$5 DIY Valentine Throw Pillow you Need to Make this Year

Why are throw pillows so expensive? Let me show you how to DIY your own Valentine throw pillow covers on a serious budget!

These Valentine throw pillow covers are the perfect way to add a little bit of love to your home without having to go overboard on additional decor. Although I tend to eventize just about everything under the sun, I don’t have many Valentine’s Day decorations. So, I decided to toss a few DIY Valentine’s Day throw pillows around to help transform our space for the holiday!

One of my favorite holiday decorating hacks is utilizing pillow covers! They take up less room in storage and are a heck of a lot cheaper. Which is another reason why I decided to make my own Valentine throw pillow covers! I followed similar steps to when I painted a few pillows last year, which can be found here.

For whatever reason, pillows can be really expensive and I don’t think getting festive for Valentine’s Day should cost you an arm and a leg!

This post is all about how to make your own DIY Valentine Throw Pillow!

Pin Valentine Throw Pillow Cover For Later

Materials for these Valentine Throw Pillow Covers

**I purchased my pillowcases and inserts from Amazon but this DIY works for any pillowcase and filler.

• Pillowcases – I love how versatile this lumbar shape is
• Pillow Inserts or Filler
• Acrylic Craft Paint
• Cardboard or scrap paper – to insert in pillow case to prevent paint from bleeding through

Instructions for Valentine Throw Pillow

Prep Pillow Covers

There are a few things I suggest doing to prep your pillowcases before you begin painting your pillows. I highly suggest washing and drying your pillowcases to avoid shrinkage later. This way you are painting the pillowcase at the size it will most likely stay. If your pillowcase has a zipper, be sure to zip it closed before washing.

My pillowcases were pretty wrinkly after I pulled them out of the dryer so I flipped them inside out and quickly ran the iron over them. It’s easier to iron or steam your pillowcases before painting them. I swear I get my iron out for the blog more than I do for my wardrobe.

The last step before you get to the fun part is inserting a few pieces of cardstock, newspaper, or cardboard inside your pillowcase. This will help prevent paint from bleeding through to the other side.

That’s it!

Paint Pillow Covers

Now for the fun part! Painting pillowcases isn’t much different than painting canvas or paper. Practice your design on paper and then paint the design on your pillowcase. Easy peasy! You can use stencils, stamps, or freehand them if you wish. Just remember fabric with larger threads such as burlap, will make it trickier to paint smoother lines, so go slow at first and use a skinny brush.

My Simple XO Design

As you can see, I went with this hand written “XO” step and repeat pattern. I fee like I saw something similar to this on a print at Target last year, but I can’t find it. I remember liking the design and thinking how simple and fun it would be to add to my Valentine’s Day decor.

If you choose to use the same design, start in the center with your first X and O and work your way across. This helped me keep my letters somewhat in line and the same size. I like the imperfect design, so I didn’t try too hard to make them the same.

If you want something different, or to add an additional pillow, try googling “simple Valentine designs or backgrounds” and then add your own spin to it. Or search for Valentine Pillows at your favorite home decor spots like Amazon, Target or Pottery Barn for some good inspiration.

Do I need to use fabric paint?

You can absolutely use fabric paint for this project, but I didn’t simply because I don’t have any. For once, I didn’t feel like it was necessary to purchase fabric paint.. I have tons of acrylic paint and I know it sticks to fabric. Just look at the clothes in my closet!

If you use fabric paint or medium, your painted design will most likely lay softer on your pillowcase, but I found the loophole by washing and drying my pillowcases a few times to help soften them up.

Wash and Decorate with your Pillows

Let your pillowcase dry for a day and then toss it in the wash one last time. I was going for a more worn look, so I plan to wash mine a few times before displaying it. If you want to protect the design, flip the pillow case inside out before washing.

Now it’s time to decorate! I keep moving my Valentine pillow, but I think I will leave it on the lounge chair in our entry room. This lumbar size is a fun shape to decorate with.

Looking for more Valentine DIYs?

These DIY Valentine’s Day signs are the perfect way to add a little love to your home without disrupting the aesthetic. Seriously, this little sign would work anywhere in our house. I made these V-day signs using the same process I used in my reversed canvas (with a shiplap twist) tutorial. A reverse canvas is a fun, easy, and cheap way to personalize your space! I created this shiplap-like version using popsicle sticks.

Share your DIY Valentine Throw Pillow

As always, thank you for following along with me in my creative journey. Be sure to tag me and use #meagannicholedotcom when sharing your DIY Valentine Throw Pillow! Thanks for stopping by MeaganNichole.com

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