Pumpkin Pillow Applique DIY

I needed a new throw pillow for my fall home decor. I decided to create a DIY pumpkin applique pillow and sew a throw pillow cover with it. I used linen fabric for the pillow cover and added the pumpkin applique in black and white check. The pretty yellow bench the pillows are sitting on we made a few months ago, and the tutorial is here.

Pumpkin pillow sitting on our one-board-bench and our handmade pumpkin

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How to Make an Applique

Making a pumpkin applique uses the same techniques as any, with attention to the particular design being the only difference. I started my applique by drawing the pumpkin on a piece of regular paper, then taped it up on the kitchen window with the Wonder Under over it and traced the pumpkin on the paper side of the Wonder Under.

Tracing the pumpkin design

After I traced the pumpkin and the leaf, I cut it away since it would be out of a different fabric.

Traced pumpkin

Since I loved all three of these fabrics, I purchased each yard. Then, I decided to make my first pillow with the smallest plaid, usually checked.

Buffalo check fabrics

Next, the applique (traced pumpkin on Wonder Under) must be ironed to the wrong side of your fabric.

: Hot iron ready

: Ironing the Wonder Under

: Leaf Wonder Under

Cut it out along the traced lines after the iron on the applique is cool. Then, peel off the paper backing. Now, it is ready to attach to the pillow pieces.

Removing the paper backing

Serging the linen pillow pieces

Attaching the applique:

: Pieces for pillow

: Ironing pumpkin

: ironing leaf

The purple marking in the center of the pumpkin marks the center. The pillow pieces have the same center mark, so I lined them up to the center; the best part is I ironed it on. I ironed on the yellow leaf once the pumpkin had adhered and cooled.

Appliques ironed on the linen, check pumpkin, free patterns and insturctions

Appliques are ironed on the linen.

The small check fabric looked a little busy, so I decided not to embroider the lines in the pumpkin. However, I did embroider the lines (veins) on the leaf. Then, I blanket-stitched with black embroidery floss around the check fabric; I used yellow embroidery floss to blanket-stitch around the yellow leaf.

Blanket stitching

The tie is a piece of pearl cotton. The easiest way to make a pillow is to make it an envelope pillow; see my pillow tutorial from an earlier post here. Mostly, I use an invisible zipper when making throw pillow covers since they use less fabric.

Black and white plaid/check pillows and pumpkin ready for fall

This pumpkin pillow applique DIY only took a few minutes to create. Once the pillow was finished, I decided to make a pumpkin to go with it. You can see how to make these here.