Coloring Pillow Cases: Birthday Party Activity Using Cricut

Looking for a fun and creative activity for a sleepover birthday party? These personalized pillowcases make such a cute project for kids and also give them something special to take home afterward. With Cricut Design Space, iron-on material, and fabric markers, you can create custom name designs that are easy to prep ahead of time and fun for kids of different ages to color in and personalize.

Materials:

• Cricut Cutting Machine
• Cricut Heat Press Machine
• Cricut Iron-on in black
• Cricut Tool Kit
• Prewashed pillow cases in white
• Fabric markers

Directions:

Create your name cutout designs in Cricut Design Space. I recommend picking a chunky alphabet font that works well for coloring. For older kids, you can go with something a little more detailed and intricate, while for younger kids, simpler letters are usually easier and more fun to color. Here are just a few of the options I found through my Cricut Access subscription.

Resize the names so they fit nicely on your pillowcases. A good starting point is to make each letter around 5–6 inches tall, but you can adjust the size depending on the length of the name and the space you want it to take up on the pillowcase.

Make your project by cutting the designs from black iron-on material. If you have a Cricut machine that works with Smart Materials, that can make things a lot easier, especially when you’re making several of these longer designs since you can cut without using a mat. If you’re using an older cutting machine or regular heat transfer vinyl, you may want a 12 x 24 cutting mat to give the material support for the larger design size.

Weed the design by carefully removing all of the extra iron-on material around the letters and details. 

Apply the iron-on design to a clean white pillowcase using your Cricut heat press. Be sure to follow the recommended time and temperature settings in Cricut’s Heat Guide, or use the Heat app if you have a compatible connected device, so you get the best results for your material.

Place a sheet of paper or a piece of cardboard inside the pillowcase before the kids start coloring, so the ink does not bleed through to the other side. Then let them decorate the designs with fabric markers to create a fun, personalized keepsake from the sleepover birthday party. To make things easier, choose permanent fabric markers that do not need to be heat-set afterward.

This is such a simple way to make a birthday sleepover feel a little more special. The personalized pillowcases are fun to create, easy for kids to customize, and they double as a keepsake they can actually use again later. It is a great mix of crafting and party activity, and with just a little prep work beforehand, you can have everything ready for a fabulous celebration.

Do More Kids Party Fun

Want to make the celebration even more special? Add a few extra DIY projects to turn the party into a full crafting experience.

Popcorn Buckets

Personalized popcorn buckets are a fun addition because you really cannot have a slumber party without movies and popcorn. Add each child’s name to a bucket so everyone has their own special snack container for the night. It is a cute detail that also helps keep things organized during movie time.

Party Banner

A rainbow-colored happy birthday banner made from paper is another easy way to bring in lots of bright, cheerful color. This project works well as party decor and helps set the scene for the celebration. You can hang it over the snack table, across a wall, or anywhere you want to add a festive touch.

Treat Boxes

Paper treat boxes are also a great project to include. They are perfect for sending little goodies home at the end of the party and can be customized to match the party colors or theme. They make a sweet finishing touch and give each guest something fun to carry home along with their personalized pillowcase.