This year’s local gift-or-gag idea comes from the good people at Pillow Mob, who have a pillow-making operation over in the Pike/Pine corridor on Capitol Hill. You have to see it to believe it, but they’re printing 180-dpi photos on throw pillows, and the results are hilarious, creepy, and cute, depending on how you play it.

Currently you have your choice of oval (7 x 11 inches) or circular (9 x 9 inches) pillows, made from a machine-washable polyester shell and filling. They print out your photo (you upload it at their site) on one side, you choose a color/pattern for the reverse, and they sew the two pieces together. Because the oval is almost-to-scale face-sized, with a good crop, the pillow looks like a disembodied head. People making funny faces come off well, as do cute widdle kittums.

Surprisingly, even a kiwi fruit looks terrific. The photo-realistic detail you get from the 180-dpi printing opens up a whole range of creative options, when it comes to things that are oval and circular. How about a doughnut? Now you can have pillows that match your plates, for instance. Like that pattern you see on the street? Snap a picture and print it up (just make sure it’s in good light–Pillow Mob says shots with shadows don’t look great).

The pillows are $25 each, and because they’re taking off as a holiday gift idea, you’re now being promised delivery by January 11 if you order today.