Ballard Knock-Off "Hollywood" Pillows

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We're halfway through Spring Break! My mom, the girls, and I are headed back to Virginia today. This means several hours of requests for "If You're Happy and You Know It" on CD which I will pretend I don't hear and multiple acrobatic moves in which I go halfway into the backseat to replace headphones on Michaela Byrd's ears so she can hear the movie too. Because I'll be busy doing these things, my sweet friend Pam has a FAB project to share with you guys today. Enjoy!

Hi Everyone! I’m Pam from Bibbidi Bobbidi Beautiful.  

I love decorating on a shoestring and sewing and crafting stuff for my home with cheap or free supplies.  I’m so excited to be guest posting for Amanda. She is one of the sweetest, most genuine, not to mention hilarious, bloggers I have met in the blogoshere.

I saw these cutie-pie pillows on the Ballard Designs website recently and had to have them.

 

I thought they would look great on my new leather sofa. Then I looked at the price- $75?!! Ouch! That’s when I decided to make them myself with stuff I had on hand. For free!! Here’s my free version:

Whatcha think?  Cute, right?

I used fabric I had left over from this project, so it was free for me. The fabric is called osnaburg and it’s with the natural fabrics (like burlap) in the fabric store. It costs 2-3 dollars per yard, so it’s really cheap. It’s heavier and less wrinkle prone than linen, and it has a nice nubby texture and natural color like burlap, but it’s nice and soft.

I also had 2 sheets of iron-on transfer paper leftover from the same project. I found the images online through Google images (the ticket image is identical to the Ballard ticket pillow!), and followed the directions on the paper package to transfer the images on the fabric. I used Word for the “Enjoy the Show” lettering on the larger pillow in the PT Barnum font.

I was having printer issues and couldn’t get a good print-out of a film reel image. The image was the right size though, so I used it as a pattern and cut out my film reel from some black felt. Then I hot-glued my film reel and some black grosgrain ribbon (I had just enough on hand!) in place as the film.

My last step was to sew the pillows together. This is a super simple sewing job and would be a perfect first sewing project. If you are intimidated by the thought of a sewing machine, please read this!!  I decided to make really simple envelope style pillow covers so that I could fill them with pillows I already have and change them out seasonally.  

My larger pillow is an 18” square, and I left a ½ inch seam allowance, so my fabric was 39” by 19”.  

First I made a hem on each short end by pressing in ½ inch and then turning the raw edge under again. Then I stitched the seam in place. Next, I overlapped these two seams in the back of the pillow with the right (printed) side in. I pinned the overlapped edges in place and stitched the top and bottom of the pillow closed ½” inch in from the raw edge.

There you have it! A remarkably similar knockoff of $75 pillows that cost me nothing!

I hope you liked my post and I would love it if you would stop by to say hello sometime!

I love posts like this! I always smile when a blogger is inspired by (an expensive) a store-bought product and finds a way to replicate the idea while still making it her own. Thank you so much, Pam, for being willing to share how you created your own fab version of Ballard's designs. Please go browse Bibbidi Bobbidi Beautiful when you have a chance. Pam is a talented seamstress, and her blog is full of beautiful thrifty home projects. I envy her gorgeous craft table!

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