:: When daddy deploys, little hearts need a little extra…a little extra love, extra hugs, extra grace. It’s a big deal. There will be missed birthdays, missed Saturday morning snuggles, and missed cheers at the t-ball game.

If you are a military family, you get it. We get it. We prayed for our oldest son as he kissed his baby girl goodbye and returned a year later to a toddler. We prayed for our middle son as he left for Afghanistan, knowing his girls would decorate the Christmas tree without him that year. God bless their wives for holding it all together, even through lonely nights, exhausting days, and lots of tears. They are homefront warriors.

“The Lord your God is among you, a warrior who saves. He will rejoice over you with gladness. He will be quiet in his love. He will delight in you with singing.” (Zephaniah 3:17)

When Kohl (our middle son) prepared for his first deployment, their girls were just three and almost-two, and they lived nine hours away from the support of extended family. It would be a challenge, for sure. A couple weeks before the deployment, Tim and I traveled to Arkansas to spend some time with them, and I had plans to make a “deployment pillow” for each of the girls while we were there. [Instructions for making these pillows is below.]

On one side is a photo of themselves with Daddy and a pocket from one of his retired uniforms, where they would keep letters and other keepsakes. The other side is made from Daddy’s soccer jersey; a jersey the girls chose from his closet. (They loved that part!) I used the front of the shirt for one pillow and the back for the other.

These pillows didn’t protect the girls from missing their daddy or keep away the tears. But, they did give them something special to cuddle with when they felt sad and it was a small way to keep daddy close as they fell asleep.

Oh HAPPY DAY!

Seven months after saying goodbye — one Christmas, one anniversary, two birthdays, and many challenges later — daddy returned home and it was a VERY HAPPY DAY!

Six years later

Six years later, the girls still keep the deployment pillows on their beds as a small token of a hard time they only vaguely remember, but will never really forget.

How to make your own deployment pillow

The supplies and steps below show you how to make the pillows pictured above, but the options are really endless. For example, if you’re not a seamstress, simply adhere a photo and pocket to a premade pillow. Voila! Don’t want to print a photo on transfer paper? No problem, simply tuck one inside the pocket. See? Endless options! The purpose is for your little ones to have a special item, all their own, to cuddle with and to hold special items from their military member during deployment. Here are the steps I took when making the pillows pictured above.

Supplies:

  • 12×16″ Pillow form (about $5 at Walmart or Amazon)
  • Patriotic bandana (about $2 at Hobby Lobby or Walmart)
  • T-shirt from the military member
  • Pocket from a military uniform (I used one of our son’s old ones; also available at military surplus stores)
  • Photo printed on transfer paper for dark fabrics (10-packs are about $10 from Walmart or Amazon)
  • Iron & thread

STEP ONE: Choose a T-shirt

I asked our son to choose a few t-shirts from his closet that he would be willing to part with. Next, the girls chose a favorite shirt, which they enjoyed a lot! The t-shirt became the fabric for the back of the pillow and, because it’s daddy’s shirt, it makes the pillow extra special and extra personal. If you are unable to get a t-shirt, simply purchase an extra bandana or skip the bandana altogether and go for a premade, travel pillowcase.

STEP TWO: Cut the Fabric

Choose the best part of the bandana and t-shirt, and cut rectangles that are 14×18 inches.

STEP THREE: Add a Photo

Take or find a photo of the child with their military member. Print the photo onto transfer paper and follow the directions for ironing the photo onto the bandana. I used some black puff paint around the edge of the photo.

STEP FOUR: Add the Pocket

Cut pocket off of the uniform and adhere next to the photo. This can be done by sewing it or by using a hot glue gun. The pocket is a perfect place to store letters, photos, or special treasures that keep memories close. I also used a permanent marker to write some words on the pocket.

STEP FIVE: Sew and stuff

Put right sides of fabric together and sew three sides, leaving one end open.

Turn right sides out and insert the pillow. Finally, hand stitch to close the open end of the pillowcase. When your pillow is finished, I would love to see it! Please consider sharing a photo on The Laughing Grandma Facebook page.

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