How To Make A Cushion Cover Out Of A Designer Shirt

How to make a cushion cover out of a designer shirt

This is my post on how to make a cushion cover out of a designer shirt. If you can’t see the video please click here.

Stop the press!

Did you know that Ted Baker make cushions?

Well you can certainly get hold of one now as I’m going to show you how to make a cushion out of an old designer shirt – or any shirt for that matter.

This is definitely the most easy peasy way to create one too. It’s so quick and simple I even sewed it by hand and it took just half an hour.

If I’d used a machine it probably would have only taken 10 minutes.

Here we go

1. First remove the label using a seam ripper or small scissors.

2. Next measure the cushion inner you will be using.

Buy the inner first, by the way, because sometimes the measurements can differ marginally.

3. Start with an ironed shirt and turn it inside out.

4. Next you draw the shape of the cushion with dressmaker’s chalk. This can be bought from any haberdashery or online.

Depending on the colour of the fabric, you could also use pencil or crayon. Blackboard chalk doesn’t give you a sharp enough line though.

If you’re desperate an eye-liner pencil will do!

5. Continue by pinning the front and back of the shirt together around the chalked line.

It’s important there is no bunching here – so it’s worth taking your time over this step.

You can have the buttons down the centre, off-centre, or even diagonally. This is where you can put your own stamp on it!

6. Cut around the chalked shape, leaving space for a 2cm seam. It’s also worth snipping the corners off diagonally as well, but not too close to your chalk line – best to leave at least half a centimetre.

Sew easy!!!

7. Now sew around the shape of the cushion. This is a matter of a few minutes with a machine, but is still very quick and easy by hand whilst you’re watching Eastenders!

It really helps if you have a cat about to pounce on you whilst doing this bit…

8. Unbutton it and turn the right way around and push out the corners.

9. If you wish, you can sew the label back on as a feature. This can go anywhere as long as you can still open the cushion – obvs!

10. And finally, put your cushion inner inside and do up your buttons.

And that’s how to make a cushion cover out of a shirt. How easy was that?!!!

Well yes it is very simple… and safe… in theory… yet I still managed to prick a vein, causing this injury!

Permission granted to laugh at my misfortune.

What I love about this idea is that if you have a piece of clothing you love, you don’t want to throw it away do you – even if the armpits have gone a bit funky?!

This way you can keep it as a momento (minus the pits!).

After all, interiors should always evoke the right feelings, as I explain in my post about the psychology of colour.

Please leave a comment to let me know what you think and when you make your own cushion I’d love to see a picture.

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