How to Make Homemade Photo Quilts
Photo quilts can make nice gifts for yourself or someone else in your family. You can give photo quilts as gifts to your family for Christmas, or for celebrating a graduation, anniversary, or marriage. If you are making the photo quilt for someone else, be sure to use pictures from over the years and their favorite colors to make it even more personal.
- Select the photos you want to use on your photo quilt. The best types of photos to use on a photo quilt are close up pictures made of high quality. You can use a digital camera to take pictures for your quilt, or you can scan pictures you already have. Use a photo editing software on your computer to enhance the pictures, such as removing the red eye. Resize and crop the photos so each pictures is the same resolution and size.
- Purchase photo transfer fabric sheets at a crafts store. You will use these sheets to print pictures from a printer, and then transfer the pictures onto the photo transfer fabric sheets. You can purchase a kit that includes a program to help you with the transfers.
- Cut the squares for your quilt the same size as your photos. Decide on how many photos you will be using to make your photo quilt. Each square can by 6 X 6. Make sure you leave enough room for the seams, so you would need each to be approximately 6 ½ inches. You can alternate solid squares and photo squares, or place them side-by-side.
- Sew the squares together using a sewing machine. Allow each square to have a ½ to ¼-inch seam. Sew them in the pattern you decided on. When you are finished sewing the squares together, place a layer of batting on the back of the squares. Put the back of the quilt on top of the batting. You can use a sold back or it can also be squares. Pin the layers and sew the edges together to seal the quilt.