Embroidered Ring Bearer Pillow

A couple's special day will be even brighter with this beautiful Ring Bearer Pillow Cover. Sew it for them as your special gift; it will make a wonderful heirloom to be shared through generations of family weddings.

A satin-covered hand strap will help any antsy ring bearer hold on tight. And a side zipper allows for the cover to be removed and washed (in case the little guy does drop it!).

Pearls, ribbons, and other baubles give it an elegant finish
--  a marvelous Cinderella and Prince Charming effect.

Finished pillow is 8 1/2 x 8 1/2 inches.

To make the pillow form, measure and mark two 9 3/8 x 9 3/8 inches squares on the form fabric.   

We are using sturdy twill for our pillow form.

Cut out the shapes.

Align the two pieces, right sides together, and pin in place

Sew a 1/2 inch seam around three of the sides and half of the last side. Leave half of one side open for turning.

Turn the form right side out, and stuff with polyester fiberfill.

After stuffing, turn the opening in 1/2 inch and sew shut by stitching as close to the edge as possible. The pillow form is complete.

For the pillow cover, draw a 9 1/2 x 9 1/2 inch square on the satin fabric, leaving a couple of inches of excess around the shape. 

Measure each side of the square and divide by two to find the center. Mark the center of each side. 

Lay a strip of masking tape between the center of the top and center of the bottom.  Measure between the top and bottom centers, divide by two, and mark the tape. This is the exact center of the square.

Lay strips of masking tape extending horizontally out from the center point. 

Print a template of the design at full size. Poke a hole in the center of the design template, and align it with the center mark on the tape. Mark the horizontal and vertical axis points on the tape.

Remove the template. Draw lines connecting the horizontal and vertical axis points. These lines will be used for hooping.

Spray a piece of cutaway stabilizer with adhesive and smooth the satin on top. Hoop the satin and the stabilizer by aligning the lines on the tape with the marks on the hoop.

For tips when embroidering on satin, please see these free instructions and video:
Embroidering on Satin

Attach the hoop to the machine, load the design, align the needle directly over the center point on the tape, remove the tape, and embroider the design.

When the design has finished stitching, carefully trim away the excess stabilizer. Leave about 1/4 inch of excess around the design.

Cut out the pillow square.

For the back of the cover, measure, mark, and cut a
9 1/2 x 9 1/2 inch square from the satin fabric.

For the hand strap, cut a 10 inch length of 1 inch wide elastic.

Measure, mark, and cut a 14 x 2 3/4 inch piece from the satin.

Fold the satin, right sides together, aligning the long sides, and pin in place.

Sew a 3/8 inch seam along the long sides only.

Cut a length of string a bit longer than the satin, and tie the string to a safety pin. Work the pin from one end of the satin to the next. Secure the safety pin to one side of the satin and gently pull the string, turning the fabric right side out.

To put the elastic inside the satin, work the safety pin through the satin once again, and secure the pin to one end of the elastic. Pull the string and the elastic into the satin.

Tack the elastic and satin together on each end by sewing a straight stitch about 1/4 inch from each end.

Lay the satin square for the back right side up. Measure and mark the center as you did before.

Place the strap onto the satin, over the center point, and pin on either side of the center point.

Sew directly over the center point to attach the strap to the satin.

Align each end of the strap with the edge of the satin and stitch about 1/4 inch from the edge.

Add a few beads to the center of the embroidered front cover piece. A ribbon that holds the rings will be tied to these beads at a later point.

Lay the front and back satin pieces, right sides together.

Be sure to align the strap of the back piece so that it lies horizontally with the embroidered design. 

Pin in place along the top and sides. Sew a 1/2 inch seam along the sides and top only.

Measure and mark at 8 1/2 inches of the zipper.

Sew back and forth across the mark to secure the end. 

Caution: Do this only with plastic zippers!  A metal zipper will break the needle.

Trim the excess leaving about 1/8 inch. 

Turn the open ends on the satin cover in 1/2 inch.

Set your iron to a low setting to prevent scorching or melting, and press in place. 

Unzip the zipper and pin it to the inside fold on one of the turned sides.

Using a zipper foot, sew as close to the zipper as possible. 

Then pin and sew the opposite side as you did the first.

Slip the pillow form inside the cover and zip it up.

Add ribbon for the rings by cutting a 16 inch length of narrow ribbon and tying it around the beads.

Add embellishments like ribbon, more beads, lace, and whatever you can imagine! 

We added bows by tying ribbons and then sewing them to each corner of the pillow.

We hid the zipper pull by adding a ribbon directly onto the pull.

All set for walking down the aisle!