I was tasked with re-covering the smelliest and ugliest RV cushions. I wanted them to be removable but not have to worry about the headaches of sewing a zipper - so made these little pocket cushion covers, and you can too!
SUPPLIES:
Seam ripper
Foam w/ cotton batting on one side
Pins
Fabric Scissors
Sewing machine
Thread
Bobbin
Bobbin threader
Sew-on snap buttons (if you have an extra long cushion)
Before. Gross.
STEPS:
1.) Use a seam ripper to take off your old cushion covers. (It’s MUCH cheaper if you can find already existing cushions; foam + cotton batting can get expensive). Carefully put the seam ripper between a seam and pull up. Continue along until you’re able to slip the old fabric off.
2.) Lay out your cushion on the ground. Fold your new fabric over it. You want an overlap of about 2 inches of fabric in the center, so use your pins or draw a line with chalk so you know where to cut. Cut your piece of fabric.
3.) Fold your right side up of fabric on this center edge over approximately 1/2 an inch to create a hem. Pin along this line on both sides. Sew along the pins. Repeat for both sides.
4.) Place your fabric back around your cushion, but this time, inside out. Overlap the hems you just sewed. Pin into place on the cushion to help with next step.
5.) On either small end, pin in a straight line two inches down from the top of the cushion, parallel to it. Repeat on both sides (you can cut off the extra fabric you have at this point on the ends).
6.) Take the cushion out. Lay it flat to make sure your line is straight and you don’t have any folds in the fabric you don’t want. Sew along the pins on both sides.
7.) Place your fabric on your cushion again, still inside out. Pin a straight line at all four corners, perpendicular to the seam you just sewed. Make sure you pin the depth of the cushion. Remove fabric. Sew each line.
8.) Flip the fabric right side out, and place it back on your cushion. You may have to bend it because it should be tight fitting. You’re done!! (Unless your cushion is really long, like one of mine was. I sewed three snap buttons to make sure the fabric stayed tight and closed).
Upholstery fabric I found. $9.99 a yard is a pretty good price for this heavy duty fabric!
Step 2, after I seam-ripped my old fabric off. I folded the edges up so there was approximately two inches of overlap.
How the back side should look at the end. The foam is overlapped and completely covered. Notice, it’s not perfectly straight!! I don’t always love exactly measuring, but luckily, this works fine for a side no one will see!
How the edges look.
If you want a video version, check out my tutorial on Instagram.
And that’s it! A perfectly imperfect, but pretty simple/functional way to update some old cushions.