Make Something Monday: Bench Cushions

I have a confession to make. Today's Make Something Monday is actually a project I did a while ago that I never got around to posting, but my new blog schedule has given me the perfect excuse.

In our old apartment we had very limited seating, so we bought this entertainment center from Ikea:

Chris didn't put the legs on or shelves in it but instead put on some wheels. That way when we were eating in front of the TV we could wheel it over and use it as a makeshift table. The only problem was that it didn't look much like a place to sit. It needed cushions.

I scoured stores looking for cushions and couldn't find anything in a pattern or color that I liked, so I decided to make my own.

I almost bought the foam at Joann's where you could have them cut it to the size you want but it turned out to be much cheaper to buy the pre-cut and prepackaged foam at Hobby Lobby. I also found the fabric that I loved there. Then, at Home Depot I bought the cheapest plywood and had them cut it to the right size for me (no extra charge) and also got a staple gun. I really loved how it turned out and they're pretty comfortable to sit on too.

Materials:
Fabric

Foam
Plywood
Staple gun and Staples
Iron
Ruler and pencil
Hot Glue Gun

1. The first step you'll really have to figure out on your own because it involves getting the right size foam, plywood and fabric. Measure your bench and decide how you want to do it. You could do multiple cushions or one long one. I'd do the cushion slightly smaller than the bench. The foam can be as thick or thin as you want it. Your fabric doesn't need to completely cover the back, just make sure it can wrap around enough to staple.


2. Measure and cut your fabric. The edges don't have to be perfect because you won't see them.

3. Iron.

4. Lay out your fabric face down. Set your foam on top of it in the center making sure that the fabric is oriented the way you want it if you have a pattern that goes a certain way (for mine it didn't matter). Set your plywood on top of that so that it's even with the foam.

5. Starting with one side just pull the fabric tight and staple it to the plywood. When you get to the last two sides you want to make sure not to pull it too tight or else you'll squish your foam down. You'll want to fold the corners in nicely like you would when you wrap a gift.

6. Now, to make sure that your cushion doesn't slide around on your bench, just squiggle some hot glue on the back and let it dry. It's the perfect non-slip texture.

Now all I need is some cute baskets to go underneath.

Now sit and enjoy!