Easy DIY Latitude & Longitude Pillow – Where We Met

This DIY Latitude & Longitude Pillow post has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #SendingYourLove #CollectiveBias

Did you notice that Valentine’s Day is already next week? Yep! It is here again, and I have an awesome (and of course, easy) DIY gift idea that is perfect for this holiday. But first, a little background.

Sparks were flying

My husband and I met in a way that many people meet in this day and age… through online dating. We were both using a site that had you go through an exhaustive questionnaire that was designed to match you with compatible people in your area. Having gone through numerous (I won’t tell you how many) 1 or 2 date matches, I came upon his profile. His photos showed what seemed to be a nice man who cared about his appearance and enjoyed atlases (this is a funny story that needs to be saved for another day). I read through his profile and liked that he was very involved with his family (like me) but didn’t want children of his own (like me).

We began exchanging emails and then moved to phone calls. I liked talking to him, which is a huge deal since I REALLY dislike talking on the phone! Finally, we decided to meet for a date. We met at a restaurant and sparks were flying as we enjoyed each others’ company. We both wanted to prolong the date so we went to another restaurant to hang out at the bar and talk. That first date lasted over 5 hours and we talked the entire time. He told me about his big family (he is 1 of 6 kids) and we shared various stories from our lives. At the time, I didn’t realize that I was going to marry this man, but I knew he was special. Turns out, he felt the same way.

Valentine’s Day inspiration

How we met and our first date are the inspiration for this easy DIY pillow I made for Dan for Valentine’s Day. First, I looked up the latitude and longitude for the restaurant we went to on our first date. I found it here, but I am sure there are multiple sites where you can do this. I decided that I wanted to put these coordinates on a pillow along with the word “sparks” since they were flying that night! If you remember, I mentioned that Dan likes atlases. I thought that the idea of the latitude and longitude of our first date was perfect for him. Handmade gifts always seem to be just a bit more special, don’t you think?

Isn’t this card perfect for my DIY gift?

How to make a DIY latitude/longitude pillow

Okay, now I’ll show you just how easy that pillow was to make!

Supplies I used:

• 18″x18″ pillow cover
• 20″x20″ pillow insert (Important: make sure that your insert states it is for an 18″x18″ cover)
• Iron
• Printer
• Printer paper
• Freezer paper (Important: make sure it is freezer paper, not wax or parchment paper)
• Tape
• Pen/pencil
• Hobby knife or scissors
• Fabric paint
• Sponge brush

Detailed directions:

Step 1: Iron the wrinkles out of the pillow cover. Make sure to use the heat setting appropriate for your fabric.

Step 2: Design and print your pillow design. I used Canva.com to create mine. Since the pillow is 18″x18″, I broke up my design onto two 8.5″x11″ sheets of paper and then taped them together.

Step 3: Cut out a piece of freezer paper large enough to cover your design. Place the freezer paper over your design with the waxy side down.

Step 4: Using a pen or pencil, trace the outline of your design. Make sure to get the inner parts of each letter.

Step 5: Using a hobby knife or scissors, cut along traced lines. Make sure to save the inner parts of each letter that has one (P for example). Note: a hobby knife will be much easier to use for this than a pair of scissors. Especially for any intricate or small parts.

Step 6: Heat your iron and put another piece of freezer paper, waxy side up, inside your pillow insert. I taped mine to a piece of cardboard to make it easier to put in and take out later.

Step 7: Place the inner parts of each letter back in the design and then carefully iron the freezer paper. The two pieces of freezer paper will stick together keeping your stencil in place. Make sure that all edges are securely in place.

Step 8: Using a sponge brush, apply a coat of fabric paint over the stencil. If you would like to apply a second coat (I didn’t), wait 20 minutes before applying it. Let everything dry for at least 4 hours. (Make sure to follow instructions on your fabric paint if different.)

Step 9: Peel off the freezer paper stencil and then gently lift up and remove any pieces that have remained on the design with a hobby knife.

Step 10: Put the pillow insert inside of the pillow cover and zip closed.

Now your pillow is complete! I love this method of creating a design on fabric. I can think of so many different ways to use it. T-shirts may be next!

What will you be making your spouse for Valentine’s Day this year?

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