How To Make

Tooth Fairy Pillow Tutorial

Completed Tooth Fairy pillow with an embroidered fairy tooth, stars, and a small pocket.

Materials for 5x7 Hoop

Two pieces of pillow fabric, each 6x8 inches (slightly larger than your embroidery hoop area).

One piece of appliqué fabric for the tooth, approximately 3 x 2.5 inches.

One piece of fabric for the pocket, 3.5 inches wide by 6 inches high.

Materials for 6x10 Hoop

Two pieces of pillow fabric, each 7x11 inches (slightly larger than your embroidery hoop area).

One piece of appliqué fabric for the tooth, approximately 3.5 x 3 inches.

One piece of fabric for the pocket, 4 inches wide by 7 inches high.

Additional Supplies

You will also need a ribbon for the handle; the size is optional.

Glow-in-the-dark thread. I purchased a no-name brand with five colors from Amazon, but this design can also be sewn using a single color of glow-in-the-dark thread.

Five spools of different colored glow-in-the-dark embroidery thread.

Color Sequence Overview

Embroidery design color chart for the Tooth Fairy pillow.

  1. Color 1: Stitches the main pillow outline to secure the fabric and the placement line for the tooth appliqué.
  2. Color 2: Tacks down the tooth appliqué fabric.
  3. Color 3 (Glow-in-the-dark light pink thread): Wand.
  4. Color 4 (Glow-in-the-dark white thread): Tooth body and wings.
  5. Color 5 (Glow-in-the-dark light pink thread): Stars and wing outlines.
  6. Color 6 (Glow-in-the-dark white thread): Tooth appliqué satin stitch, hands, and sparkles coming out from the pocket.
  7. Color 7: Tooth black outlines.
  8. Color 8: Pocket placement outline.
  9. Color 9: Pocket fabric tack-down seam.
  10. Color 10: Pocket fabric satin stitch.
  11. Color 11 (Glow-in-the-dark thread): Pocket top outline.
  12. Color 12: Final pillow outline.

Embroidery design color chart for the Tooth Fairy pillow, showing all steps.

Stitching Instructions

Hoop the tear-away stabilizer along with the front piece of the pillow fabric. Stitch Color 1, which creates the main pillow outline to secure the fabric in place, as well as the placement outline for the tooth appliqué.

Pillow and tooth appliqué placement lines stitched onto the main fabric in the hoop.

Step 1: Appliqué the Tooth

Place the tooth appliqué fabric inside the stitched shape and stitch Color 2 to tack down the fabric.

A piece of white fabric placed over the tooth placement outline.

Tack-down stitch sewn around the tooth appliqué fabric.

Trim the excess appliqué fabric as close to the seam as possible.

Excess appliqué fabric being trimmed away from the tooth shape.

Step 2: Embroider Details

Continue with the embroidery. Colors 3 through 7 will stitch the tooth and pillow decorations.

Completed embroidery of the tooth fairy, wings, and stars.

Step 3: Create the Pocket

Next, stitch the pocket placement outline (Color 8).

Placement outline for the pocket stitched onto the pillow front.

Fold the pocket fabric in half.

A rectangular piece of fabric folded in half lengthwise.

Place the folded fabric inside the stitched shape, aligning the folded edge with the pocket placement guideline.

Folded pocket fabric placed over the pocket placement line.

It is helpful to use tape or pins to ensure the fabric remains flat while stitching.

Pocket fabric taped securely in place.

Stitch the pocket tack-down seam (Color 9).

Tack-down stitch sewn around the pocket fabric.

Trim the excess pocket fabric.

Trimming the excess fabric around the stitched pocket.

Finish the pocket with a wide satin stitch (Color 10).

Stitch the pocket's top stitch line with glow-in-the-dark thread (Color 11).

Finished pocket with satin stitching and a decorative top stitch.

Step 4: Final Assembly

Before the final outline stitch, position the ribbon for the handle and secure it with tape.

Ends of a ribbon loop taped to the top of the pillow front.

The ribbon length is optional.

Ribbon handle secured in place with tape.

Place the back piece of the pillow fabric on top with right sides together. Stitch the final outline (Color 12), leaving an opening at the bottom for turning.

When the design is finished, remove the tape, unhoop the project, and gently tear away the excess stabilizer.

Backing fabric placed over the pillow front inside the hoop.

Step 5: Finishing

Cut out the pillow shape and clip the corners (optional).

Finished pillow cut out from the excess fabric.

Turn the pillow right side out through the opening you left at the bottom.

Stuff the pillow and sew the opening closed, either by hand or with a sewing machine.

The completed and stuffed Tooth Fairy pillow.

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