Creating a Bench Coushion
Years ago I purchased a metal bench from Pier 1 Imports that came with a bedroom set. I have since gotten rid of the other components but the bench I have kept in my foyer. I made a makeshift bench cushion cover a while back but since it was a trial cushion (made with a cardboard base) it didn't make it through the move from Atlanta, GA to Boston, MA.
My husband and I downsized from our 3-bedroom house in Atlanta to a 2-bedroom apartment in Boston. We are also expecting our first child, so every bit of space and furniture counts. Thus, with empty foyer and a useful bench, I decided that I'd re-cover my cushions (the right way) and put my bench to better use.
I'm sure there are more professional ways of creating a bench cushion but here's the super easy way I did it. Tools you'll need:
- Tape measure
- Scissors
- Staple gun
- Foam cushion(s)
- Plywood
- Batting
- Fabric of your choice
- Dressmaker Pins - Optional
First you want to measure the seating section of the bench that you are looking to cover. My bench measured at about 47 3/4" wide (from left to right), by 17 1/4" deep (from front to back). Since I am the queen of coupons I used a 40% off coupon from Joann Fabrics to purchase my fabric which was regularly $34.99/yard. My husband chose the fabric pattern (he did well). I was able to find an alternative fabric that was on sale for 40% off of $8.99/yard, so since it was a steal, I picked that one up as well in case I want to chane the look in the future. I purchased 1 yard of each but you may want more to allow for a small margin of error or if you want to make matching pillows/curtains.
I also used a coupon to purchase a staple gun and batting by the yard from Joann's. The batting was an inexpensive kind costing under $5/yard. I purchased a yard and a half of batting and had extra left over. Since I already had my cushions, I didn't need to purchase it but when I did buy it, I obtained it from Joann's also. These can be a little pricey depending on the thickness and where you get it from. You will find a variety of thicknesses, lengths and level firmness. Since mine will be in the foyer where it will be used to put on and take off shoes, I opted for a semi-thick but not couch thick cushion, so about a 3" thickness worked for me.
To give your bench structural integrity and to have something to secure your material you'll need plywood for the base (not cardboard like my first time around). I went to Lowe's Home Improvement to obtain the wood. I was able to find a 5.2MM 2'X4' Lauan Plywood for $5.92. Lowe's doesn't charge a cutting fee so I was able to get them to cut it down from its original size to my desired size. Be prepared to, however, find a way to dispose of any remaining plywood, as they will not. Hey, make it another art project (have them cut the remaining section into equal parts and create an art piece).
The nice gentleman cutting my wood down to size. ***Remember to measure twice (or three or four), cut once*** I measured once and ended up giving him a depth a little shorter than what I would have liked but I made it work.
When I originally obtained my cushions its was less expensive to buy two blocks, however, working with one solid piece is easier and less likely to shift position. But if you have two pieces like me, simply make sure your batting and fabric are secure enough to keep them from shifting. Also, you may want to even find some type of glue that will adhere to both the cushion and the wood. Sorry, I don't have any suggestions here but a craft store surely will.
With your wood under your cushion(s), center your batting over the top of your cushion(s) allowing for enough batting to cover the sides of your cushion (mine was about 3") plus about 1 1/2" to 2" over the wood.
Here, you may want to use dressmaker pins to secure you batting into place. This is optional but it helps maintain a smooth and secure surface for you batting and fabric. Just remember to remove them once your staples are in.
Here you can see where leaving that extra length allows you room to staple the batting onto the board, thus, securing your cushion(s) in place. Be sure to have a snug fit when stapling your material to your board. I stapled about every 2-3 inches.
When I got to the corners I pretty much used a gift wrapping technique and cut off the excess material after stapling.
Here's what mine looked like after the batting was in place. My cutting job wasn't perfect but it doesn't have to be at this point since it will be covered by fabric.
Following the same techniques I did for the batting, I centered and used dressmaker pins to secure the fabric.
To make my lines pretty, and to cover the imperfections of my cutting job on the batting, I folded the edges of the material on the base, tucking the batting in between the folds.
I then proceeded to staple my material and batting to the board. I stapled in about 2 inch intervals.
Again, I used a gift-wrapping method for the corners (you can see this more clearly here). Once fully stapled, remove your dressmaker pins...
And the finished product...
