How to Make a Basic Box Cushion

You may not know this but I was a seamstress long before I was a draftsman or DIYer. I made most of my clothes in high school, as well as most of my kids clothes before they decided that it was uncool to have Mom make their clothes! I’ve done quite a few upholstery projects involving furniture and car interiors.

Today, I’ll share a few steps to making a basic box cushion using basic sewing skills and no zipper installation involved! Just for the record – the reason I am using Sketchup drawings is because I do not have the greatest photography skills and I figured I could explain things much better with a plan drawing!

Materials:

• Cushion or foam (use a bread knife to cut the foam)
• Fabric of your choice – Duck cloth, canvas, or drapery fabrics work best for cushions because of the durability
• Hook and Loop tape (Velcro)
• Measuring tape or yardstick
• Coordinating thread

Click on the drawings for a larger view!

1. Start by measuring the the cushion or piece of foam to be covered. Add 1″ to the overall length and width for the seam allowance. I recommend covering the foam or cushion with Dacron upholstery batting to help round the edges of the foam and give it a fuller look.

2. Cut a strip of fabric as wide as the foam or cushion plus 1″ (for the seam allowance) and as long as the measurement from the center of the side, across the front edge, to the center of the opposite side plus 1″.

3. Cut two strips the same length as the first strip but the width of each piece will be half of the thickness of the foam or cushion plus 1-1/2″. This will create a flap where the pieces will overlap at the back and be secured with the hook and loop tape.

4. Starting with the two strips for the flap, fold one long edge over on each piece by 1″ and sew in place. Cut pieces of the hook and loop tape and stitch in place along the length of each piece. One side of the tape will be sewn to the front side of the flap at the hem and the other side of the tape will be stitched to the back side of the flap at the hem.

5. Layer the flap pieces pressing the hook and loop tape pieces together. Pin the short edges of the flap to the short edges of the remaining long strip. Sew with a 1/2″ seam.

6. Pin the seam of the strip to either the top or bottom piece starting at the center of the side with the right sides together. When a corner is reached, make a 1/2″ clip into the edge of the strip so it will lay smooth around the corner. Once the strip is pinned in place, stitch with a 1/2″ seam. Repeat for the remaining piece.

7. Open the flap by pulling the hook and loop tape apart and turn the cover right side out. Insert the foam or cushion.

Voila!! You’ve made a simple box cushion!

Any questions? Let me know! Email me at cher {at} designsbystudioc {dot} com or designsbystudioc {at} gmail {dot} com!

Until next time,

Happy Creating!!