Homemade Decorative Sofa Cushion Covers

If you are tired of the dull grey-brown cushions that have been languishing on your sofa for years, I will tell and show you how to turn them into two cheerful, vibrant and cosy little cushions.

I must admit that this year of the snake (which, by the way, is my year) has started with an inner drive to make, create, paint, colour, sew, knit - in a word, to engage in all sorts of crafts. I have been through several of Riga's art supply, hobby and fabric shops, until a couple of fabrics caught my eye that fit the apartment's interior perfectly. And so…

To make the cushion covers you will need:

·         2 types of striped 100% cotton fabric (Ls 5.80 per metre, at "Pluss Audums" shop);

·         2 zippers, 40 cm long (Ls 0.50 each, at "Pluss Audums" shop);

·         dressmaking scissors (Ls 18 at "Pluss Audums" shop);

·         light green thread + needle;

·         measuring tape;

·         marking pins;

·         light yellow 100% linen fabric (Ls 5.75 per metre, at "Abakhan Fabrics" shop);

·         a hot glue gun (Ls 6, at "Depo" shop).

I can highly recommend the "Pluss Audums" fabric shops, both at Alfa and Domina shopping centres. The sales assistants there are very helpful and ready to assist with choosing fabric and sewing accessories, and they are generous with advice and will warn you about fabric shrinkage.

Start by cutting fabric squares to match the size of the cushion insert. Mine came out to 44 cm + 2 cm seam allowance and 42 cm + 2 cm seam allowance. Before cutting, measure and mark the required lengths with pins (I did not use chalk).

Then sew the sides together. Since a sewing machine has yet to take up residence in our home, I sewed everything by hand. Care was needed to keep the stitches no larger than a machine stitch, otherwise the fabric edges would not hold together firmly.

The top edge, where the zipper will be inserted, needs to be folded inward and sewn separately. Then the zipper itself is sewn on in reverse.

Cut out the other side of the cushion cover and insert the filling.

For decoration I used light yellow linen flowers cut from linen strips and shaped with a hot glue gun, which are then carefully sewn onto the cushion cover from the other side.

And so the bright cushions are ready. And I am ready for a lazy evening on the refreshed sofa with a laptop in my lap.