Thrifty Gifts - Satin Pillowcase

A satin pillowcase is an easy sewing project and a thoughtful gift for a little child who likes the smooth edge of their blankie or an who just appreciates the luxury of sleeping on satin.

Directions:

1. Purchase any kind of satiny fabric, but check the washing instructions on the end of the fabric bolt. It's important that it be machine washable unless you want to hand wash it. (And I'm pretty sure I wouldn't want to feel obligated to hand wash anything a 2-year-old sleeps with every night.) A standard pillowcase is 20 X 30 inches so you'll need to get one yard of a standard 44" wide fabric. Crepe back satin and flannel-backed satin are both good choices, but there are others that will work also.
   
2. Cut two pieces that are 21 X 36 inches.
3. Pin them together (right sides facing), and sew three edges, leaving one of the narrow ends open. It looks like a pillowcase already, doesn't it?
4. Measure 1 inch and iron it under (toward the wrong side of the fabric - the inside of the pillowcase), creating the first part of the hem.
   
5. Measure 4 more inches and iron them under also leaving no unfinished edges showing. (Basically, you've folded the fabric under twice at this point.) Pin things in place and sew the hem.
6. Turn the pillowcase right side out and you're done!

Expenses: Thread and fabric

Additional ideas: Pair this gift with other bedtime items such as a copy of Goodnight Moon, slippers, or a relaxing lavender-scented candle.

While we're on a pillowcase theme, you could also purchase a regular cotton/polyester pillowcase in a solid color and use fabric markers to decorate it with a prayer (perhaps a prayer to your Guardian Angel) and other appropriate art (do a search for "angel coloring pages" if you'd like something to copy).

NOTES:

• Sharpie markers are not the best choice for drawing on fabric. They seem like they'd work (you certainly can't launder out that stray mark you got on your shirt), but the colors aren't stable. Some bleed onto other clothing in the laundry and some fade over time (green turns to yellow, etc.). I know this from experience.
• I don't think you can combine these two ideas. I've never tried it, but I think using fabric markers on satin fabric would yield unsatisfactory results.