Personalized Pillowcases and Matching Sleep Masks

These cute pillowcases and sleep masks were the favors for my daughter's slumber party.  The pillowcases were very easy to make and also provided a little activity for the party.  The sleep masks involved a few more steps, but I made them without having to do any sewing at all.  The total cost for both items was less than $4 per girl and I think they turned out really cute.

Check them out...

I ended up making 13 sets of them all together ~ 9 for the girls at the party, one for a good friend who couldn't make it, and 3 for the "little sisters" ~ my youngest daughter and two nieces who had their own sleepover the night of the party.

First, for the pillowcases...

Here's what you'll need:

    * plain pillowcases ( I got them in a 2-pack at Walmart for $5)
   * Heat n Bond Ultra Hold
   * fabric (I used one yard of fabric total for the 13 sets of pillowcases and sleep masks)
   * letters to trace ( I just found a font on my computer, enlarged it and used that)

Here's what to do...

1.  Trace the letters backwards on the paper side of the Heat n Bond.  (You'll need them in reverse so the letter is right side up once you iron it on.)

2.  Iron the Heat n Bond to the wrong side of the fabric.

3.  Cut out all your letters.  The paper backing on the Heat n Bond makes it very easy to cut the fabric ~ it's just like cutting regular paper.

4.  Peel off the paper backing, then position your letters on the pillowcase and iron in place.

That's it!  The cutting of all those letters is a bit time consuming, so do it while watching your favorite show, but the project itself is quite easy!

 (NOTE:  The Heat n Bond adhesive is permanent and forms a very good bond.   The letters will stand up to washings just fine with just slight fraying around the edges.  I wouldn't necessarily use these pillows every night and wash every week, but they'll be fine as an extra bed pillow and once a month washings.)



Now for the sleep masks...

Here's what you'll need:

   * fabric
   * several sheets of black stiff felt ( I found mine at JoAnn fabrics with the other felt.  It did not have the sticky adhesive back, but was stiffer than regular felt)
   * coordinating satin fabric
   * Heat n Bond Ultra Hold
   * elastic head wraps - NOT the no slip ones, just the regular (similar to these, but I got my black ones in an 8-pack at the Dollar Store)



Here's what to do...

1.  Make a sleep mask shape on a piece of scrap paper to use as a pattern.  I just roughly sketched an oval with a slight indentation at the nose.  Use the pattern to cut the shape out of the stiff black felt.

2.  Iron the Heat n Bond to the wrong sides of both the satin material and the patterned material for the front.

3.  Cut out the sleep mask shape from the satin fabric.

4.  Peel off the paper backing and iron the satin fabric onto the black felt.  (Play around with the heat setting just a bit.  You'll need it slightly lower than recommended so it doesn't "melt" the satin or felt, but still hot enough to adhere the adhesive.)

5.  Wrap your elastic head wrap around your sleep mask.  Use three dabs of hot glue to attach it to the black felt in the middle and near both sides.  Stretch the elastic just slightly as you're gluing it in place.  You don't want it stretched a lot, but just pulled slightly taut.

6.  Keep the elastic unglued on the satin side of the mask.  This will be the part that faces your eyes and the elastic band will go around your head.

7.  Now flip your mask over and remove the paper backing from the patterned fabric.  Iron it in place over the elastic band.  I lined it up and ironed it in place across the bottom of the mask, then over the elastic, then the top part above the elastic.

8.  That's it!  You're done.  Now you will still see the raised part of the elastic head wrap, but it's not too noticeable with a patterned fabric.  By keeping it all in one piece, you didn't have to do any sewing to keep it in place and it holds the mask nicely in position when you put it on without getting tangled in your hair.


Here they are modeled by my lovely nieces before lights out.  Pillowcases were decorated and sleep masks were ready to be slid down into place.

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The Frugal Girls  
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