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how to make a seat cushion
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Make Seat Cushions

Learn how to make chair cushions with this easy tutorial! You'll need basic sewing machine skills to ensure success.
Course Sewing Crafts
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours 50 minutes
Total Time 3 hours
Servings 1 cushion
Cost $10

Equipment

Ingredients

  • Fabric for Cushion about a half yard will do for most small to medium size chairs
  • Fabric Scraps or Ribbon/Trim for Ties
  • Fabric Scraps for Buttons
  • Fiber Fill

Instructions

  • Measure the chair seat. Add two inches to both the length and width - one inch (for a half-inch seam allowance on each side) plus one inch for the puff factor.
    Piece of fabric laying on a table with a pair of scissors
  • Once you decide on the size, cut two pieces, one front and one back. Stack the pieces together and fold in half. Cut the bottom edge to be rounded.
    Rounding the bottom edge of a piece of fabric with a pair of scissors
  • Cut two ties to be 20"x 2".
    Two strips of polka dot fabric on top of the cushion fabric
  • If you are using ribbon or trim, skip this step. To make the ties, start by folding your tie in half lengthwise right sides together and press. Stitch all the way along the side and across the top.
    Folding polka dot fabric in half lengthwise
  • Turn the tie right side out. Fold a little of the open in to the inside and stitch across the end, closing up the open end.
    Pushing a dowel rod into a fabric tube
  • Cut tie in half. Repeat with other tie.
    Cutting a tie in half with a pair of scissors
  • Pin your ties in between the front and back piece. The front and back should be right sides together. Pin the ties about an inch and a half in from the sides.
    Make sure the ties are facing in towards the center of the cushion and the raw edges are lined up at the back. You need two ties on the right side and two at the left on what will be your back seam. Pin it all together.
    Fabric ties pinned to the front and back of the cushion fabric
  • Stitch across the back then pivot and stitch down the side, across the bottom, up the other side and then across the back until right past the left set of ties. You should have an opening left in the back between the ties for stuffing.
    Sewing the fabric on a sewing machine
  • Clip corners and curves close to the seam.
    Clipping the corners of a seat cushion close to the seams
  • Turn your cushion right side out.
    Turning a seat cushion right side out
  • Stuff your cushion with polyfill or other stuffing of your choice. Stitch up the opening in the back with your hand needle and thread using a blind stitch, ladder stitch, or a whip stitch. You can leave your cushion like this or you can add buttons.
    Stuffing the open end of cushion with polyfill
  • To make covered buttons, cut a piece of fabric with the template included in your kit. Then follow the instructions for your kit to assemble the button(s).
    Fabric and covered button assembly
  • Measure and mark where you want your buttons to go. Mark the placement on the front and back of the cushion.
    Placing a dot for the button using a fabric pen
  • Bring your threaded needle up from the bottom through the marked spot.
    Sewing a button through a chair cushion using thread and a needle
  • Thread the button on the needle and then bring the needle back down through to the back side. Then repeat a few stitches.
    Fingers pulling thread through fabric
  • Pull the thread tightly so that the button sinks into the pillow. Tie off the thread with a couple of knots.
    Button on a chair pad with ties
  • Clip the excess. Repeat with your other buttons. Finish by tying your cushion to the chair.
    how to make chair cushions

Video

Notes

Step 1: My seat was 15 x 17", so I wanted my fabric to be 17 x 19".
Step 15: Instructions for my kit were to place the fabric right side down into the rubber cup. insert the top of the button face down into the cup. Gather the fabric into the back side of the button front.
Place the button back shank side up onto the gathered fabric in the back side of the button front. Press the back of the button into the cup with the little plastic piece that the kit includes. You should feel it snap together. Remove button from the cup. Repeat with your other buttons. I made four.