Learn how to make custom DIY outdoor pillow cover cases using your Cricut machine to personalize your space.

Upgrading or leveling up your outdoor patio space with new throw pillows is an easy and affordable way to personalize your space. While buying throw pillows can be affordable, sometimes, I can't find the pillow that I have in my mind on the shelves at the store.

I love using my Cricut machine to create custom pillowcases for upgrading my outdoor seating space. As you know, we picked up our teak patio set for under $200 off of a second hand buying website a few years ago. Generally, teak patio sets go for over $1,000, so we were fortunate to pick it up and do some TLC to bring it back to life. By adding in new cushion covers, we've successfully DIY the decor in this space with just a little bit of elbow grease.

Now, to take it over the top, we just need some personalized decor pillows using Cricut Design Space. You can mix and match Infusible Ink and Heat Transfer Vinyl below like I did.

In This Post

All About Cricut Throw Pillows

The amazing thing about the Cricut line of products is that they have a ton of products to choose from. However, the line up of blanks and supplies can be daunting because there are so many options to choose from. So, I'm going to guide you through your options.

Cricut Terminology

For those have not been indoctrinated to the Cricut space, I'm wanted to run down some terminology before I talk about them.

Cricut - This is the brand name of the line of products for crafting.
Cricut Machine - This can represent a number of different machines that the Cricut brand sells. The most popular ones are Cricut Explore Air 2 (mid-range), Cricut Maker (high-end), and Cricut Joy (portable).
Design Space - This is the software you use to design your project and send the digital directions to the Cricut Machine.
Blanks - Blanks are anything that you use as a foundation to create your project that includes t-shirts, pillow shams, bags, and cup coasters.
Vinyl - Vinyl comes in two different flavors - adhesive versus heat-transfer vinyl. Adhesive vinyl sticks to things like mugs and cars. Heat-transfer vinyl (also known short for HTV) are used for shirts and pillows generally.
Transfer Tape - Transfer tape is normally used for adhesive vinyl.
Infusible Ink - Infusible ink allows you to infuse the color into your blank so that the design is seamless with the material (unlike vinyl). Some also refer to this as sublimination ink. The infusible ink comes in two flavors: infusible pen/markers and infusible ink sheets.
Heat press - For those that have leveled up over using an iron, heatpresses can be used for heating blanks with vinyl or infusible ink.

Blanks for Your Throw Pillows

I find that using Cricut supplies and blanks together yields the absolute best results for your project. I've done some experimenting with other materials, but the infusible ink generally will be a little more faded or the vinyl won't stick as well to non-cricut supplies. If you don't have time to experiment and don't want to waste money, you won't go wrong with Cricut blanks. Here are my favorite blanks for throw pillows to use with either Cricut vinyl or Cricut infusible ink:

White Pillow Cover Blank, 18" x 18"
Cream Pillow Cover Blank, 18" x 18"

Bestseller No. 1

4 Pack Sublimation Blanks Throw Pillowcase Heat Transfer Cushion Covers with Invisible Zippers for DIY Printing Sofa Coach Decor White 15.7”x15.7” Polyester No Pillow Insert

Package content: You will receive 4 pieces of white pillowcase for heat sublimation, each one is 15.7 "x15.7", please note that pillow insert is not included
Skin-friendly material: made of peach skin material, 100% polyester, soft and comfortable to the touch; different from the envelope pillowcase, this pillowcase is designed with a hidden zipper for easy removal and cleaning, and can be printed on both sides
Personal gift: Create exclusive DIY gifts for your family, loved ones, friends and beloved pets! Suitable for sofas, beds, chairs, etc.; can be used as Mother's Day, Father's Day, Anniversary, Thanksgiving, Christmas and other holiday decorations

Bestseller No. 2

JUSTRY 4 PCS Sublimation Blanks Linen Pillow Cases Cushion Cover Throw Pillow Covers 18 x 18 Inch for Heat Press Printing Sofa Couch with Invisible Zippers DIY Blanks Pillow Case No Pillow Insert

【 Material】: Made of High quality durable linen blend--18" x 18", with concealed white zipper, comfortable to touch and lay on. JUSTRY blanks pillow case will not be sticked together on the inside when heat transfer.This is the biggest difference from others. It is perfect for heat transfer.Pillow case only, NO INSERT!
【CUSTOMIZE IMAGE】: The sublimation blank pillow case is designable which can make sure your pillow case can be difference to others.With the hight quality fabric,perfect for dye sublimation or heat transfer applications.Use family photos, personal mottos or business logos to let the world see what's important to you !
【MULTI-FUNCTIONAL】:A personalized pillow makes a unique and thoughtful wedding,anniversary, birthday, holiday, or baby shower gift that will be remembered for years to come.It is also a perfect cushion cover for sofa, couch, chair, bed, school, travel and naps. The possibilities are endless, and the sublimation process doesn't change the “feel ” of the fabric.

Bestseller No. 3

WANZELONYO Blank Pillow Covers 18x18Inch Sublimation Throw Pillow Cases Bulk for HTV Heat Transfer Vinyl Set of 6 Beige Linen

SIZE AND QUANTITY: 18 x 18 Inch throw pillow covers; Invisible zipper;Beige;No insert; Pack 6.The zipper is strong and doesn’t catch when opening it
EASY TO REFRESH THE STYLE OF HOME: Neutral color fits the colors in the house. Blank for you to easily press some of them to create a personalized pillow by heat pressing.Unique Decoration could refresh good-looking on a dull pillow.Not worry the solid color would run out
SOFT,THICK: The material is in a knit construction. It creates lightweight and reliable couch pillowcase for year-round use.Solid color make it feel extra soft and smooth

Bestseller No. 4

Thmyo 4-Pack 100% Cotton Comfortable Solid Decorative Throw Pillow Case, Square Cushion Cover Pillowcase Sublimation Blank Pillow Covers Christmas DIY Throw Pillowcase for Bed(18x18inch/45x45cm,White)

Please note：Pillow cover only, pillow insert are not included. including 4 pack pillowcase.You can DIY whatever you like on the pillowcase.
Material:The white DIY pillow cases set is made of Cotton, soft ,comfortable and durability.Size: 18 x 18inch/ 45 x 45cm(1-2cm deviation because of hand-cutting and sewing).
Easy care:Machine washable in cold water.Tumble dry on low. Note:Do not use bleach or softener. These DIY throw pillowcases are made of cotton,cotton will fade easily in the sun,not suitable for outdoor

Pillow Inserts for Your Throw Pillows

When it comes to pillow inserts, my family will tell you I'm kind of crazy when it comes to choosing the right one for "fluffiness". Here are my favorite picks for pillow covers:

IKEA pillow inserts- While super inexpensive and the most economical for your money, they only come in specific sizes: 20" x 20", 26" x 26", and 16" x 26". The 20" x 20" will fit the Cricut blanks, but will make it look bulgey.
Hometex Xanada - These are ultra affordable from Amazon.
Pillowflex - These are hands down my ABSOLUTE favorite pillow inserts, albeit very expensive. Seriously, sooo good. Ultra soft and plush.

Options for Personalizing Your Throw Pillow

To personalize your throw pillow for outdoors, there are three options:

Heat Transfer Vinyl - You design and cut out your heat transfer vinyl. You'll need to apply heat. This will cause a "raised" design in your pillow.
Infusible Ink Pen - You can draw your design with pens (these can vary in thickness) and then do a heat transfer that will transfer the design in reverse. If you plan on drawing it, just make sure you know it'll be transferred in reverse.
Infusible Ink Sheets - You can cut out your design using ink sheets that are in different colors and patterns and transfer them onto your blank.

I recommend using the infusible ink sheets because they are so versatile.

As you can see here, the Infusible Ink looks similar to paper. The ink vibrance on the sheet when you take it out appears lighter than what actually gets infused into the blank. As you can see, I used black on my pillows, and in this image, it has a brown hue. But the ink when infused on the sheet actually turns a dark black.

A few tools I would recommend for projects are as follows, but are not necessarily required.

First, a brayer will allow you to flatten the Infusible Ink sheet better than using your hand.

Heat resistant tape allows you to tape your design to your blank so it doesn't move around. This is really important especially for Infusible Ink.

Sale

Cricut Heat-Resistant Tape for Infusible Ink, Assorted Colors (2006951)

FEATURES: Each roll of Cricut Heat-Resistant Tape is 2 cm x 16 m (approximately 52 ft) and is resistant up to resistant up to 400°F (205°C). It leaves no residue, so you won't have to worry about it ruining your final product.
HEAT-RESISTANT TAPE: Ensure your designs hold that perfect position throughout the entire heat-transfer application process with this high-temperature resistant tape. Safely secure custom designs to T-shirts, totes, baby bodysuits, and more.
CRICUT TOOLS: At Cricut, we offer a wide range of accessories for every craft and crafter. Cricut Markers are compatible with Cricut Maker and Cricut Explore family machines. Use our wide range of Infusible Ink products to create unique T-shirts, coasters, totes, and more.

Ideas for Throw Pillows

If you don't feel like being creative or coming up with your own idea, that's totally okay as well. Cricut has a ton of design projects in their software called Design Space. Here are some of my favorites:

Summary About Pillowcases with Cricut

I hope this tutorial helps you learn all about how you can make an amazing throw pillow case for your space to personalize it just how you like it. There are so many ways you can decorate your space with throw pillows.

Other Home Decor Projects with Cricut

Creative Cricut Project Ideas and Inspiration

More Pillow Inspiration

How to Make Personalized Throw Pillow with Cricut

Learn how to make custom DIY outdoor pillow cover cases using your Cricut machine to personalize your space.

Prep Time 5 minutes

Active Time 20 minutes

Additional Time 5 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Difficulty Easy

Estimated Cost $20

Materials

Cricut Infusible Ink Sheets
Cricut Pillow Blanks

Tools

Cricut Explore Air 2, Cricut Maker, or Cricut Joy
Cricut EasyPress or Heatpress
Design Space Software
Butcher Paper or Teflon Sheet

Instructions

Use Design Space to create your design for your throw pillow.
Use your Cricut Maker to cut your design.
Weed the negative space to prepare your design.
Use the Cricut Heat Guide to confirm your settings.
Preheat the heatpress to 400°F.
Place Pillow Cover where you'll be pressing it.
Insert cardstock inside Pillow Cover to prevent any bleeding.
Lint roll and remove any dust or debri.
Cover the pillow with butcher paper or Teflon sheet.
Preheat the pillow for 5 seconds.
Remove butcher paper or Teflon sheet.
Place the Infusible Ink sheet design face down, liner side up.
Cover it with a clean butcher paper or Teflon that is larger than the heat plate.
Press with light pressure for 40 seconds.
Slowly lift the press.
Remove the butcher paper or Teflon.
Remove the liner while arm.
Remove the plastic from the blank.

Notes

Just make sure you are very careful when pulling the paper, as it can be very hot! Also, it is a must to have a lint-free space or else infusible ink will show the imperfections.

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10 Minute DIY Throw Pillow Covers with Cricut