How to Make Custom Pillowcases for Him and Her (or anyone!)

← Does this remind you of anyone? We all know someone (if not ourselves!) who have a special relationship with their pillow. In their spare moments they can be found snuggled up and possibly snoozing with their pillow. Give those dozing dears a gift they’ll love to see and sleep on.

Personalized pillowcases make great gifts for not only the nap enthusiast, but kids, couples, and pets too! The pair of pillowcases I’m making would be a nice wedding shower gift. Plus they’re simple to make with your Silhouette Cameo or other craft cutter!

To start, I set up the cutting mat in Silhouette Studio to reflect my pillow case’s length (30 inches) and orientation (landscape) using the “Design Page Settings.” Then I chose a script font and serif font for my text. When they were sized to my liking, I flipped everything horizontally (or you can choose “Mirror Right” in the “Replicate” window.)

When my artwork was ready I sent it to the Silhouette Cameo 3. Since my design is longer than the 12″x12″ cutting mat I cut the heat transfer vinyl without a mat. Cutting without the mat is really useful for large designs. Check out this post to learn how to cut HTV without the mat and longer than the mat. Our new 12″ EasyWeed rolls are perfect for those type of projects!

When the vinyl is finished being cut, weed out all the bits that you don’t want to heat apply to the pillowcase. I like to use the Siser Weeder to remove the cavities (insides) of the letters and then remove the vinyl around the outside. You’ll be left with just the HTV needed for your design.

How to Apply EasyWeed to a Pillowcase with an Iron

Every iron is different, but it’s usually best to go with a high setting since we recommend EasyWeed be applied with 305°F heat. I used the “Cotton” setting.

When the iron is nice and hot use it to find the center point of your pillowcase. Fold the pillowcase width wise then length wise and iron the creases.

Find the center of your transfer by folding and creasing it. Any crease in the HTV will fade away when you heat apply it. Perfect alignment is super easy with this method!

Place the transfer with the shiny carrier side up and tacky adhesive side down. Your design should now be right facing. Cover the HTV with a heat transfer cover sheet and press down firmly with the iron for 20 seconds. Then lift the iron and press the next section for 20 seconds. Try to resist the muscle memory of sliding the iron. Sliding could cause your HTV to shift ruining that perfect alignment we worked so hard for! Pressing in sections works best especially when you pay extra attention to the edges.

After pressing, peel the clear carrier sheet. If any HTV lifts with the carrier, lay it back down and press for an additional 5 seconds.

A personalized pillowcase for her.

How to Apply EasyWeed to a Pillowcase with a Heat Press

Set your heat press to 305°F with medium pressure.

Fold the pillowcase in quarters then heat press it for a few seconds to create crease lines. Now the center is easily identifiable. Next, fold your transfer in half and crease it. Use the creases to align your transfer before pressing.

Cover the design with a heat transfer cover sheet and press for 15 seconds. Peel the carrier hot or cold.

A personalized pillowcase for him.

EasyWeed’s semigloss finish pairs perfectly with the sateen finish on these 100% cotton pillow cases. It’s hard to tell where the cotton ends and the HTV starts when smoothing the case with your hand or resting your head on it. Plus EasyWeed is CPSIA certified so you can rest easy giving the gift of personalized pillowcases to everyone including children!

Have a questions about this post? Leave a comment below and I’ll be sure to get back to you!