Do you like to make sorority gifts?

I am really excited about a new group on Flickr where we all can upload pictures of sorority gifts that we make.

We can  share pictures of any or all of our handmade sorority gifts. This is your chance to inspire the rest of us with your great ideas or just to share the results of your latest sorority craft.

Have you decorated a picture frame with your Greek letters?

Have you made a sorority pillow?

Have you made a sorority paddle?

Have you made a sorority scrapbook or do you have some pages in a scrapbook dedicated to sorority events and special times? Take a picture of those pages and share.

Show your best sorority gift ideas and inspire others.

Join the new  Flickr Group: Sorority Sister Crafts and Handmade Gifts

Take a picture of any sorority item that you make and then upload it to http://www.flickr.com/groups/sororitysisters

If you don't have a picture, then just leave a comment and tell us what you have made.

What sorority presents have you made??

photo credit: EverySpoon

Also known as sorority sign pillows, this sorority pillow hangs by a ribbon.

It is handpainted with the lion mascot and the message,

"A Phi Mu lives here!"

The Greek letters are pink as well as the backing fabric and the hanging ribbon.  It is painted with acrylic paint and constructed on the sewing machine with some hand sewing also.  This custom made sorority gift is not manufactured, but made one at a time as ordered.  This pillow measures 6 1/2 by 4 1/2 inches.

Perfect for hanging on a doorknob to  decorate your door or just hang up with a tack anywhere you like. A few of these are available on Etsy Sorority Gifts .

Testimonial From Lisa who ordered 2 sorority pillows on Etsy

I received the Chi Omega and Phi Mu Hang-up
pillows in the mail yesterday. They are even cuter in person, I am really
pleased with them!  I really appreciate the fast turn around as well!

Lisa (Jan.2010)

For those of you that would rather make your own sorority items and sorority gifts, you can make a pillow like this with a little effort and time.

To make a sorority pillow like this one you will need:

white fabric cut 7 1/2 inches by 5 1/2 inches

Backing fabric 7 1/2 inches by 5 1/2 inches

Ribbon (about 12")

Fiberfil to stuff pillow

Acrylic Paints in colors that suit your design

Paintbrush(es)

Sewing tools

Paper Pattern:Basic Mascot drawing (darken basic lines with a black marker)

Paper Pattern("A Phi Mu Lives Here" (darken basic lines with a black marker)

Some basic directions:

Drawing and Painting:

I put the white fabric over the mascot pattern and the Lettering pattern, centering each pattern so that all looks balanced. I can see through the fabric enough to lightly trace the outline of the mascot onto the fabric. I also trace the "A Phi Mu Lives Here" lightly onto the white fabric.

Once I have the basic lines traced, I paint the design and the words with my acrylic paints.

After the paint is dried thoroughly, I "set" the paint with an iron set on the WOOL setting. I put a piece of white paper over the painted design and run the iron over the white paper for about 15 seconds. (NOTE: This ironing allows the painted fabric to be permanent, not washing out if you need to wash it in the washing machine.)

Then comes the SEWING:

I pin ends of the ribbon to the top edge of the painted white fabric rectangle.

With right sides together, I pin the back and the front of the pillow together.

Using a straight stitch, I stitch the front to the back, catching the ribbon ends in the seam, and leaving and opening of 2-3 inches for turning.

I turn the pillow right side out, using a knitting needle to push out the corners crisply.

I iron the pillow to get out wrinkles from turning it.

Then I stuff the sorority pillow with fiberfil and whip stitch the opening closed.

That's it!

Sorority Gifts

These STUFFED GREEK LETTER PILLOWS are over a foot tall (approximately 12 to 14 inches).  They have sturdy white cotton fabric on the back and are stuffed with poly fiberfil.  The Phi Mu set has cute white satin bows with foam sparkle pink butterflies placed on each Greek letter.

The eBay seller is offering a FREE bonus!!......... a sorority pin pillow in the same fabric adorned with the same type bow and butterfly perfect to keep your sorority pin safe. This looks like a beautiful set.

There are plastic hangers sewn on the back of the letters so you can hang these letters on the wall. Of course, they would be so cute just laying on your bed as pillows or on a shelf.

For your Do-it-Yourselfers, consider making some letter pillows yourself!

You need some paper a little larger than the size pillows that you want to make.

On the paper sketch your Greek Letters with a pencil making them a little bigger than you want the pillows to be (because when you sew the pillow together it will look smaller than it does on the pattern).  After drawing the pattern, be sure to add a seam allowance of at least 1/2 inch.

Pin pattern to your fabric.  Cut out two layers for front & back. With right sides together, sew layers together leaving an opening for turning.  Turn right side out.  Then stuff your Greek letter with soft fiberfil.   Sew close the opening that was used for turning.

The easiest letters to make would be those without holes like Gamma or Chi since you can do most of the sewing on a sewing machine.  If you make letters with holes, like Phi or Theta, you will have to cut out the holes after you sew the outside letter edges together.  The edges of the holes will need to be finished with hand sewing.

Comments are welcome!  If anyone tries to make your Greek Letters into pillows, please leave a comment with further suggestions on how you did it.  You'll help someone else with your experience and ideas.