It is a known fact that all girls need a cuddle buddy. This plush boyfriend provides the most realistic shoulder to cry on and a warm body when you’re feeling lonely.
Sewing Machine & Thread
Polyester Fiberfill Stuffing (not pictured, but needed for finishing touches) Hand Sewing Needle (for stuffing pillow form) Pins Fabric Marker or Chalk Fabric Pencil
Pillow Form [I used an 18″x18″ pillow from Ikea]
*Be sure to check measurements of your pillow form against finished size of your project before cutting out fabric pieces. *
Step 1. Cut out 2 pieces of fabric that are 18″ x 19″ for the front/back and 2 pieces that are 18″x 9″.
*Tip: Fold your fabric in half lengthwise with the good side facing inward and cut through both layers at once. This will give you 2 pieces of fabric that are now reversible! You will have a front and back to your pillow!
I also ended up making a label on one side of my pillow, if you want to do this too, use a sewing machine and print label template onto iron-on transfer paper (which I didn’t do…oops). Assemble as per directions on sheet with an iron. After it cools, cut out the label and follow the rest of the steps below.
Step 2. Fold down top edge of 18″x 9″ pieces 1/4 inch, then another 3/4 inch towards wrong side of fabric to hem all 4 sides.
Step 3. Pin right sides together on Front and Back piece with smaller piece inside larger piece (ensure that fold is facing away from front panel) and sew around all four sides with a 1/2 seam allowance leaving bottom open for turning right-side out later. Tip: Before sewing ensure that your small inner pillow piece is smaller than the front or back by about 1″. This will allow you enough room to turn it right-side out after you’re finished sewing.
Step 4. Turn pillow right side out and push inner piece down into the pillow cover about 1 inch to create a corner. Repeat for other 3 corners, then tuck in raw edges on opening tightly with pins.
Sew opening closed with slip-stitch (also known as ladder stitch) or by hand sewing with yarn or embroidery thread. This will give you clean lines for finishing details if done neatly!
Pillows Here: https://www.boyfriendpillowuk.com/how-to-make
Buy a pillow that is the size of your boyfriend:
-Instructions are for a Standard Size 18″x18″ pillow form, but can be adjusted accordingly
-To make the finished size of your project smaller, subtract measurements by 1/2 inch
-For modern look with no overlapping, cut off overlapping fabric before hemming edges
Iron-on transfer printing or use fabric marker or sharpie to write directly on your fabric. I used my label as an opportunity to give some instructions on how to care for this piece. It is machine washable and dryer safe 😉
There’s nothing wrong with wanting comfort at night! Cuddle up with your new plush boyfriend 🙂 He loves you even when you’re being your wacky self.
-Instructions can be used for any 18″ pillow form that has at least 4 inches of overlap space on each side to tuck in raw edges
-You are able to reverse the fabric so it is reversible…be sure to measure out your pieces properly so you have a front and back piece!
-You can now introduce yourself as the owner of an authentic boyfriend 🙂 Enjoy!
On this blog post I mentioned using an 18″x18″ pillow from Ikea which I originally thought would work well, but because my pillow was smaller I was not able to use it with this project.
Cut out an armhole and make it as big as you can:
-Instructions for this project could also easily be used to customize your own pillow form by measuring out and cutting an armhole instead of using a flap.
-I sewed my pieces together with right sides facing each other, but it would work just as well if you pinned wrong sides together and did a quick stitch at the end to close the hole.
-The flaps on this type of pillow form can come in many different shapes or styles (you should experiment with other types!) To add some extra flare I added triangle shaped flaps that are sewn onto the bottom corners instead of covering up all that space (this can be done by folding fabric into eighths and following instructions above).