How to Make a Kids Pillow Fort

Create a cozy space for quiet time reading, play and adventure with this DIY pillow fort complete with comfy floor pillows.  When the weather calls for lazy days around the house or your kids need a special place for their reading homework, a cool DIY fort will always create a smile. 

You will need:

• Approximately 9 yards of fabric
• XL wooden embroidery hoop
• Decorative pom pom trim
• Ribbon
• Iron and ironing board
• Sewing machine and thread
• Minky fabric for pillows
• Felt for pillows
• Fusible stabilzer
• Polyfill
• Fiskars 8” Amplify® RazorEdge™ Fabric Shears
• Fiskars Rotary Cutter and Ruler Combo
• Fiskars Cutting Mat (24" x 36")

To make the nook, use the Rotary Cutter and Ruler Combo to trim fabric into three panels of equal length. This tool is quick and convenient because the rotary cutter is attached directly to the ruler. The desired length will vary from room to room, depending on ceiling height. The panels in this project each measured three yards.

Create a wide casing at the top of each fabric panel and hem the bottom edge.

Use the 8” fabric shears to trim the decorative pom pom trim to size. This scissors is very versatile and will cut through all of the materials used in this project.

Sew it to one long edge of two fabric panels.  This will create a cute decorative 'doorway' for the nook.  

Thread the XL wooden embroidery hoop through the casing at the top of all three fabric panels. Use the hoop's hardware to close the circle.

Trim three lengths of ribbon and tie to the embroidery hoop between each panel. Tie the ends of the ribbons together and form a loop for hanging.

To create the cloud floor pillows, place two pieces of minky fabric on the work surface. Use a marker to draw an outline of a cloud and cut out through both layers using the Amplify shears.

Cut facial features from colored felt and use a fusible interfacing to temporarily adhere them to the front of one cloud fabric piece. Sew each facial feature to the front of the fabric using a blanket stitch on your machine.

Sew both fabric cloud shapes together with the right sides of the fabric facing each other. Leave a small hole in one edge. Trim the seam allowance and clip curves. Turn the pillow to the right side and fill with polyfill. Close the hole with small handstitches.