I originally shared this post 14 years ago… one of these littles is now married, two are college grads and one heads to college next month… It’s been a long time, but this is one craft they still talk about.  If you have some extra time with the kids in these last few weeks of summer, this would be a great project!!

Pillowcase Nightgowns

I have three little girls who LOVE doing crafts or “art” as they call it.  So this summer we are tackling some simple and fun art projects that are also low budget.  I thought as long as the projects were successful that I would share them with you in case you are looking for some ideas!

Sorry about my drawings below, I wasn’t planning on posting when we made them so I didn’t take pictures of each step…

This weekend we tackled pillowcase nightgowns.  It took about 2 hours but would be shorter if you do the sewing yourself.  I turned it into a sewing machine lesson for my older girls so it was a little slower that way.  The only thing we ended up needing was ribbon so the whole project for three gowns cost less than $5!

You will need:

(1) Old Pillowcase (100% cotton works best if you want to have fun with the markers)
Needle and thread (or sewing machine)
Fabric ribbon
Scissors
Permanent markers
Bottle of finger nail polish remover
Q-tips

Instructions:

1. Find an old pillowcase, in a light color.

2. Fold the pillowcase in half longways with the closed corners of the pillow case on the top left corner.

3. Cut a “J” shape on the top, left for the arm holes. Then cut straight across the top, opening up the closed end of the pillowcase.

4.  Let your kids decorate their pajamas however they like.  We used permanent markers and then let them use acetone on q-tips (outside) to make the marker bleed, creating a water color look.  Make sure to put a trash bag or some other protective sheet inside the pillow case so that artwork from the front doesn’t bleed to the back.

Tip: The permanent marker will only create the water color look on 100% cotton fabric.

4. Use a sewing machine, or needle and thread, to hem the arm holes and the front and back of the neck opening.  We did one simple 1/4 inch fold with a zigzag stitch on the machine.

4.  At the top opening, fold down and pin to make a pocket at least 1/4 inch larger than the ribbon you are using.

5. Push ribbon through the pocket you just made (we put a safety pin on the end of the ribbon so you have something to grab as you push it through).

6.  Gather the top and back a little to create a fuller look around the neck.  Tack the ribbon in place in the front and back (now it won’t come out when you wash it).

6. Tie ribbons together above each shoulder & wear!

(thanks to my awesome Mother-in-law for coming up with this project & helping!)