DIY Floor Cushion: Filled with Fabric Scraps

Do you save every fabric scrap you've ever cut in hopes of using them for something? If you're like me, you don't save them all but, you do save pieces big enough to use for a pocket. Because... pockets! Right? I've discovered the best fabric-busting project of all time. It uses all your fabric scraps up. Okay, it doesn't technically "use" them but, it does put them to use. You're going to sew a simple floor cushion and store all your scraps inside! ​

​You'll want to plow through that list of sewing projects so you can cut into fabric and have more scraps to fill the floor cushion. Whew! Trust me, I'm speaking from experience. ;)

Cozy Meets Functional

Big and cozy floor pouf to sit on or use as an ottoman.

The floor cushion itself is not a good scrap buster. You might need to buy fabric to make it. But, it'll free up space in your sewing area, I promise. 

I was lucky enough to have leftover grey chenille from my pop-up trailer makeover, so I used that. You'll want to use an upholstery weight fabric or something similar. This cushion is going to take a beating. 

If you have upholstery thread, you can use it here. If you don't, good ole polyester thread works fine. This whole project takes 2hrs give or take. It's a quick sew and gives a huge reward! 

My son uses it as a foot rest while playing videogames.

If you're still on the fence about making one, think ottoman, pet bed, kid's seat, etc.

My cat claims it as his bed when my son isn't using it for his feet. It gets carried from room to room and makes a great coffee table game chair as well. I'm surprised it hasn't been involoved in a pillow fight yet.

All these scraps and much more will fit inside this floor pouf.

Supplies

• 2.5 yards upholstery fabric or similar weight fabric (you'll have a little bit leftover) 
• Thread
• Clips or pins
• 14" Zipper 
• That huge pile of fabric scraps
• Sewing machine
• Scissors, ruler, marking tool, etc. 

Let's Sew!

Wash your fabric if you want. I didn't. When I need to wash it in the future, it'll shrink a little and be fine. 

You're going to sew a large cube and fill it with your fabric scraps. Hooray!
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1. Cut ​2, 21" squares. Cut 4 rectangles measuring 15.5" by 21". Serge or zigzag over the raw edges. Upholstery fabric loves to fray. 

A rotary cuter and ruler were nice to cut the large pieces with.

Serge or zigzag over all those raw edges.

2. Clip or pin the rectangles together along the short sides, right sides together. You're making a loop. Sew up the short sides using 1/2" seam allowances, backstitching at the beginning and ends.

Clip the sides of the rectangle pieces together, forming a large loop.

See the edges fraying? I ran everything through the serger after this photo was taken. Yikes!

3. Lay one square right side up on your table. Clip one side of the loop you just made from the rectangles, onto the square, RST. It's easiest to clip the corners of the square to the side seams first. Then, ease the side seams in. Your upholstery fabric might have some stretch in it but, you tell it who's boss!
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​If you don't want to insert a zipper, sew along the edge using 1/2" seam allowance.

Clip the corner sections to the flat square first. Then, clip the sides.

After it's clipped, it will look like this.

4. Here's where you'll insert your zipper if you want one. This is a little different than inserting a zipper into a bag so, bear with me. 

Clip/pin one side of the zipper to a rectangle edge. Sew the zipper with a zipper foot. 
Open the zipper and clip the zipper tape to the square bottom edge. Sew using the zipper foot. You might have to sew one side of the zipper tape facing down which feels awkward but is totally fine.

Switch back to your regular sewing foot to sew around the whole square. Start at one end of the zipper and end at the other end of the zipper. Open and close the zipper to make sure it's lined up, if it isn't smooth, unpick one side and resew it. 

*It's easier to sew with the flat piece down and move the rectangles out of the way as you sew.

I ended up sewing the second side upside down. It worked just fine.

To get the seam and zipper area to match up nicely, sew an extra 1/8" inside the zipper seam allowance when you get to the zipper.

​It's a little trick that's used when inserting invisible zippers. 

5. Now that the hardest part is over, it's time to sew the top square on. Clip the top the same way you did with the bottom square. Start with the corners first, then clip the sides. Sew all around using 1/2" seam allowance. 

This might look tricky but, take your time. Go slow and make sure you're only sewing over the 2 layers. 

Sew the top on all the way around.

6. Turn the cushion right side out and pop out the corners. You don't have to worry about trimming the corners unless you want to. I left them alone. Press the seams open as well as you can. 
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Ta-da! You've made a floor cushion, bean bag, floor pouf, or whatever you want to call it. You made one!

Pull it out gently. This was my first zipper I used and then realized I needed a much bigger one. LOL

7. Stuff it with all those fabric scraps inside. It's very therapeutic. If it feels empty still, toss some extra yardage inside if you'd like. I had yards of fleece, minky, and faux fur from my baby gift making days and that really helped to fluff it up.

You can even fill it with those random pieces of interfacing you're probably saving.  ;) 

Stuff it. Fill it. Shove everything inside it! Haha

Dig out all those fabric scraps. Big and small.

​All that's left to do is use it. Who gets to use it first? The kids, your kitty, or you?

This is Captain, he loves the new pet bed I made him.

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Read Below for Extra Tips:

• Use a long enough zipper to get your hand in and out. Originally, I used a tiny 6" zipper thinking I'd never need the scraps again. Haha!! It was quickly ripped out and replaced with a longer 14" one. It's fun and easy to add more scraps. And, if you need a pocket or other scrap sized piece of fabric in the future, you can look through them easily. Dump everything out onto a table and sift through them all.

Sewing fail!

Itty bitty zipper. So cute and not helpful for this project.

I was barely able to pull the fabric through. Face-palm!

Ripped it out and replaced with a long purple zip.

• This is great for using up fabric that has been sun faded. If your fabric has fading in areas, use that piece for the bottom. Or, use it to stuff your floor pouf. It's a perfect use for what would normally be unusable fabric. Win-win! 

This was used for the bottom of the cushion. Nobody will know. ;)

• If you have random pieces of heavy weight fabrics, use them to make the cushion. Use a different piece for each side, top, and bottom. It'll give it an eclectic and lively look. Faux fur would be fun too!
  

         
You can make a set if you have buckets and buckets of scraps laying around. Oh, a set would be great for a kids room or game room as well. 

Now I'm off to tackle that sewing to-do list. I need more scraps!! 

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Happy floor cushion sewing!

So, are you ready to put all those scraps to use? Well, store them in a fun way at least? If you do, tag me on Instagram @sewingtothemoon so I can see them all.

Happy stuffing!

​Annette

Still, have the sewing bug? Make some easy things for your home below. 

​Fabric Baskets are great for storing things on the counter and inside drawers. Make one here.

Sew the easiest dress ever, here. It's also the coziest dress. Here's another cozy dress. 

​Want to organize your sewing space? Here are pattern organization tips. 

Want an easy Vintage sewing pattern to up your style game? Grab your Downloadable PDF here.