You've got to see how they're made.
By Lindsey Ramsey, House Beautiful
Succulents are having a moment. First came these teeny little guys, then there was succulent bouquets for wedding season, and now that it's getting colder, we're ready to get cozy with these absolutely stunning succulent pillows. Seriously, when I first saw these I was so confused—how could that be a pillow? It looks so real.
The "how" comes from Etsy artist Sabine Herrmann. Sabine got the idea for her shop, Plantillo, about six years ago when she was out on a hike in her Northern California neighborhood.
"I just love the Californian landscape, so I would go on hikes with my camera and I came across an amazing-looking succulent," Sabine says. "I took a picture of it, and started playing with it in Photoshop. When I zoomed in, it looked so crazy that I thought 'I've got to do something with it.'"
Sabine decided the photo was too cool for a simple print, so she decided to order the photo printed on fabric. Since she'd always liked sewing she decided to make a regular square pillow out of her photo, but soon realized that wasn't good enough.
"I really wanted it to feel like the real thing, so I got the idea of making the pillow in the actual shape of the plant," Sabine says. "It actually works out well for me because I don't have to sew a straight line. The first time I did it I could tell right away it was special. They become so alive."
Once the photo is printed, the process is fairly simple: Sabine traces the shape of the plant on the underside of the photo-printed fabric, sews it to linen (for the back of the pillow), and then sews along her traced line. Once the shape is cut along the seam, she stuffs the pillows with an unconventional piece of equipment—a leaf blower.
Besides succulents in various shapes and colors —the cactus poof is also genius—Sabine also makes acorn, sand dollar, leaves, logs and flower pillows. Her store also offers aprons, bags, and even mini versions of her popular pillows.
"People are busy; they don't get to go outside as much," Sabine says. "These pillows are a great way of surrounding yourself with nature. If you can't make it outside, you can bring it into your home, you know."
Succulents are having a moment. First came these teeny little guys, then there was succulent bouquets for wedding season, and now that it's getting colder, we're ready to get cozy with these absolutely stunning succulent pillows. Seriously, when I first saw these I was so confused—how could that be a pillow? It looks so real.
The "how" comes from Etsy artist Sabine Herrmann. Sabine got the idea for her shop, Plantillo, about six years ago when she was out on a hike in her Northern California neighborhood.
"I just love the Californian landscape, so I would go on hikes with my camera and I came across an amazing-looking succulent," Sabine says. "I took a picture of it, and started playing with it in Photoshop. When I zoomed in, it looked so crazy that I thought 'I've got to do something with it.'"
Sabine decided the photo was too cool for a simple print, so she decided to order the photo printed on fabric. Since she'd always liked sewing she decided to make a regular square pillow out of her photo, but soon realized that wasn't good enough.
"I really wanted it to feel like the real thing, so I got the idea of making the pillow in the actual shape of the plant," Sabine says. "It actually works out well for me because I don't have to sew a straight line. The first time I did it I could tell right away it was special. They become so alive."
Once the photo is printed, the process is fairly simple: Sabine traces the shape of the plant on the underside of the photo-printed fabric, sews it to linen (for the back of the pillow), and then sews along her traced line. Once the shape is cut along the seam, she stuffs the pillows with an unconventional piece of equipment—a leaf blower.
Besides succulents in various shapes and colors —the cactus poof is also genius—Sabine also makes acorn, sand dollar, leaves, logs and flower pillows. Her store also offers aprons, bags, and even mini versions of her popular pillows.
"People are busy; they don't get to go outside as much," Sabine says. "These pillows are a great way of surrounding yourself with nature. If you can't make it outside, you can bring it into your home, you know."
See more at: House Beautiful
