Welcome to Episode 9 of The DIY Dish! This week we’re going to show you how to make a quick and easy gift idea that will “keep on giving” throughout the entire year! Plus, you can use the method of freezer paper stenciling on just about anything — so fun and economical, too! Take a look!
Thank you to this week’s sponsor, Fabric.com, for making this episode possible. The DIY Dish Viewers can save 25% in their Holiday Headquarters Section of their website using the code: DIYHOLIDAY The code expires 11/30/2010 Midnight EST so if you’re looking for some extra savings this time of year, be sure to check them out. Fabric.com carries the pillows, fabric, and even the paint we used in this week’s episode!
Download our FREE PDF file here. It includes the measurements for the pillows in the show, as well as all the font we used for our monograms.
Here are some additional photos of this week’s project!
Want to see everything that is included in the Holiday Headquarters section of Fabric.com?
Don’t forget to download your free pdf to find out all the measurments, pillow sizes, materials needed, and font. We also included a “word” that we’d love for you to try out . It fits for the entire year. Come back at the end of the week for our 2nd helping blog post and we’ll show you what we did with it for Christmas.
By the way, Fabric.com also carries burlap and “duck cloth” (we love both!) in all kinds of COLORS! So think beyond just the normal burlap or duck cloth you see — beautiful reds, greens, and more are over there, too!
We’d love to hear from you! Have you ever tried freezer paper stenciling? What did you make? Would you like to try envelope pillows? What kind of pillow gift sets would you like to make and for who? Click on “post a comment” below and let us know.
Have a wonderful week!
-Kim & Kris
Kim and Kris – this project looks totally fun … but I have no idea what freezer paper is. It looks a lot like what we call baking paper? I’m in Australia. Would be great to know where to get it from. Thanks
Hi Nisha! First of all – so happy to hear you’re from Australia!! Very cool.
OK, to answer your question — freezer paper is found in a grocery store next to things like plastic sandwich bags, tin foil, parchment paper, etc. It has a plastic-coating on one side and the other side is paper. Traditionally it has been used to wrap foods in to freeze, but it is also often used in stencil crafts like this because that plastic coating will adhere to your fabric temporarily with a warm iron pressed to it. (And it doesn’t leave any residue.)
I hope that helps! And I hope they have it in Australia! The brand we used was Reynolds Freezer Paper.
-Kim
The DIY Dish
I LOVE freezer paper stencils! I have been using them for awhile and I just love it. I actually cut my stencils on my Cricut. It makes it super fast and then I can personalize anything. I love using them to make T-shirts for my boys. What a great idea for pillows! I can’t wait to try it out.
Hello K and K,
I recently started getting into initials on projects. I never was impressed by them before but as I was walking to the lunch room one day, a co-workers had a very simple lunch bag with her initial on it. I thought, “wow, someone thought enough of her to give her a bag with her iniitial!” Don’t ask me why, but all of a sudden I realized how important a person’s initials can be, especially when given as a gift. Now I am on the hunt for “L” initials on anything cute I can find for my mom, Lily. She means the world to me and I want to let her know that with this wonderful pillow you both have made on this program! I might mention that I have a sister, Lisa, with the same initials and she is my favorite sister! Thank you soo very much for this pattern and for the wonderful idea of making it a year round gift!
Magen – Cutting stencils out with a Cricut is pretty slick, isn’t it? Thanks for posting that tip!
I love it.
Lynda – I totally agree. Whether it be a person’s full name or even their initials — it’s thoughtful and meaningful. So Lily, Lisa, and Lynda — we’ll all be on the lookout for “L”
-Kim
The DIY Dish
I always wanted to make one of these, now there’s no excuse;o)
I really enjoyed your session. Just imagine in about 11 minutes two excellent ideas were executed. Inspired to try.Keep up the excellent work!
Thanks for the inspiration! I also recycle my everyday pillows and just make covers for them to celebrate the seasons. No storage needed as they stay on my couch and chairs. I’d like to suggest that if you give someone a pillow as a gift, record the size and the type of cover so you can make new covers for the existing pillow form without duplicating.
I have made numerous shirts for my kids,but the most recent project I did was to make a whole 12 month set of onesies with the coordinating numbers to give to a friend so that she could take a picture of her baby every month in the same place and show how she was growing with a cute personalized month onesie showing her age.
Love the onesie idea. I was thinking of making pillows for the neighborhood kids. Kids always like things personalized with their names. I print out my stencils from different fonts on the computer. I can change the size and font stlye as I wish. I cut the freezer paper to fit through the printer before I use a craft knife to cut out the letters. I have used this technique to personalize picture frames. Now I will use it on fabrics. Thanks for a great episode.
I thoroughly enjoyed this video and absolutely love the creative idea!! Thanks. ~karen
One of those “Why didn’t I think of that” moments watching your show! Get rid of all the seasonal pillows I try to stuff in boxes and just make envelope pillow covers for them! Thanks so much for your ideas – you always have great stuff I can’t wait to try! Love the cricut idea for cutting the stencils – going to get my daughter involved and that will be much easier than having her use a knife! Can’t wait to see your next show!
I love the bird stencil where is that from? Your DIY’s are so cute
Great twins, thanks for the pillow lesson. I learned a lot today and
will make one for a friend.
I love the episode and the idea. I would like to expand a little on it and suggest that if someone wanted to make a set to give as a gift or for personal use, a bag of some type to keep them in would also be nice. Words or initials could even be stenciled on it. What comes to mind is a cylinder pouch with a drawstring on one end. To keep the covers from having wrinkles or fold lines, they could be rolled together and slipped into the pouch. Even simply sewing velcro (hook and loop tape) to the open end would work well. Another idea would be to make a cover for the covers – a slightly larger envelope cover that all the extras could be slipped into to lie flat and keep them clean and wrinkle free.
I knew how to do the envelope pillows. Now I’ll have to try the stenciling. Great easy idea.
We love your ideas! Keep on posting – they’re fantastic! To answer Kris Kopsell’s question, I just used a bird design that I had drawn about a year ago for applique. Then I drew lines to look like a branch directly onto the freezer paper.
And Juanita, your envelope cover idea is brilliant – what a great way to store them.
Kim
The DIY Dish
Thanks so much for the letters!!! I’ve always made pillows the way you showed everybody and now I have a great new take on them. I love the bird on the tree limb! Where is this pattern from? Thanks for the inspiration and new ideas.
Great episode! I have used freezer paper for numerous projects. I have taught grandmas flower garden quilt patterns w/ it.
It’s english paper piecng but easier w/ the freezer paper
This is such a brilliant idea. I can just think of a million ways to use that freezer paper stencil. My creative juice is definitely flowing! Thank you!
I have been making stencils with contact paper for stenciling t-shirts (I didn’t have any freezer paper). If you didn’t want to stencil, you can still make those cute pillows using ink-jet fabric and a computer font.
like another reader mentioned, I cut my stencils with a cricut.
Valarie
I LOVE this idea! Especially with the pieced fabric. Now I know what I can do with all these fabric sample books I have and it also takes care of numerous Christmas presents! Great ideas and instructions ladies. THANK YOU!
Yeah – I have been wanting to do freezer paper stencils, but hadn’t given them a try yet. Now, I can! Thanks for the inspiration. These will make really meaningful, inexpensive gifts – so fun!
I had forgotten about these pillow cases but you have re-inspired me! Great choice! I am going to make some for Christmas presents! Holiday Cheer to both of you, Joyce
What an excellent idea for a show!!! I am always looking for ideas for homemade gifts that are classy to give to family and friends, made with love. YOU GUYS ARE THE BEST!!!! Thanks for all that you do. Felisha
Wow! What a productive way to spend 11 minutes. I can’t wait to start on all of those pillows. I will begin with a trip to fabric.com. I love fabric.com and shop there often; they have great customer service and prompt delivery. Thanks again girls.
I am new to crafting of any kind. I started by finding little crafts to do with my daughter. I am always looking for some kind craft or creative activity to do with her to help her creativity and keep her busy. It gets harder and harder as she gets older and she’s only 4.
I never thought of myself as a creative person but I love your ideas. I am truly inspired.
Thank you.
This idea has more than one possibility. I would make some of the envelope pillows and use them as wrapping for other gifts, so two gifts(or more) in one.
To those of you looking for a specific letter, like the lady looking for an “L” for her mother and sister, go on the internet and search fonts. Bring up the letter you like on the screen, and copy over it with a piece of paper and pencil. Easy as pie. You can enlarge or reduce by holding down the control CTRL button with one hand and turning the little mouse roller with the other. Customize your letter size and style this way, for free! I hope this helps!!
How Wonderful is that!! Love the easy formula!! I am going to bring it to my FB and share….as well as bring it to my sewing program for my young sewists!!! AWESOME!!
My favorite thing to make is envelope pillow covers. I have done these for years and it is so great to spruce up a room by making a new pillow cover. Now I will have to try the freezer paper stenciling, especially on burlap! Thanks for the great ideas, I really love each of your episodes!
What a great idea. You girls are fantastic. I would like to do this for my granddaughter for her room. I think she would be excited to recieve a pillow with her name or initials on it in the colors of her room. Keep coming up with the fantastic ideas. I love watching these little episodes.
I’ve seen the results of freezer paper stenciling before but I never researched how it was done. It is so much easier than I previously thought! I cannot wait to try it.
Love these creative pillow gifts. I have a wedding coming up next fall and I could get started now to create them a set. Thanks, girls!
Love it! Thanks for the Great instructions! I plan on making one for a friend for christmas and then a new cover for her Birthday!
Can you tell us where you got the bird to use for a stencil?
Thank’s is a great idea for Christmas gift or any occasion …
Blessings
This is a great idea. You can make fun pillows that are personalized for a teen’s room too. I never leave this site without multiple ideas for the same project. I love it! Thanks!
I’m so in love with these pillows! Your fabric choices are fabulous and I love everything about them…I’ll be sending my readers your way!
I adore these pillows, they would make a lovely design piece.
I absolutely LOVE these pillows! I have a ton of burlap that I wasn’t sure what to do with. I am going to make me one of these!
Also, I had no idea how easy envelope pillows were to make. I am a huge pillow fan and will for sure be making lots of these for me and to give as gifts.
I also really loved the owls you did a while back. I posted about them on my blog today.
Thanks for the great ideas! If only I had more time to sew.
justenoughstyle.blogspot.com
I think Im finally getting a sewing machine for christmas. I cant wait for this to be my first project. It looks like something a beginner can handle. Thanks for the video tutorial, those are my favorite.
Hi Girls,
Thanks again for another fantastic and fun project! Recently I made some fall/Halloween envelope pillows and will post them on flickr. They don’t have fabric stenciling, but they are a cute adaptation of your project from today. Also, I plan to use the fabric painting on men’s shirts for Christmas gifts this year with some machine embroidery added too. I plan to use bleach water instead of paint to do the painting. Today’s episode has been such an encouragement to me to make my stencils and dive right into those projects.
I asked my husband to get some parchment paper for baking one day and he came home with a huge box of freezer paper. I haven’t known what to do with it until now! I may need some more when all is said and done!
Thanks!
Envelope pillows!! How come I have never done this before? I always sew all the sides and then try to stuff the pillow through a small opening that I have to hand sew and I HATE to hand sew. Guess that is why I never make pillows. Now I have no excuse. Thanks for the great tips.
Thanks so much for the great yet simple idea ! I intend to sew some envelope pillows for my mum during Chinese New Year.
You guys are too, too cute!!! I’ve always wanted to try freezer paper stencils! Thanks for the tutorial!
I’ve never tried freezer paper stenciling, but I want to. I have made several envelope pillows. One question about freezer paper stenciling can you paint an area and after it’s dry iron the freezer paper over the painted area and then paint again? Hope that makes sense.
I love to freezer paper stencil! I’ve used them to personalize t-shirts and tote bags and plan to try stencilling a wooden sign using it, too.
I like the idea of the freezer paper stencil. Have the stuff just gotta try it now.
I can’t wait to try this! Thanks for the great tutorial. This beats putting in a zipper!
I can’t wait to try this. What a great and easy gift to make. It would be a great wedding gift for a new couple. You guys are great.
I love the idea of making different seasons and holidays covers and give them as a bundle gift. FABULOUS idea !!!! Now,,,,, what fabrics to choose!**! LOL
Joanne
Love it! Fast and easy to make. Will try making a set for my sis and bf
Hi Kris & Kim,
Thanks for the very clear tutorial!
A question, though: is there any particular reason for choosing duck cloth or burlap to stencil on? Is it more difficult, for instance, on other types of fabric?
Have a great day!
Nice video, thanks for the tutorial. You can personalize a lot of things with custom stencils that make great gifts for the holidays!
Love this!
What a great super easy way to make a chic in style pillow! I haven’t used freezer paper for stencils, but I have used it for quilting. They shiny side is great like you said because it sticks onto fabric when ironed on. I use it for cutting out a shape that I want to applique onto my quilts. Thanks for another great video tutorial!
Hi Kim & Kris, Oh my goodness, I can’t believe your show today. I’ve recently had bought three-26×26 uro pillows to go on the bed and I’ve been having trouble finding shams that I like. You just made it so easy for me to design them myself. Thanks so much and keep the ideas comming! Susan NJ
KimNovember 16, 2010 at 6:46 am#2
Hi Nisha! First of all – so happy to hear you’re from Australia!! Very cool.
OK, to answer your question — freezer paper is found in a grocery store next to things like plastic sandwich bags, tin foil, parchment paper, etc. It has a plastic-coating on one side and the other side is paper. Traditionally it has been used to wrap foods in to freeze, but it is also often used in stencil crafts like this because that plastic coating will adhere to your fabric temporarily with a warm iron pressed to it. (And it doesn’t leave any residue.)
I hope that helps! And I hope they have it in Australia! The brand we used was Reynolds Freezer Paper.
-Kim
The DIY Dish
Thanks for that Kim, looks like I will have to get it over the internet, its not available in the supermarket .. will be a great project to try
[...] Episode 9: Freezer Paper Stenciling and How to Make Envelope Pillows [...]
I showed my daughter how to make a freezer paper stencil. She made a t shirt with New Kids on The Block on it to go to a concert last summer.
Hey- I know you girls! I remember you at Ricks and in a Science class at USU. Congratulations on your awesome website! I’ll have to feature you on my website- Savvy Sister Shops!
You’re both so creative- so fun!
Another great show and what a neat idea to make a pillow cover to change with the seasons, really enjoyed this one.
love the envelope pillow! can’t wait to make a set for some cousins who just moved into a new home.
i will definitely go the path of a set of pillow covers for different seasons.
thanks for the idea and tutorial!
You could cut your letters out with the cricut machine to eliminat the tracing and cutting.Great project though!
Love it!! Thank you for making the envelope style & measurement’s less scary!!!
I love the stenciled pillows! I am going to make them for my best friends for Christmas. I plan to use our favorite colors and houndstooth in black and white for the coordinating colors!
Thanks so much for the episode on envelope pillows. I had just decided to make some for the pillow forms on my couch but didn’t have a clue how to do it. I also just bought some lovely fabric from fabric.com. Now I am eagerly awaiting its arrival so I can update my pillows before Christmas!
I’ve been practicing this technique for a Christmas gift I’m making and am having a really hard time getting my paint to coat smoothly. A foam brush didn’t work very well so I tried a regular paintbrush (it’s pretty large as it was for painting a crib), and it’s better but not perfect. Would using that for two coats do the trick?
Thanks for a lovely idea girls! I so enjoy your episodes.
Nisha, like you say Freezer paper is not sold in grocery stores in Australia or NZ, but quite a few quilt shops carry it, as do some online Australian fabric shops. eg (http://www.ozquilts.com.au/, and http://www.punchwithjudy.com.au/ etc…)
Arabella
too too fun!! Great tutorial – thanks!
Wonderful pictures! I love how colorful the pillows are. This is a great business for people having a hard time looking for jobs.
I used this pattern to make memory pillows out of my mother’s clothing for all her children and grandchildren. Since I have an embroidery machine, I substituted the stencil for an embroidered initial of their initial. I would submit a picture, but I’m not sure how to get it on your web site. Everyone loved their pillow and my daughter wants me to go in business making the memory pillows, but I like sewing for fun, not business. To me that would take all the “fun” out of my sewing. Thank you so much for sharing this idea and pattern with us. I love watching your videos and seeing everything you create. Thank you again!
I’m wondering where you got the image of the bird/twig? I am looking for something similar to use for my home.
Thanks,
Amy
[...] regardless of the materials you’re working with – find image, trace onto plastic sheet, freezer paper, adhesive foil, etc, then cut out, adhere to surface, paint, dry, rock out. There are a few tricks [...]
Love this idea. Is the download for the pillows still available? I get nothing but a black screen. Just found your webisode and want to make these pillows; they are awesome! Thanks
The Link for letters doesn’t work
Home remedies are relatively less costly along with cost-effective as compared to additional solutions to help remedy hypothyroidism. Below are a few of the home treatments that may be extremely effective for …repair
Hi
I have just come across your videos on youtube and love all the things you make and your tutorials, love your bubbly personalities too
nice to meet you both 
This is a great tutorial…. I live in Australia and for some reason Freezer paper isnt in our supermarkets it should be for sure as it is a great product….so I had to hunt around for it…
eventually found it…and for all those other people that live in Australia and can’t find Freezer paper I am very happy to pass this on to where you can purchase it…. Spotlight sell it … hope this helps
sure wish our supermarkets would sell it but they only sell the foil baking paper greaseproof paper and cling wrap….oh well can hope LOL!!!….
Happy stencilling everyone…. and thank you for all your great tutorials Kris and Kim
Magz
PDF link download for pillow cases measurements fonts etc….unfortunately doesn’t work….I just got a blank screen…would really love to have this info….
thanks,
Magz