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Dropcloth Floor Cushion (Using Fabric Scraps)

Today’s contributor is Kimberly from Straight Stitch Designs.  All posts written by Kimberly for Make It and Love It can be found HERE.

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Hi everyone, I’m Kimberly from Straight Stitch Designs and I can’t even believe it has already been a month since my last post.

Originally I planned to share something holiday-related with all of you this month but then realized I am drowning in fabric scraps and sure to amass even more during my Christmas sewing projects – so why not share something that will use up those scraps you have lying around?

This project has been on my to-do list for so long I am ecstatic to finally have it complete.  Let me introduce you to my new Dropcloth Floor Cushion, using fabric scraps as the filling.

 

A dropcloth from my local hardware store was the perfect material for the floor cushion.  It is heavy-duty to contain all those fabric scraps and sure to be durable for the beating my kids and their friends will give it.

Dropcloth Floor Cushion (Using Fabric Scraps) |via Make It and Love It
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The best part about this cushion is that the size can be customized for whatever size you need.  The one thing I discovered is that by making it so large it became about as easy to move as a futon, so just remember a bunch of fabric scraps are not easy to lift.

 

The supplies you need for this project are minimal – in fact, you really only have to buy the dropcloth:

  • 1 dropcloth from your local hardware store
  • Fabric scraps
  • Basic sewing supplies (here’s a great list of common sewing supplies, in case you need a few ideas)

***For additional help, check out this Sewing Terms 101 post.

 

You are going to start by folding your dropcloth so that you are working with a square of fabric.  Start by folding down the top edge so that it forms a triangle.  Once you do that you can cut the rest of the drop cloth off, so you aren’t working with as much fabric for the rest of the folding.

Take the top right edge and fold it down towards the bottom left corner. This leaves you with the first triangle folded in half.

You will be folding your triangle in half again by taking the left corner and bringing it all the way over to the right corner.

 

Now that you have your dropcloth all folded you are ready to cut.  Start by determining how big you want your cushion.  I knew I had a bunch of fabric scraps so I was going for a huge cushion both my kiddos could hang out on.  Mine ended up being 23″ from the point to where I started cutting.

By cutting straight from the folded edge and then curving up as you cut towards the right you end up with more of a rounded rectangle shape, perfect for lounging kids.

Repeat the process of folding and cutting with a second piece so you have a top and bottom to your cushion.  I found it easiest to cut and fold another triangle and then use the first piece as a pattern for your curve so they would be the same size.

 

Now that you have your top and bottom cut out you need to measure the circumference of your piece to get the measurement needed for the outside edge and add seam allowance, I chose 5/8″.  Since mine was giant it required two strips of fabric to make it all the way around the cushion.  Each of my pieces was 6″ tall giving the cushion a great amount of depth.

Once you have your side pieces cut out sew them together so you form a circle.

 

The cutting out of fabric is definitely the hardest part of this project.  Now to the easy part.

Starting anywhere you would like on the cushion pin the side piece to either your top or bottom piece with right sides together.  The process you will be following is almost exactly what you did when making the cat bag I shared, except you will go all the way around instead of just along the bottom.

With the side piece sewn completely around the top piece you are ready to sew the bottom piece on.  As you did with the top, you will put right sides together lining up the raw edges of the side and bottom piece.  Make sure to leave a 4″ opening so you can flip the cushion right sides out and fill with scraps.

This is the fun part.  Grab your bags of scraps from the closets and cupboards and start stuffing them in the cushion.  Keep stuffing until it is nice and full.  In my case I managed to use every last scrap I had in the house, as you can probably tell from the pictures it was a lot of scraps.

The final thing you have to do is hand sew the opening closed.  I chose to do a blind stitch so that it wouldn’t show, and if you are unfamiliar with how to do a blind stitch, make sure to check out this post for all the pointers.

Now you have a finished dropcloth floor cushion (using fabric scraps) for your kids to get cozy on when watching their favourite show.

Want to know a little trick for managing your future fabric scraps?

I made a smaller version out of the rest of the drop cloth that can sit at the end of my cutting table.  Now whenever I have new fabric scraps I can just put them right into another floor cushion.  Once it is full I can do a quick blind stitch and be done.  I have found it is a great way to keep your sewing room looking a little bit more organized than fabric scraps everywhere.

 

I hope you and your kids love your new Dropcloth Floor Cushion.

-Kimberly

 

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We love when you can re-purpose something old and create something NEW, USEFUL, and FUN!

Check out some of our past favorite re-purposing projects that you are sure to love:

Kimberly P

Kimberly P has contributed 6 articles on https://makeit-loveit.com since June 29, 2015.

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Hi, I’m Ashley—the DIY-enthusiast behind this crazy blog!

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