Christmas Wish Pillow

These adorable little pillows are perfect for hanging on doorknobs during the holiday season. Each pillow has a pocket on the back for tucking in your Christmas wishes or gift lists for Santa.

These pillows were inspired by Enis's mini-pillows featured in this showcase article.

Prepare the fabric for the front of the pillow. Draw an 8 1/2" x 4 1/2" rectangle on the felt.

Leave a few inches of excess fabric around the rectangle.

A template, or printout of a design, is an excellent tool to help with placement.

Print templates of the designs from your embroidery software. If you do not have embroidery software, Wilcom's TrueSizer is a free program to use.

Arrange the templates inside the rectangle. Ensure that they fit well within the shape, and allow at least 1/2" of space between the edges of the designs, and the edges of the rectangle.

Mark the center points of the templates on the fabric, as well as the horizontal and vertical axis lines. These marks will be used when hooping.

Hoop the felt with a piece of cutaway stabilizer.

Align the marks on the fabric for one of the designs with the marks on the hoop.

Attach the hoop to the machine and move the hoop so the needle is right over the center point.

Embroider the design.

After embroidering the first design, repeat the steps to embroider the second design.

After embroidering, trim the excess stabilizer away from the back.

Measure and mark 1" out from the outer edges of the rectangle.

Draw lines connecting the marks, and then cut out the shape.

To prepare the fabric for the back of the pillow, lay the front piece on the felt.

Pin in place, and trace the shape.

Remove the pins and cut out the shape.

To prepare the pocket, cut a piece of felt to 4 1/2" x 5 3/4".

Cut out the shape and trim the side edges using pinking shears.

Fold one of the short ends over 1/2".

Pin in place and sew a 1/4" seam along the folded edge.

Pin the pocket to the back fabric so the center of the pocket is aligned with the center of the back fabric piece, and the bottoms are aligned together.

Pin in place and sew a 1/4" seam along the sides of the pocket.

Leave the top and bottom edges open.

Align the front and back pieces together, wrong sides together, and pin in place.

Trim the outer edges of the fabric using pinking shears.

Cut through all the layers at once.

Cut a 16" length of 1/4" or 1/2" ribbon.

Insert the ends of the ribbon in between the layers of felt along the top edge of the pillow about 1" in from each top corner.

Extend 1/2" of the ribbon past the inner line of the rectangle shape.

Pin in place and sew a seam along the inner line along the top, bottom, and one of the side edges. Leave one of the side edges open.

Stuff the pillow with polyester fiberfill.

Pin the opening closed and sew a seam along the inner line on the open side.

Use the back pocket for gift cards, notes, wish lists, and other small gifts.

Add jingle bells and bows by threading ribbon through the bell, tying it to the ends of the ribbon hanger, and then tying the ends of the ribbon into bows.

Hang these mini-pillows on doorknobs filled with your Christmas wishes, or have your kids or grandkids fill with their gift lists for Santa.