How To Sew Bench Cushions Step-By-Step

Custom upholstery can be very costly, as it is well known. Because of this, it’s usually worthwhile to spend the time creating something yourself, like a bench seat cushion. You can probably make your own bench seat cushion much more quickly and cheaply than you imagine, and you can achieve any desired appearance.

The bench seat can be very hard and uncomfortable. Many bench seat cushion designs can help to sit more comfortably and the seat cushions can beautify the sitting area and the house.

Just observe how your additional cushion improves the general bench seat experience. The best thing about cushions is that they are furniture tasks that even someone with no formal training in interior design or sewing can complete on their own.

Your bench seat cushion is ready for you with just a few cutting and stitching steps. You can learn how to sew bench cushions by reading this article. Once you’ve done that, it’s time to sew the DIY bench cushion.

What should be considered before sewing a DIY bench cushion?

Although they are no more difficult to create than a straightforward pillow cover, box cushions, and window seat cushions can offer so much elegance and comfort to a bench.

It would be helpful if you decide on a few things before starting this project. Always consider patterned linings, if any, before sewing to avoid seam fraying. This will make a bench cushion relatively easy to make. Save money by following this guide and making yourself a beautiful DIY bench cushion.

What is required to craft a foam pillow by hand?

To give the homemade bench seat cushion a firm feel, I used a 3″ thick section of cushioning foam. Buy a piece of foam that is at least as long and as thick as the seat of your bench. If it is too big when you purchase it, you can cut it to size, so don’t worry about it.

For the seat cushion, I used a softly textured upholstery fabric. Home fabrics are an option because they are a little stronger and thicker.

What do you need to make a foam cushion with your own hands?

• Cushioning foam cushion. I used a 3″ thick foam piece to give the DIY bench seat cushion a firm feel. Be sure to buy a piece of styrofoam that is at least as long and deep as your bench seat.
• The upholstery fabric of your choice. I used lightly textured upholstery fabric for the bench cushion. You can use home textiles as they are slightly thicker and stronger.
• Sewing machine.
• Needle and thread.
• Roulette and ruler.
• Scissors.
• Electric knife or hacksaw for cutting foam.
• Spray adhesive.
• Foam bench seat cushion.
• Beginning with the upholstery cushion insert measurement.
• The chair or seat’s dimensions.

Read also: Measuring Tools in Sewing and Cutting Tools in Sewing

You will require the cushion’s breadth, depth, and height. Check out the various sizes of foam trays that are easily available online. Based on this knowledge, choose a foam measurement. I decided on a 1″ height at first but later changed to a 2″ soft foam support cushion (24 x 72 x 2″) from JoAnn Fabrics.

How to cut cushion foam?

Cut the foam according to your dimensions. Mark the cutting lines with a Sharpie marker while using the ruler. To leave some little wiggle room on the finished bench cushion, it is best to take your bench measurements and subtract about an inch from each edge.

Using an electric knife to cut foam is the simplest method. If you don’t have one and the foam isn’t too dense, you can cut it with an X-acto electric knife or some sharp scissors.

When using a power knife, cut in a secure location and on a secure surface. Hold the electrified knife up and down, vertically. By the lines, cut the foam. It’s enjoyable and very simple!

The good news is that you don’t have to be perfect. A bench seat cushion cover will hide most jagged cuts or blemishes.

Another piece of good news: this will NOT destroy your electric knife. Yes, you can reuse a kitchen knife. No big deal.

Upholstery foam pad for dry installation

After you cut the upholstery foam, try it out on the bench seat to make a bench sure it fits properly. Use a cloth to cover the bench seat cushion. For a cushion cover, measure the fabric length of your cloth.

Example: The foam in my cushion is 3 inches thick and 90.5 inches long. Therefore, 90.5 + 3 = 93.5 inches.

Take the depth of your foam, the thickness of the foam, and one inch for each seam, multiplied by two to find the thickness of your cloth. Consequently, the cloth can loop itself around and form a back seam. Example: The foam in my cushion is three inches thick and 24.75 deep. Consequently, 24.75 + 3 + 1 = 28.75 x 2 = 57.5 inches.

Fabrics

Time to acquire things. If you need assistance deciding on the footage, bring a drawing and your dimensions to a fabric store.

The personnel there will assist you in determining how much fabric you’ll need and the best way to position the pattern on the fabric. Excellent upholstery materials that work well for indoor and outdoor use may be found in the home decor sections of many fabric merchants.

Consider how much of the bench will be used when shopping. Perhaps you require a cloth that can be easily cleaned or washed. For added security, you can also use a fabric protector like Scotchgard.

There are so many wonderful textiles available. Spend some time selecting the appropriate kind for your bench seat cushion cover.

Canvas

Fabric made of cotton and linen works well for pillows used inside and outside. It is resistant to the elements, flexible, and strong. Outdoor waterproof fabrics such as Sunbrella can be purchased at the farm. You can also buy long-lasting fabric protectors like Scotchgard Protectant and make your own.

Linen and cotton

Pillows are frequently made from these materials. They are washable, long-lasting, and stylish. Remember that some linen fabrics tend to wrinkle more than others, so get a sample first and see.

Synthetic materials

Microfiber and other synthetic textiles might also be good options. They are the ideal choice for high-traffic areas in your home because they are often long-lasting, washable, and robust.

Wool or silk

For low-traffic parts of your home or more aesthetic items, luxurious fabrics can be a wonderful option. These materials don’t wear out and need special dry cleaning because they are more expensive and delicate.

Determine how much fabric you will need to purchase after that. Provide the dimensions for the bench or chair, then sketch out each shape on paper and sum up all the dimensions. You’ll need seven different types of cloth for today’s pattern.

Before sewing

Take your time and prepare carefully for the steps to get the best results.

Prewash fabrics

After you buy the fabric, wash it first. This prevents future cushion cover problems. If the fabric is wrinkled after drying, ironing will make the next step easier and make the cut more precise.

Be sure to work with the perfect straight edge so you can use the fabric properly. You can trim the fabric to get a perfectly even edge. Once you have a clean straight edge, measure the thickness of the fabric and trim accordingly.

For the construction, it is suggested that the visible side of the fabric is taken from the outside so that a straight line is highlighted at one edge, and a straight edge is created at one end.

You can use staples or pins to hold the fabric in place, especially if you’re working with a short piece. Measure the fabric from edge to edge and cut it out the excess fabric.

Add zipper

To allow the cushion cover to be removed for washing, we put a zipper on the back of the cushion. My mother used an invisible flap to sew a zip in quite ingeniously! Follow these instructions:

1. Make a cloth strip that will rip like a zip by cutting it.
2. The fabric strip will be a tiny bit wider than the front and side pieces you cut. You must include an additional provision. To make a total of 6 1/4, I added 5/8′′ x 4 seam allowances (one on each side of the strip and one on each side of the zipper) if, like us, you had 3-3/4′′ thick foam.
3. This lengthy strip should be cut, folded, and then divided in half.
4. The two strips you just cut should be sewed together right sides together using a basting stitch and a seam allowance of 5/8 inch on your sewing machines.
5. Stitch the fabric’s two sides together using the proper basting stitch and a 5/8″ seam allowance.
6. Open the zipper next. The right side of the zip should be placed over the side right of the newly created seam, right side down.
7. Place the right side of the open zipper, face down, over the seam you just created, folding the right side of the seam in. Then, using the zipper foot, sew as close to the right side of the seam as you can.
8. Next, use a zipper to close it. As you will be sewing on the left side, move the zipper foot to the left. The tiny piece of fabric to the left of the zipper that you have just sewn on should be torn. Using the zipper foot, sew this flap as closely as you can to the zipper on the wrong side.
9. Sew the wrong side in this manner, close the zipper foot on the left side, and unfold the flap on the left rear side.
10. Now that the fabric has been fixed, the front of the cloth is zipped down and the zip is up. Reattach the left side zip to the left foot using sewing. Once more using the rear zipper foot, unfold everything and sew the back zipper flap.

You’ll get a straight stitch like this if you now turn the fabric inside out. All you have to do to conceal your zip is rip a seam and remove the basting thread.

Cutting the top panels to the required dimensions

Follow the same procedure on the left side of the foam fabric. Before you start drawing, make sure you have enough extra materials. Measure the thickness of your foam. Conduct a course according to the scheme for applying foam without applying a quarter from the drawn line.

Creating a siding from a top panel

Draw a line on the textile beyond the cutting line. This creates a square in each corner. Using a rotary cutter, cut the textile along the cutting line, then cut out the marked square from which you continue the lines at each corner.

Prepare the binding tape before aligning the edges and basting the box corners with the fabric side facing out. Join the box corners with a sewing machine. Use a minimum of 3/8 of the seam allowance. Mark the center of the front panel after folding each side in half. The bottom piece and top panels are aligned using these markers.

Sew the top and bottom panels together

Use scissors to cut off the excess zipper from the panel. Use basting tape to join both panels’ right sides together. Make sure the lines on both plates match. Stitching line the panels together with a 3/8 seam allowance.

Add velcro

Turn the cushion cover right side out and insert the foam into the entrance. Cut the velcro into several 5-inch lengths. Starting in the center of the cushion cover, pin each side of the velcro to the back flaps.

Place one side of the velcro on the visible side of the flap, next to the seam, and place the other part of the velcro on the back of the top flap, next to the hemmed edge. Repeat as needed depending on the cushion cover received. Carefully get the foam rubber and stitch the velcro to the fabric.

Place the foam inside the cushion cover

1. Starting at one end, grasp the corner of one end of the foam and place it as close to the inside corner of the bench cushion cover as possible.
2. Tuck the foam piece into the case and when you get to the other end, grab the corner of the foam and push/pull it into the other of the box corner as hard as you can.
3. As you progress, you’ll need a little adjustment. Make sure the box corners of the box line up with the corners of the foam and that the fabric is as flat as possible on either side of the foam.
4. Sew the back seam of the cushion for the bench with your own hands.
5. Once the foam is in the bench cushion cover and set as desired, lay it on the bench with the raw edge facing out.

Make a crease at one end

On one end of the pillowcase, fold the short edge so it lies flat against the foam as if wrapping a present.

Stitching the top flap down

1. Fold the top flap down so it’s level and secure with pins.
2. Sew the top of the diagonal seam with a needle and thread to keep the top flap flat.

Stitching the bottom flap

1. Take the bottom flap and fold the raw edge of the fabric pieces over about ½ inch.
2. Fold the bottom flap up and secure it with pins while tucking in the raw folded edge.
3. Continue along the entire length of the pillowcase.
4. Starting at one end with a needle and thread, stitching down the length of the seam using a simple stitch pattern.

After you have finished sewing, turn the finished bench cushion over so the sewn seam is facing backward.

FAQ

Conclusion

Adding cushions to your bench seat is the perfect way to introduce some softness and comfort. Well-made box cushions can add some softness and style to you at the same time.

You’re going to adore the appearance a box cushion cover like this will provide to your home, whether you make a DIY project cushion for a window seat or a bench.