GLOW IN THE DARK MONSTER PILLOWS

When I was a kid in the 80s and 90s, my mom would occasionally buy me crafty supplies to keep me busy.  I remember at least two occasions when she bought me iron-on transfers and puffy paint to decorate T-shirts or pillowcases or whatever else I could get my hands on.  I am not sure that I have used puffy paint since those days, and I don’t know why!  It is so fun to use and it gives you immediate crafty satisfaction!  When I had a chance to try out Tulip glow paint to make a Halloween project, I was super geeked to try my puffy paint skills again to make some glow in the dark monster pillows.

Tulip Glow-in-the-Dark Fabric Paints help make your Halloween projects stand out by day and by night.  You can use them on fabric, foam pumpkins, glass, metal, and wood, so all your Halloween projects can glow!  I used a slightly different technique with the paint to create these fun glowing monster eye pillows, but if you can paint with a paint brush you can make them too!

I found some black material in my stash and sewed up some quick accent pillows.  Three straight lines and you’re done.

Next, I sketched out my spooky eye shapes using a washable black marker. 

I added the glow-in-the dark fabric paint INSIDE of the lines I drew onto the pillow.

Then I used a paint brush to spread that paint all over the interior of my eye shapes.  I let the first coat dry and then added a second coat to make sure the paint would really glow.

After the second coat of paint was dry, I stuffed the pillows and hand sewed the open seam closed.

My thought process was that I could add the natural glow-in-the-dark paint to the fabric, and it wouldn’t show much.  I think if I had used a shinier fabric, that would have worked out.  In the end the difference in the sheens between the faux suede fabric and the dried paint make the eyes visible even in the daylight.  I don’t really mind that you can tell they are Halloween pillows in the daylight though.

I chose to make one set of large eyes on each pillow, but you could go crazy and do a half dozen pairs of little monster eyes too.

The pillows soak up the sunshine during the day and then at night…

…the monster eyes come out to play!

In order to capture the glowing pillows with my camera, I exposed the glow paint to a black light before I snapped these pictures.  Sunlight will make them glow in the dark, but not in a way that my camera lens can see.

If you want an especially spooky look that lasts all Halloween night, you can shine a black light onto the glow paint.  The paint reacts really well it and you don’t have to worry about the glow wearing off before all your party guests arrive.

I don’t usually decorate for Halloween, just because I love decorating for Fall so much, but I think these pillows are great.  They are fun and spooky at night, but aren’t cheap looking during the day.

I Love to Create is a fabulous source for craft supplies and fantastic project ideas.  Be sure to follow them on facebook, twitter, and pinterest to stay up to date!  Are you geeked to try out the glow-in-the-dark fabric paint?  It is really fun to use, and the paint will give you fantastic results even if you are a beginning crafter.  What cool Halloween applications can you think of for the paint?  Check out all these ideas from other creative bloggers.