Charm Pack Cushions

I recently was given a "hand-me down" table & chairs from my oldest sister & it had seen better days and needed some sprucing up! So I after I gave her a solid coat of white paint, it still needed something else.....Cushions!

I decided to make my cushions out of a charm pack. What is a charm pack? It is a pre-packaged set of 5x5 square of a fabric line that you can get for anywhere from $8-$15 at local fabric stores or online fabric stores. This works perfectly for the patchwork look & elimnates alot of the work! :-)

Here's the supplies for my charm pack cushion project:

• One charm pack with at least 40 pieces (I used Hunky Dory from Moda)
• 1 yard of 1/2 foam (best to wait when on sale or use coupon! :))
  
• 1/2 yard Solid backing fabric
  

How to make:

First lay out your charm pack squares and select 16 squares (4 squares per cushion) to be the top of your cushions. Arrange them around in the way that you would want the top of each cushion to look.

Then sew together top 2 squares & bottom 2 squares then attach both rows together & you will have the top of your cushion. Repeat more times to complete all 4 tops. (Sorry I forgot to take a picture of this step!)

For the straps, you will use 24 squares (3 for each strap). Cut all 24 squares in half (2.5x5in). Then you should arrange the fabrics as you wish and piece 3 half squares together. Repeat process 15 more times. You should have 16 straps (4 for each chair).

After you piece the pieces together, fold in half, right sides together & sew along the top & side, leaving the bottom open. Repeat 15 times, then sit with your favorite movie on, using a pencil or favorite turning tool & turn each strap inside out & press.

You then need to cut out your back pieces from your solid fabric (9.5x9.5 in)

Lay patchwork top up then lay straps in the top corners about an inch from the side and inch from the top, then lay solid fabric down & sew around using a 1/4 in seam allowance. You should leave a 2 in. opening in the back to insert your foam.

After you have sewn all 4 cushions together, turn right side out & press. Insert foam & hand stitch opening closed. You should come out with cushions that look like this! :-)

So here's the before....

And here's the after:

A fresh new look that I love!

These were much easier to make than to type out how to make them, so if you are confused about anything & have any questions, please feel free to ask! Thanks so much!

~Stacy

Initial Platter

This is a project I wrote about a few weeks ago & was featured on Sew Much Ado!

I found this old, ugly platter a few months ago at a garage sale for $1 and I knew exactly what I wanted to do with it!

I knew I'd be decorating Fritter's "big" girl room when we moved in our new house, so I wanted to make an initial platter to hang over her bed!

So I sprayed painted it a fun pink color:

and it came out like this:

So much better! :-)

Then I wrote a big "A" on a sheet of paper, then set carbon paper underneath it & traced it onto the platter.

Then you have a great stencil to paint on.

Then I got a matching turquiose craft paint & painted it on with a small paintbrush.

And then you have this:

I then added some matching fabric scraps to make a hanger & tied it with a bow & hot glued it to the back! I love it over her bed & think it goes perfectly!

So for about $2-3 I made a super fun initial platter to hang over her bed!

Coffee Table Transformation

A project I worked on for my little girl's room was recovering an old coffee that was my grandmother's. I actually did this first in college, but recently got it from my parents house, and stripped the other fabric off & started over!

First you get an old (hopefully hand-me down) coffee table.
Then you can spray paint the legs if you need too, since we were putting it in Fritter's room with white furniture, I went with spray painting them white.

Then you need to drill 3 evenly placed holes on the top of the coffee table:

Then lay down 1 inch thick foam batting on top of the coffee table & trim with scissors to fit the table.

Then lay your fabric choice (about 1 1/2 yards) on top of the batting.

Then get your trusty stapler gun & begin tucking fabric under table & stapling into place.

Continue to staple all the way around until you have it completely covered!


Then get 3 matching buttons & thread & begin sewing buttons on in order to "tuft" your stool.


Then add a few stuffed animals, a lamp, & books and you have a great little reading nook! :-)

Here's a close up of the bench.

So go snag up an old coffee table & get to covering! :-)