape, just so nothing looked like obvious stripes and dots, but had more of a sand-art feeling. Oh yeah, who remembers sand art?

Pillowcase5

Occasionally I blended stuff using a bunch of extra dabs. This is what the blue did on top of the yellow after some extra pats in that area (see how it mixed to create sort of a yellow to green to blue gradient there?).

Pillowcase6

In other places I went with less of a blended edge and more of a defined color-meets-another-color border. It was fun and loosey-goosey and the whole thing probably took me around twenty minutes.

Pillowcase7

I waited a little while to remove the grate (maybe an hour?) just because I worried I’d shift it slightly while ripping off the tape and smear the whole thing. When it dried and I finally removed it… welp, there was some bleeding in a few areas. At first I was sad, but the more I looked at it, the more I liked the varied/imperfect pattern. It almost reminded me of constellations.

Grate Art5

I think if you were going for a perfectly clean-lined look at home, using some stencil adhesive to stick the grate to the paper/fabric might result in a crisper edge, and using even less paint on your brush (and just dabbing it suuuper lightly) would probably cut down on the bleeding issue as well.

Grate Art4

But in the end, I’m calling those imperfections a happy accident. Sort of like how you pay the big bucks for those hand stamped block printed fabrics that are cool and irregular… but that’s the charm. At least that’s what I’m telling myself.

Grate Art6

Update: For those asking if this is washable, someone commented to say they had luck washing fabric that they painted with the same Martha Stewart product by following the directions on the container, so it looks like it can work! I’d just read the label first to find out what you’re dealing with if you plan to wash the item often (like cloth napkins for example) because other fabric paints might have simpler instructions.

Heck, I also think the grate is pretty great art itself. So you could always just paint the grate and not worry about any bleeding under it and then use a metal snip to cut it to fit a frame.

Grate Art

And now that I’ve mentioned the potential for reusing the grate, I’m kind of excited at the idea of a homemade runner or a matching set of napkins. Anyone else planning to try their hand at some grate creations? Will Ethan Hawke be invited? Will Gwyneth Paltrow bring the crudités?

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Comments

  2. Jessica says

    Yes craft projects!!!! I have missed them on your blog so happy to see you bringing the smaller projects back :)

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Wahooo! Sorry guys, the move and the morning sickness had me reeling, but I’m hopefully back in the small project saddle (still barfy, but feeling crafty none the less! haha!)

      xo
      s

  3. Adina says

    Michael’s also sells a pump spray fabric paint which would cause less bleeding, if you wanted to be more perfect for your runner and napkins. It’s also done in about 3 seconds and you can blend colors as well. You just don’t have as much control. I really love the pillow.

    Reply

  4. Sarah says

    I think the imperfections are perfect! A happy accident, indeed.

    We are planning a little grate-craft ourselves! My husband and I just celebrated our 5th anniversary…we like to stick to traditional gifts, and wood is the material this year. So, we decided to make a wood plank headboard!

    I plan to get a couple of these grates to make little sconces…like this:
    http://www.kaboodle.com/reviews/wire-lampshade
    and use a tap light so we don’t have to worry about wiring anything, and attach them to either side of the headboard.

    Hopefully it will look as good in real life as it does in my head… ;)

    Reply

  5. Christina says

    Thanks for giving me an excuse to run to Hobby Lobby this morning :)
    Truth be told, I was looking for one anyways! This is exactly what I was missing in my bedroom pillows.
    I hate to be that girl, but its spelled “Gwyneth.” I’m pinching myself for even typing this… ugh.

    Reply

  7. Tanis says

    I’m loving your crafty projects, the wreath, this pillow, fabulous! I think that the bleeding totally enhances the project. Definitely a happy accident. It makes it look kinda air-brushed and super custom. Love it!

    Reply

  8. Kimberly says

    I’ll join the chorus and say that the bleed-through is what makes the piece. It mimics the fluid placement of the colors. Very nice! The pillow looks fantastic.(I say this as someone who normally dislikes bright colors)

    Reply

  11. Christie says

    My husband and I saw that same grate at Home Depot last weekend and both immediately thought – stencil! Your print turned out so fun!

    Reply

  12. Mikki says

    You know, it would be neat to make a simple frame for the grate, make cool magnets, and use it as a magnetic note board. You might want to put a sealer over the paint. OR, you could use it to hang earrings through the holes, and then use little S hooks to hang necklaces and bracelets. Would look super as a jewelry holder in your closet. It might look really cool in Clara’s room for a magnetic board, hung at her height! Or as a play jewelry holder for her dress up toys.

    Reply

  13. Roxanne M says

    That is really beautiful! I love the colors. I love the idea of making notecards or something as well; I am big into paper crafts. Can’t wait to see what you make next!

    Reply

  14. Gena says

    The pillow is super cute, but be careful washing it. To be sure it will wash, add the MS Fabric Medium to the paint according to directions, and then heat set it by ironing on the reverse side. I have done this with success on pillow covers and cloth napkins.

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Thanks for the tip Gena! Someone else was asking if those paints are washable so it’s nice to hear you have had success, and the directions are crucial!

      xo
      s

  15. Melissa says

    I literally just used that same grate in a project this weekend. I cut it down and framed it to use as an earring holder.

    Reply

  16. Megan says

    Love it! I too have extra pillow cases around but that’s because I buy Costco sheets and they come with four pillowcases. Everything in bulk, I guess. Definitely going to be trying this one out!

    Reply

  17. Tracy says

    Do you ever worry you’ll run out of puns? P.S. I too am in favor of more of these quickie craft projects posts.

    Reply

  18. AnnMarie says

    Your ability to see the potential in things never ceases to amaze me. It happens once in a blue moon for me, but for the most part I’m a total pinterest idea robber.

    Reply

  19. Tiffany says

    We just used this type of grating for a door on our liquor cabinet. My hubby painted it all flat black, then built a wooden frame around it and attached it to a built in shelf in our basement. It looks amazing. I must post pictures. We don’t even drink that much, so it’s kinda silly. When we had our friends over to see the amazing transformation, we had a 5 year old, dusty, bottle of cheap vodka and maybe some gin in it. But, at least it looks pretty!

    Reply

  20. Heather says

    What am I missing? Aren’t all the progress/set up shots using a portrait orientation, but the final product has a landscape one? i’m confused.

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      It’s a little bolster pillow, so I just trimmed the right half of the pillowcase off (when you look at those progress shots it’s the right half) under the printed part so it had a strip of white on top and then a colored body and then stitched that cut closed to create the bottom of the pillow. In other words, the top seam and side seams are the original hidden pillowcase seams – but they were the side and top and bottom, but I cut it down the middle). Hope that makes sense!

      xo
      s

  21. Carla B. says

    I LOVE it! Might borrow this and make some fun pillows for my 2-year-old’s “big girl room”. Your colors remind me of a weather/storm map!

    Reply

  25. Laurie says

    I love the bleeding! It changes the pattern into beautiful flowers every once in a while. Very nice. I wonder how the fabric would take the paint if it was slightly damp. You’d probably have to leave more space between the color to allow for that kind of color creep.

    Reply

  26. Geertrude says

    Love that pillowcase! And I love the “imperfections”. I don’t think they are imperfect. Before you told us about the bleeding I was wondering if you handpainted those parts of the pattern to make it more interesting ;-)

    Reply

  27. Ali Burtt says

    Guess what I was doing last night? Using Martha Stewart craft paint to stencil a design on a piece of fabric. Mine was a dish towel though.

    My question is this: I read on online that the paint needs to cure for 21 days. I guess yours is a throw pillow and thus may not get washed for a while if at all, but do you think that 21 day curing thing is…negotiable? I suppose it would be better to just not use it for three weeks, but…sadness!

    Reply

  28. Katie says

    This is fantastic! I’ve used those grates for all sorts of things, but never thought about stenciling…. and I love where your priorities are : no extra toothpaste around the house, but plenty of craft paint :-)

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Haha, it’s true! I hoard craft supplies, pillows, ceramic animals, and pillowcases apparently. I’m going to be in big trouble in the event of a zombie apocalypse, but if there’s a random your-life-depends-on-it decorating challenge I’ll be set.

      xo
      s

  29. Jess says

    Love it! And you could maybe hang the grate somehow as wall art in the room where the pillow lives. Maybe as part of a collage or in a group (I’m thinking like in Clara’s room at the old house) which would sort of tie it together.

    But it does sound like you have more plans for the grate/stencil. Super fun!

    Reply

  31. JenB says

    Love, love this! Martha would be very proud of how you used her products. I also like these crafty posts as well. Not that I don’t love the big projects..I really do. But the smaller ones are so much fun. I totally copied your grapevine wreath last week. Pillowcases, next?

    Reply

  32. Anita says

    What a “grate” little project!!! (Insert knee slapping here) I really love it though, at first glance, I thought you had tie dyed or batiked it. Can’t wait to see more tuesday projects. :)

    Reply

  33. Marianne in Mo. says

    That came out GRATE! ;0)) If you want to be sure the paint stays thru washing, just place a towel or scrap of white fabric over the paint, then with a dry iron set to “cotton”, press over the paint for 10-20 seconds. Don’t slide the iron, pick it up to move across the paint. This will “heat set” the paint. Do that with dyes too. Hope this helps!

    Reply

  36. J-Low says

    THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Seriously… I just bought a grate from Lowe’s and was going to paint it and frame it, then hang jewelry from it. Also, I’ve been looking for fabric to cover my Euros that would bring my color scheme together even further in my bedroom and now I know what to do! FABULOUS! The grate has a quatrefoil pattern to it, so I’m VERY excited to try this! EEEEEK!! Thanks, Sherry-bo-berry!

    Reply

  37. Jennifer M says

    Love the “imperfections.” Makes it look like it’s sparkling. I’ve been shopping for a throw pillow for my daughter’s room and can’t find the right color or style. I’m going to try this!

    Reply

  38. ELLEN TILLERY says

    I’m usually such a stickler for symmetry and perfection, although I know it’s impossible to achieve, but I really like how the paint bled in random places. I can totally see the various stars and constellations you mentioned! So pretty!

    Reply

  43. Brittany says

    This reminds me of doppler radar! Looks like a storm’s a’brewin’! You must’ve been a weathergirl in a past life!

    Reply

  44. Karen says

    Hi, my name is Karen, and I’m addicted to geometric pillows and rugs. I’ve spent a pretty penny on them, and I’m petrified that it’s just a passing trend. You think it’ll stay around awhile?

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Heck yeah! They better… because I’m in love. Haha! If it makes you feel any better, we got our yellow geometric moorish tile rug from PB like 7 years ago and it’s still a pattern/style that’s sold a ton (in all colors of the rainbow) today, so that makes me feel like it’s not fleeting or anything. Hope it helps!

      xo
      s

  45. Molly says

    S,

    I like Mollry. It’s unique & awesome.

    Also, I hacked up my own 15-minute shade using stitch witchery and some Jo-Ann’s steals! I’ll try to snap a photo tonight :) The curtain rod? Oh, I thought you would never ask! I used a dowel rod [Painted it Black, Rolling Stones? Yes?] and two black command hooks. Works perfectly and looks like an actual rod and not some hokey DIY! Yay me!

    Reply

  47. Kaitlin says

    I bought a grate similar to yours, ORBed it, and will hang it on the wall for an earing display. I like the fabric stencil and wall art idea too!

    Reply

  50. Amy says

    I know it would be work but this looks like something (sort of) fun I could do with my almost 5 year old and my 3 year old. As long as I made sure they dabbed the paint… But think how excited they would be to actually make something!! Now I’m thinking Christmas gifts from the kids! But can you please give a non-sewer some more detailed instructions about the sewing part? I’m just too visual!!! By the way I love you guys and all your ideas. I’m paying close attention since right now we are romodeling our laundry room and attic. :)

    Reply

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