Pillow Craft Ideas for the Preschool Classroom
At times, preschoolers can seem so independent. Yet, every now and again, they still love to cuddle up with a favorite pillow. Here are craft ideas that are easy enough for your students to complete with minimal assistance.
No-Sew Fleece Pillow
Materials
- Fleece material – plain or patterned
- Fiber Fill
- Scissors (for preparing the preschool pillow craft ahead of class time)
- Chalk (optional)
- Ruler (optional)
Instructions
Using the fleece material and scissors, cut two identical shapes. You will want the shapes to be approximately 8” larger than what the finished pillow will be. This will allow for the fringe, which will be used to tie the sides.
As with all of the preschool pillow craft ideas mentioned in this article, it is wise to pre-cut the fringe for your preschoolers in preparation for the activity. For each pillow, you will cut fringe which is approximately 1” wide and 4” long. You may wish to use a ruler and chalk to section off the pieces before cutting – or use them to simply draw a line showing where you should stop cutting into the fabric.
Cut fringe along each side of the fabric – from top to bottom. The pillows are now ready for the students.
Demonstrate for the children how to tie a double-knot. This activity also provides terrific shoe-tying practice!
Instruct students to tie the pieces of fringe together, being careful to combine a top piece with a bottom pieces. Tell the students they should stop when they have 6 sets of fringe remaining.
When all is tied except for the remaining 6 sets of fringe, demonstrate to the students how they can fill their pillow with the Fiber Fill. Students may determine on their own if they wish to stuff their pillow with a lot of fill (for a stiffer pillow) or with minimal fill (for a squishier pillow.)
Once the stuffing has been added, students should tie the remaining pairs of fringe.
Now the pillows are complete!
These preschool pillow craft ideas pair nicely with your holiday activities! Besides the traditional circle, square or rectangle, you can try using a Christmas tree shape, a pumpkin shape, a star or a heart.
Pillowcase Art
Materials
- Pre-washed pillowcases (in solid colors) – one per student
- Fabric paints
- Paintbrushes (one for each paint color)
- Paint stamps
- Stencils
- Cardboard, cut to approximately the same size as the pillowcase – one per student
Instructions
For the second of the preschool pillow craft ideas, students will use fabric paints to decorate a pillowcase that they can use with their own pillow at home.
Ask students to slip the piece of cardboard inside their pillowcase – so that the inside-front of the pillow is not touching the inside-back of the pillow.
Students are now free to decorate their pillowcases using the fabric paint. Students may wish to free-paint, use the stencils, or paint the stamps and then stamp images onto their pillowcase.
Encourage students to only decorate one side of their pillowcase. If both sides are to be decorated, you will have to complete the activity in two sessions – so that the pillowcase has the opportunity to dry before you flip it over to decorate the other side.
Allow pillowcases to dry. Check the instructions on the back of the bottle of fabric paint that you are using, as drying times vary among brands.
You should also check the bottle of fabric paints that you are using to determine washing instructions. It is best to write these instructions out and send them home to parents along with the new pillowcase, so that they will have a copy on hand when it comes time for washing! This way, the pillowcases will be all set and ready for bedtime.
Your students will love these preschool pillow craft ideas. Once the projects are complete, set aside some special time in the classroom for your preschoolers to cuddle up and read with their new special pillows – which are sure to become a treasured keepsake of their time spent in your classroom.
This post is part of the series: It’s Pajama Time!
If you are looking for fun and interactive ideas, activities, snacks and games for a preschool pajama party, then read on, because, “It’s Pajama Time!”
