How to Make a Map Coordinates Pillow - Ikea Pillow Hack

February 20, 2015

Before and after map coordinates pillow

DIY map coordinates pillow
I rank map coordinate pillows right up there with monograms. Just like
monograms, they're graphical and they tell a story. I can't get enough
of monograms and numbers - they're all over my house, so it's really no
surprise that I've been wanting to make a map coordinates pillow for quite


some time now. In order for the graphics to be the star of the pillow,
 I began with a plain, jute Helgonort pillow cover from Ikea for only
$10.00. The matching cushion was $3.99. I loved the simplicity of the
pillow cover and the fact that it looked like burlap but was a softer, less
smelly version of it! As you can see from the catalog picture below, the
black zipper is supposed to be on the front of the pillow. But I don't like it
on the front so the zippered side became the back of my pillow. The zipper 
makes it very easy to insert the cushion.       
Ikea Helgonort jute pillow cover to use as map coordinate pillow cover
I made sure to iron it first before doing anything else. I set my iron to its highest
setting (linen) and then I sprayed the fabric with water from a spray bottle. I'm
sure you can use the steam function on your iron, but mine is old and crappy
doesn't work right so I used a spray bottle instead. Once the creases are ironed
out you're ready to stencil.  I used my 2" alphabet stencils because I knew they
would work well with this sized pillow (16" x 26"). After googling the coordinates
for my town, I knew I'd be stenciling this:

Wayne 
 41 56' 58'' N 88 15' 31" W 

There should be a degree sign after the 41 and the 88, but my keyboard
shortcut was not cooperating so I skipped it here. Make sure you insert it 
on the real thing. For your town, or whatever geographical location you want
the coordinates for, just google "My Town USA coordinates" and that should
work.

I also researched Google images for some examples of other map coordinates pillows to get an idea of how I wanted to set up my graphics. Some pillows had all the numbers running straight across the pillow, while others had them separated into two lines. I chose the latter since I thought it would look best based on my pillow's shape and size. It's also up to you whether or not to include the town name. Some versions just list the coordinates while others also list the city.

I've included a few more examples of various formats you can use
to create your pillow. Etsy is chock full of map coordinate pillows to choose from.
Etsy sites are provided below each picture.


longitude and latitude pillow, coordinates pillow

via

Home Sweet Home pillow, Coordinates Pillow, Longitude and Latitude Pillow

Map Coordinates Burlap Pillow - First Home Pillow


To make your own map coordinates pillow you'll need the following:

DIY Map Coordinates Pillow 
Supply List

- pillow cover (Ikea)
- pillow form (Ikea)
- acrylic/craft paint
- paint brush (es) 
- stencils 
- masking tape or painter's tape
- cardboard

First I placed cardboard inside the pillow cover so that the paint would not seep through the material onto the back side of the cover. Then I spaced out the stencils the way I wanted them, and taped the first few onto the cover with painter's tape so they wouldn't slip or move while I was painting.

two inch stencils on jute pillow cover

I continued to tape the stencils to the cover as I went along. I'm feeling pretty comfortable painting fabric now after doing a number of other DIY projects involving burlap and paint. See some of my other projects below: 


 I'm really excited and happy with how this project turned out.

map coordinates pillow, latitudeand longitude pillow


map coordinates pillow, longitude and latitude pillow

map coordinates pillow, longitude and latitude pillow

And here it is on THAT chair -- the one that I couldn't decide WHICH pillow to put  on it. Oh well, guess I have another pillow to add into the mix now! Like I always say, you can never have too many pillows!

map coordinates pillow, longitude and latitude pillow

map coordinates pillow, longitude and latitude pillow


map coordinates pillow, longitude and latitude pillow


map coordinates pillow, longitude and latitude pillow on chair

I also chose the stencils for their industrial look. You can buy stencils or make
your own. Just go to my DIY stencil tutorial. I swear, sometimes for me the
hardest part is deciding what font to use. Do you ever have that problem?

I hope my tutorial provided you with some inspiration to make your own
map coordinates pillow!

map coordinates pillow, longitude and latitude pillow

So what are YOUR coordinates?
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Leave a Comment!

NanaDiana said...

Now THAT is a cute idea, Kathleen. I must be out of the loop (okay- I KNOW I am out of the loop) because I have not seen these before. You did a great job on it. What a fun idea.

Now that you mentioned burlap did you notice that there are not as many burlap offerings as there were even a year ago?
I can't do it because it makes me itch horribly. lol I like the soft faux burlap. xo Diana

handmade by amalia said...

This is my first visit to your blog and great to come across such a fun idea!
The finished cushion is so nice.
Amalia
xo

Betsy@My Salvaged Treasures said...

I love this idea! Definitely something I'll be putting on my to-do list.

Anonymous said...

My goodness Kathleen, I'm out of the loop on map coordinate pillows! Your pillow is great and I really appreciate the tutorial! I'm off to pin this! Love it!

Kathy @ Creative Home Expressions said...

This turned out great, Kathleen! I love this idea. You could do a pillow with the coordinates for each place you've lived. Although, for some people that might be a lot of pillows!

What a great size it is for the money, too. I'm going to have to remember this whenever I get to Ikea next.

Melody Smith said...

Thanks for stopping by and linking up at the Be~YOU~tiful link party! This pillow is so fun! I've never used map coordinates before, but now I need to! Featuring your pillow today!

The Style Sisters said...

What a cute and unique idea!! What are your coordinates...Love that!! I would like to invite you to come link up to my party every Wednesday to share your awesome ideas http://thestylesisters.blogspot.com/2015/02/centerpiece-wednesday-little-of-this.html hope to see you there!
Karin

The Charm of Home said...

That is such a cute idea Kathleen. I will feature it tomorrow at HSH! Thank you for joining Home Sweet Home!

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