Address Pillow with Vintage French House Numbers

I have a fun and easy DIY project today…a pillow sporting my address (or yours) in vintage French house number plaques!

It was a beautiful afternoon, so the staff joined me outside for the photos…and Baby Kitty took full advantage of the nice weather for a quick game of “Lion King” among the junipers! He does look regal, doesn’t he?

If you follow my blog, you know I seem to have a thing lately about French house numbers like these…

…and these…

…and I even made my own version of the hotel/apartment number plaques! But, alas, both kinds are expensive and hard to find. In France, you have to get them from the mayor’s office to match your address. And the online suppliers are all out of the country and their plaques are costly!

Sooo…I decided to make my own version of the house numbers as well and add them to a pillow. Here’s what I did:
First, I made a blank version of the plaques. Now all I needed was to add my house numbers! I used the Modern No. 20 font because it looked the frenchiest to me. Then I flipped the numbers so that they were backwards and printed the plaques on iron-on transfer paper. My printer allows for creating mirror images or you can use a photo editing program.

Next, I cut out the numbers and ironed them on according to package directions. (One piece of advice…iron until you think it’s enough and then iron some more!) I used some drop cloth  left-over from another project, so my pillow was all but free!
Then I drew lines for the stripes I wanted to add, edged the lines with duct tape…although painter’s tape would be fine. I just seem to have lots of duct tape! I filled in the lines with fabric paint…a half and half mix of soft black and navy to match the plaques.
I finished it with an envelope enclosure (directions here) and popped in a down insert from Goodwill…under $3.00.

I have four numbers in my address, so I arranged them in a checkered pattern. You could use any shape pillow and any pattern that works with your address.

And here it is! I plan to move it to the front porch later when I find the just right bench or little chair, but for now it is on my patio! And..hey!…I got my French house numbers at last…and without the hefty price tag!

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you enjoyed a little peek at my French house number address pillow! Please visit these wonderful bloggers and their beautiful blogs to see what they are up to and to find a list of this week’s participants!
Stephanie Lynn at Under the Table and Dreaming for the Sunday Showcase Party
Sarah at Thrifty Decor Chick for Before and After Monday (first Monday of the month)
Mary at Boogieboard Cottage for Masterpiece Monday
Susan at Between Naps on the Porch for Metamorphosis Monday
Marty at A Stroll Thru Life for Tabletop Tuesday
Beth at The Stories of A2Z for Tutorials and Tips Tuesday
Linda at Coastal Charm for Nifty Thrifty Tuesday
Anita at Cedar Hill Ranch for Cowgirl Up on Tuesdays
Kristin at My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia for Tuesday's Treasures
Kim at Savvy Southern Style for Wow Us Wednesdays
Judy at DIY by Design for Swing into Spring
Gina at The Shabby Creek Cottage for Transformation Thursdays
Sherry at No Minimalist Here for the Open House Party on Thursdays
Cindy at My Romantic Home for Show and Tell Friday
Courtney at French Country Cottage for Feathered Nest Friday
Honey at 2805 for Potpourri Friday
Heather and Vanessa at At the Picket Fence for Inspiration Friday
Debra at Common Ground for Vintage Inspiration Friday
Sherry at The Charm of Home for Home Sweet Home Friday
Donna at Funky Junk Interiors for Saturday Nite Special
See you next time! A la prochaine!