DIY ruffled cushion

Add instant glam to your home with this easy-to-make velvety ruffled cushion. We’ve used a velvet-like fabric rather than true velvet, one, because it’s much cheaper, and two, because the gathering on this cushion requires a lightweight fabric to work. The whole project, from start to finish, takes only 1 hour! How’s that for quick glam?

MATERIALS:
Round cushion inner
Stretch velvet-like fabric (avoid thick fabrics)
Matching thread
Tape measure
Pencil, pen, string
Sewing machine (although can be hand-stitched)

Click to enlarge

STEP 1

Measure the diameter of your cushion inner (ours measures 56cm) then add two-thirds of that figure (in our case about 37cm) to get your fabric requirements. Our total measures 93cm, so a piece of fabric 1m x 1m is ideal.

(Note: you will need extra fabric to make the choux rosette.)

STEP 2

Cut a circle with a diameter of 93cm. The easiest way to do this is to use a pencil, pen and string to draw a circle onto the back of your fabric. To do this, tie a piece of string around a pencil. Tie the other end of the string to a fabric marker pen. The length of the string should be half the diameter of the circle you require. Place the point of the pencil in the centre of the fabric, and hold pencil in place while moving the pen around the fabric to draw your circle. Cut out circle.

Click to enlarge

STEP 3

Sew a gathering stitch onto the fabric. To do this, sew two parallel lines close to the edge of the circle, making sure the lines do not cross over one another.

Do not back tack as you would when sewing an ordinary seam.

Leave at least 10cm tails when you cut the top and bottom thread.

Click to enlarge

STEP 4

At one end of your fabric tie the upper and lower threads together. At the other end, gently pull the two top threads with one hand and slide the fabric with your other hand so that it gathers.

Continue pulling and pushing the fabric, making the ruffles even as you go.

Before the opening gets too small, insert the cushion inner inside the cushion cover.

Click to enlarge

STEP 5

Continue to pull the threads and gather the fabric as much as the fabric will allow. This will depend on the fabric you use. A heavier fabric will leave a bigger hole in the centre.

Once gathered evenly, knot the loose threads together securely.

If necessary, you can sew the hole together to form a neat, ruffled appearance over the whole cushion.

STEP 6

Make a choux rosette. Cut a circle of fabric with a diameter three times the required finished diameter of the rosette. Sew two rows of gathering stitches around the edge of the circle, as detailed above.