You can make a unique piece of furniture with your own hands, which will not only be beautiful, but will also be able to refresh old chairs and stools. The most important thing is that you will not need to spend a lot of money, everything you need to sew a seat can be easily found at home. How to sew a cushion for a chair so that it pleases all household members is described in this article.
Selecting fabric and filling for chair and stool seats
At the very beginning, it is necessary to choose the right material from which the pillow will be sewn. It is worth taking durable and wear-resistant materials, such as rep, teak or satin. In the case when the furniture is planned to be used outside (in cold conditions), it is better to use felt fabric or old jeans.
Additional information. Cushions can be made not only for chairs and stools, but also for armchairs, sofas and other furniture. The difference will only be in the size of the product.
After determining the color of the future craft, you will need to choose a filler for it. In this case, you should pay attention to the following characteristics of the material:
- Elasticity.
- Resistance to deformation.
- Durability.
- Environmental safety.
Based on the given criteria, it is recommended to choose holofiber, synthetic padding or foam rubber. The best option would be latex.
Color selection
When choosing the color of the cushion, you should not be guided only by the color of the furniture. You can choose a fabric of such a color that will look harmonious with curtains, wallpaper or other interior items.
But first of all, the color should correspond to the purpose of the product. If it is needed simply for convenience, then it is better to choose calm neutral colors. When you want to add some zest to the room design, you can choose a bright fabric with an unusual pattern. Sewing threads are chosen in the same color as the material from which the pillow will be made.
Necessary tools
To sew a cushion for a stool or chair with your own hands, you will need the following tools:
- Sewing machine.
- Awl.
- Scissors. It is better to use tailor's scissors.
- Threads and needles of different lengths and thicknesses.
Preparing the ties
First of all, the ties are needed to prevent the pillow from slipping off the seat. But sometimes they can be used as design elements of the product. To make ties, beautiful ribbons, laces, ropes and just strips of fabric will do.
After completing the preparatory work, select the master class you like on sewing a pillow and then perform all actions according to the instructions. It is worth considering the simplest manufacturing option, which even a novice needlewoman can handle.
Pattern
Making a pattern for a chair seat is not particularly difficult. To do this, determine the dimensions of the seat for which the accessory will be made. It is worth considering that after stuffing with filler, the dimensions of the product will decrease, so the fabric should be prepared with a reserve of a couple of centimeters on each side. It is also necessary to decide what shape the finished item will be. A round cushion is more universal - it will fit almost any stool or chair.
After calculations and measurements, a figure of the chosen shape is drawn on a sheet of paper and cut out with scissors.
Additional information. To ensure that the pattern exactly matches the dimensions of the seat, you need to use tracing paper. It is applied to the surface and traced with a marker.
Step-by-step sewing instructions
You can sew pillows with your own hands according to these step-by-step instructions:
- The pattern is marked and cut out along the contour.
- The filler material is applied to the pattern and an element of the required size is cut out. After that, the fabric is applied to the resulting part and two identical parts are cut out of it with an allowance of 1.5 cm for the filler size.
- The piping is stitched and attached to the top piece of fabric. Then the two parts of the pillow are folded together, pinned and sewn. Only a small pocket remains to insert the filling. All allowances, undercuts and corners are turned inside out.
- The required number of places where the ties will be attached is marked. The material from which they will be made is selected and cut to the required length. Then each piece is folded in half to form a ring and sewn to the bottom of the pillow.
- The resulting cover is carefully ironed and stuffed with filler. After that, the hole is removed. To do this, the edge is leveled, the allowances are folded inward and stitched with a blind stitch.
- If the option of making a quilted pillow is chosen, then at this stage all the remaining seams are stitched.
- If necessary, the pillow can be decorated with additional elements.
Sewing using patchwork technique
This technique involves making a pillow from several pieces. For this, fabrics of different colors, textures, and even sizes are used. The more each detail differs from the others, the more interesting the finished product will be.
After choosing the materials, a pattern is prepared. Here, everything depends on your own imagination. You can make patches of the same size and shape, or different ones. After the pattern is done, the resulting pieces should be carefully sewn together so that the shape of the future pillow is obtained. The inner side of the product is made using the same method or from a single piece of fabric. The resulting parts are carefully ironed.
The cut-to-size padding is applied to the front side and stitched to the fabric. Then both sides of the pillow are applied to each other with the outer sides and sewn together. Only a small opening remains, through which the product is turned inside out. After which the pillow is ironed again, and the remaining hole is stitched with a blind stitch.
Important! To get a smooth seam when using a sewing machine, you need to work slowly. Then, if folds appear, there will be time to smooth them out.
Decorating
Whatever option for making pillows is chosen, they can be decorated with additional decorative elements later. But here it is worth considering what this interior item will be needed for. If the pillow is needed only as a decoration for the room, then it can be decorated with beads, sequins and much more. If it will be used for its intended purpose, then it is better to refuse such elements.
To avoid any discomfort when sitting on a chair, you should decorate the pillows with materials that are not too bulky. These can be various appliques, fringe or buttons. The latter not only decorate the product, but also keep the filling from bunching up.
It is better to cover the buttons with fabric. The color is chosen to match the pillow or to match it. After that, the surface of the product is marked so that the decorations are located at an equal distance from each other. In the indicated places, the buttons are firmly sewn to the pillow.
Thus, it is clear that it is quite easy to sew seats for stools with your own hands. It is enough to stock up on the necessary materials and patience. And the finished decorative elements will subsequently decorate and update the appearance of the apartment.
