Easy homemade gifts - scented pillows

As promised, I'm back here sharing the second handmade present I made last week.

This was for an older girl, my (now) 29 year old cousin. Since her grandfather (my uncle) passed away recently, the party and the presents were kept low key and as such, after some brainstorming I came up with scented pillows.

One pink:

One blue:

The cross stitch chart came from one of my mother's craft magazines, the lacy ribbons were in my stash and the other side of the pillows (of which I forgot to take pictures) is made with color coordinating fabric.

These pillows are very easy to assemble. I didn't take enough pictures to create a tutorial, but here are the basics:

You'll need
- a square or a rectangle of Aida fabric (for the cross stitch) and another square (or rectangle) of coordinating fabric for the back of the pillows
- pieces of ribbon
- bits of ribbon or lace (to embellish the sides of the pillows); this is totally optional
- polyester filling
- something scented to put inside the pillows. I used store bought small sachets, but you can use bits of lavender, for example, totally up to you
 

Embroider your design onto the Aida square. I kept the cross stitch simple to make sure I had enough time to finish them before the party, but the two little pillows came together quickly and make a cute and easy homemade present.

Then lay both pieces of fabric right sides together, with the ribbon (and the side embellishments) tucked in between and sew around, leaving a small opening to turn inside out. Insert the scent and fill up with the polyester filling. Sew the opening closed and you are done! 

If you want to make something similar using the same pattern, here is the cross-stitch chart. It's not 100% clear since it's a scan from an old magazine and I didn't use the same color scheme, but it is still usable.Otherwise, just pick whatever you prefer and go from there.

Handmade gifts are the best!

Enjoy,