I’m a self-proclaimed pillow hoarder. Because of this, I tend to drive my boyfriend crazy, so I try to limit my pillow purchases, but since I love swapping out my couch pillows often, I like to try DIY techniques that can help me save money. When I stumbled upon this Urban Outfitters typographic pillow, I instantly thought “I can make that.” It’s easy to update a throw pillow with marker to create this abstract typographic look!
Because pillow covers tend to be washed occasionally but not often, a permanent marker should hold up well over time. Customize your pillow with different colors or sayings! Cut out any paper letters several inches tall and create this unique pillow with a drawing technique anyone can master. You’ll have a new pillow in 30 minutes or less.
Materials:
- Pillow cover, ironed
- Large paper letters (3-5 inches tall)
- Sharpie or permanent marker
Step
Lay the pillow cover flat. If using a thinner material, place a piece of cardboard inside to prevent the marker from bleeding through. My thick, canvas pillow cover didn’t require this step.
Step
Place the cut-out paper letters in the approximate middle of the pillow cover. If you don’t feel that you can hold them in place while you draw, try using double sided tape to keep them in place throughout the project.
Step
Hold the letters in place and draw small dashes in one direction. Start at the letter and work outwards to the edges of the pillow cover, leaving equal spacing between dashes. No need to be perfect!
Step
When the rows of dashes are about 2 inches thick, switch to another direction, such as a diagonal. Continue working in between letters and switch up the directions of the dashes every once in a while.
Step
When you’ve filled in the spaces around the letters with dashes, remove the paper letters. The word should still be clearly visible. Once finished drawing, insert a pillow into the cover and display.
Permanent marker, such as Sharpie, should hold up against occasional washes. To be on the safe side, hand wash the pillow cover to preserve the drawing. You can bet no one else has a pillow like yours!
