Tooth Fairy Pillow

Take your top tooth piece and topstitch using a ⅛ inch seam allowance. Trim threads. Set aside until step 1.9.

This will be the top part of the tooth pocket and the child will slip their tooth behind this for the tooth fairy to find.

This top stitching is purely decorative, and you could skip it if you prefer.

TIP – Go slow to keep straight lines. As the curves are small and tight, you may need to lift your foot to turn some corners. When lifting the presser foot make sure your needle is down in fabric before lifting so you keep your place, and your stitching is smooth & continuous.

OPTIONAL – If you would like to make your pillow more personalized you can embroider your child’s name onto this tooth piece now before setting aside. Or alternatively, you could embroider a face or any other decoration onto the tooth.

Take your bottom tooth piece and align in center of top pillow piece matching wrong side of tooth to right side of fabric. Pin in place.

Sew tooth to pillow using ⅛ inch seam allowance. Trim threads.

Or if you would like to applique this by hand, do this now. 

TIP – Go slow and lift your foot when needed around corners keeping the needle down in the fabric as you turn.

We will now attach the top tooth piece to the bottom piece to create a pocket.

You can stitch this bit and/or use a hot glue gun.

If you are stitching, sew around the blue lines only directly on top of your topstitching from step 1.1.

If you are gluing, glue along both the blue and pink lines.  Glue across the legs means that the teeth (and any presents the tooth fairy might leave in the pillow!) won’t fall down into the legs. 

TIP – If you are not fast enough and the glue cools off before you finish attaching the top piece, take your warm iron and press on and off for a few seconds to warm glue again. Be careful not to leave iron on too long or you will end up with your glue lines showing through the felt.

Place the other pillow piece on top so the pillow pieces are right sides together. Pin.

Sew pillow edges using a ⅜ inch seam allowance. Leave 2 inches in the middle of one side for turning the pillow right side out.

NOTE – At corners of the pillow, stop with the needle down, lift foot, and turn fabric to get crisp corners.

Trim all four corners at an angle to reduce bulk.

You can either trim them using a bit of a curve or cut 3 times. The first time cut close to the corner of the stitching, being careful not to cut too close to the seam otherwise you will create a hole. Then cut again on either of the pointed edges from where you first cut the corners. This avoids having bulky edges when the pillow is turned out.

TIP – Use the tip of your scissors for optimum precision in this step.

Flip your pillow right side out making sure to push all corners out.

TIP – If you do not have a corner turner use a chopstick or skewer.

Press all four sides and corners of the pillow. This will give crisp edges as well as creating the fold line we will use as a guide to stitch close the open edge on one side later on.

Take your stuffing and stuff pillow through the 2 inch hole you used to turn pillow through.

TIP – Do not stuff too tightly. Only use enough fiber fill to make pillow puffy and squishy. If you stuff too full you will not be able to open the pocket when finished.

We will now close the gap in the pillow using hand stitching.

If you do not want to stitch this by hand, you could top stitch using your machine and stitching close to the edge.

Alternatively, follow along to close the pillow using an invisible or ladder stitch.

Take a long piece of thread, cut and fold in half.

Thread 2 cut threads through needle eye (NOT the folded end).

On one side of the open edge, on the inside of the pillow on the seam allowance just below the fold line insert needle through the fabric. Thread needle through the loop at the end then pull taut. This will be our beginning knot.

You will be working your stitches through the fold that you pressed in step 1.8. Insert needle through fold only going through one layer of fabric. Pull your thread through.

On the opposite side, insert needle and pull through. The threads should look like rungs on a ladder. Pull threads taut so they are invisible on the outside. 

TIP – I like to insert the stitch on opposite end in the same area that I exited on opposite side or in between the enter and exit site of stitch on the side I just finished. This way the stitches stay uniform. To figure out where this would be at on the opposite end, pull the pillow corners so the folds meet.

Continue alternating stitches until you reach where the sewing machine stitches meet. 

To end off pull slightly at sides of pillow to reveal last stitch made. Insert needle to where the thread makes a loop.  Insert needle through loop and pull taut.

Do this a second time then insert needle into pillow pulling out at a random spot towards opposite end from ladder stitch. Pull thread taut just a little at exit site then cut thread so the thread is hidden on inside of pillow.

NOTE – Do not cut into fabric for this step only the thread.

TIP – Use the end of scissors to have the most precision.

Take the pillow piece that you want to be the front of the pillow. 

Transfer the eye and tooth placement markings with tailor’s chalk or a disappearing ink pen.

TIP – If you are using quilting cotton or another light or medium weight fabric, you may be able to see the markings though it. Try placing the fabric on the pattern piece and see if you can just trace them. Alternatively, using your ironing board as a base, place the pattern piece on top of the fabric, and poke a pin through to mark the spots. 

We will be showing how to make the teeth of the monster removable, so a child can remove teeth and place inside the pouch with the tooth they lost to be reattached by the tooth fairy.

REMOVABLE TEETH OPTION – Skip to step 2.3. We will attach them with Velcro in a later step.

FIXED TEETH OPTION – If you do not want to have the teeth to be removable, pin or clip your teeth with the points facing downwards on the top of one of the pocket pieces, ¼ inch from the raw edge.  Baste in place just over ¼ inch from the raw edge.

Continue with step 2.3.

TIP – If you haven’t done it before, basting is using a long loose stitch to hold the fabric in place but that can be easily removed later if it shows in the final item. Set your stitch length to as long a straight stitch as possible, remembering to turn it back to normal for the next step.

Take both pocket pieces and place right sides together. Stitch one of the long edges using a ⅜ inch seam allowance. 

Turn your pocket pieces right sides out so the seam allowance is hidden inside. Press.

Using a ¼ seam allowance baste the 2 short sides of pocket piece to the pillow piece with the markings for the monster’s face. 

The pocket should cover the markings for teeth placement. 

We will now embroider the eyes onto your top monster piece with pocket basted. If you would like to use a Cricut or Silhouette to iron on vinyl eyes do this instead and skip to step 2.9.  Alternatively, you could use buttons or child-safe stitch on eyes.  Remember all the safety caveats of buttons and small children.  We love to see what you create, but we love your little ones more.  Stay safe.  

To embroider them, follow along below.

Thread black embroidery thread by folding it in half and threading the two ends through the need. Knot at the top side of one of the eye placement markings on your pillow piece by inserting the needle through the fabric and back through the loop at the other end of the thread. Pull taut.

Sew your eye using horizontal stitches across your eye guides. Do not worry if your stitches are not completely matching, we will hide this in the next step.

When finished doing your horizontal stitching down the eye, sew one long stitch up or down each long side of the eye. This will hide any offset stitching. 

Thread your needle through to the wrong side of the fabric, knot and tie off. 

Follow steps 2.5 to 2.7 to complete stitching for the other eye.

If you opted to have fixed teeth skip to step 2.12. If you opted for removable teeth continue below.

We will now attach Velcro to one of the long edges of monster teeth. You can do this by gluing a small piece of Velcro to a piece or stick on using pre-glued Velcro. 

We have cut our Velcro into small circles here, but you could cut them into squares, or triangles. Whatever you’d prefer but just make sure it can’t be seen from the right side of the tooth.

Figure out where you prefer teeth to sit before attaching the other side of the Velcro pieces to fabric.

Once you are content with placement glue or stick on your bottom pieces of Velcro to fabric.

Match pillow pieces right sides together.

Sew all sides together using a ⅜ inch seam allowance leaving 2 inches open on one side for turning right side out.

Trim corners at an angle 3 times. First very close to edges of corners, being careful not to cut too close to the seam otherwise you will create a hole. Cut again on the pointed edges from where you first cut the corners to keep from having bulky edges when the pillow is turned out.

TIP – Use the tip of your scissors for optimum precision in this step.

Flip your pillow right side out making sure to push all corners out.

TIP – If you do not have a corner turner use a chopstick or skewer

Press all four sides and corners of pillow. This will give crisp edges as well as creating the fold line we will use as a guide to close the open edge on one side.

Take your stuffing and insert into the pillow through the 2 inches hole you used to turn pillow through.

NOTE – Do not stuff tightly only use enough stuffing to make pillow puffy and squishy. If you stuff it too full you will not be able to open the pocket when finished or stitch closed.

If you prefer to top stitch the pillow with a ⅛ inch seam allowance around edges to close the open side, do this now. 

If you would like to close using an invisible/ladder stitch, follow the tutorial on steps 1.11 to 1.12.

Transfer the face template onto the top tooth piece using tailors chalk or a pen with disappearing ink.

TIP – If you are using a pen, test the ink on a scrap piece of the same fabric to make sure the ink disappears entirely.

OPTIONAL TUTU – If you do not want to add a tutu to your tooth pillow skip to step 3.8. Otherwise follow steps below:

Fold Tulle piece in half lengthwise so it becomes two layers. Press to keep shape.

TIP – Many tulles will melt when ironed. Use a pressing cloth to protect the tulle. If you do not have a pressing cloth, use a clean old tea towel or scrap of cotton fabric to place between the iron and the tulle to make sure it doesn’t melt or get damaged.

Stitch a ¼ inch gathering stitch across both layers of tulle using the folded edge as your seam guidance.

TIP – If you haven’t done a gathering stitch before, it is a long loose stitch used to gather fabric. Leave both ends of the thread long so you can use them to gather later. Make sure to set your stitch length to the longest it can be and check that if you pull one bobbin thread, the fabric will gather along the thread.

Pull your bobbin (underneath) threads at either end to gather the tulle to fit across tooth.

Align tulle just under smile marking and pin in place.

Stitch the tulle to the tooth just below your gathering stitches (approximately ⅜ inch from the edge of the tulle).

Pull the bobbin thread from your gathering stitch all the way through to remove it. 

We will now embroider the eyes and smile on. If you would like to use a Cricut or Silhouette to iron on vinyl eyes do this instead and skip to step 3.9.  Alternatively, you could use buttons or child-safe stitch on eyes. Remember all the safety caveats of buttons and small children.  We love to see what you create, but we love your little ones more.  Stay safe.  

To embroider them, follow along below.

Thread red embroidery thread and knot at the top side of one of the mouth circle placement markings on your front tooth piece by inserting the needle through the fabric and back through the loop at the other end of the thread. Pull taut.

Sew your cheek circles using horizontal stitches across your circle guides. When you get to the end, thread your needle through to the wrong side of the fabric, knot and tie off.

Follow same steps to complete stitching for other cheek circle.

Complete your eye markings using the same technique. Do not worry if your stitches are not completely matching, we will hide this in a moment.

When finished doing your horizontal stitching down the eye, sew one long stitch up or down each long side of eye. This will hide any offset stitching. 

Thread your needle through to the wrong side of the fabric, knot and tie off.

The smile will be a bit different to embroider. Instead of horizontal stitches and long finishing lines like in previous embroidery step 3.8 we will be embroidering the smile in horizontal stitches starting out in corners of the smile however will migrate vertical stitches in the curves of the smile. Start the embroidery as you would in step 3.7.

Once finished with stitching the smile to cover the offset stitches we will use shorter stitches across the entire smile.

Set aside until step 3.19.

Place the pocket pieces right sides together.

Sew along the top side using a ⅜ inch seam allowance.

Turn so the pocket is right sides out. Press.

Topstitch the pressed seam with a ⅛ inch seam allowance then again with a ¼ inch seam allowance.

Using a ¼ inch seam allowance stitch a basting stitch along the three curves of the pocket. We will use this as a guide to fold the fabric in the next step.

Fold and press along 3 sides and curves. The ¼ inch basting stitch will serve as a guide and should be showing at fold line.

Place the back tooth piece right side up. Align the pocket right side up in the center of the tooth. 

When you are satisfied with the placement, pin pocket to tooth.

Topstitch pocket to tooth piece using a ⅛ inch seam allowance then sew a second stitching using a ¼ inch seam allowance. This will hold the pocket on and enclose the pocket raw edges.

If you do not want a hanging ribbon for your ballerina tooth, skip to step 3.16. Otherwise continue below.

OPTIONAL HANGING RIBBON – Align the edges of your ribbon to the top curved sides at edges of the back tooth. 

Baste in place approximately ¼ inch from the edge.

Tuck the ribbon into the pocket so it is out of the way for the next steps.

Match your two tooth pieces together, right sides together. Pin or clip.

If you have done the tutu, make sure to catch the short sides of the tutu in the left and right side seam of the tooth. You will need to tuck or clip the rest of the tulle up above itself, so it does not get caught in the ‘legs’ of the tooth or on any other part of the seam.

Stitch the tooth sides seams together using a ⅜ inch seam allowance. Leave the top long curved side with a 2 inch gap for turning right side out.

To lay the arch and curves of the tooth flat without puckering after turning, clip notches ¾ of the way into the seam allowance around all the curves approximately every ½ inch.

Flip your pillow right side out making sure to push all corners out.

TIP – If you do not have a corner turner use a chopstick or skewer.

Press all sides and curves of pillow. This will give crisp edges as well as creating the fold line we will use as a guide to close the open edge on one side.

Take your stuffing and fill the pillow through the hole you used to turn pillow through.

TIP – Use your fingers or a chop stick to get the fiber fill into the “legs” of the pillow.

NOTE – You do not need to stuff tightly only use enough fiber fill to make the pillow puffy and squishy. If you stuff too full you will not be able to open the pocket when finished or stitch closed.

If you prefer to top stitch the pillow with a ⅛ inch seam allowance around edges to close the open side do this now. 

If you would like to close using an invisible/ladder stitch follow the tutorial on steps 1.11 to 1.12.