A new look for a cushion

Here is an idea to transform a plain cushion, whether it is an old one,or brand new. 

This also is good for recycling (or upcycling ) as it uses a jumper that is no longer wanted. You could use one you no longer wear, or buy one from a charity shop. Either way,wash it first. You could do this on a really hot wash to shrink it a bit, but this only works effectively if there is a good wool content in the yarn. 


I chose this lacy crochet style jumper, as the colour tones in well with my plain dark brown cushion. I like the fact I can see the dark brown through it.




You need to cut the jumper on one side and then position it to fit over the cushion. Then trim it to size. Infact, trim it larger than you want it initially, as you can re cut it to fit as you sew it. Most knitted garments will  stretch  quite a lot.

 You need to sew it on to the cushion all the way around. Obviously leave the zip or fastening still showing, and able to work!  


You will probably only have to sew three sides, as one will be the original sewn seam of the jumper.It is a good idea to sew this side as well, so the jumper layer stays in place.


When you have attached the jumper you can decorate it. There is no need to do both sides, unless you want to. Most cushions have a decorative front and a plain back. 

Here you can see I added some thick lace trim through the middle and three rows of dark brown ribbon at the top and bottom and through the centre. The trim looks good and also, lets be honest, hides less than perfect seams!!   I also added some chunky wood effect buttons just for decoration. I chose browns to match the original colours, but decoration can be just as effective in contrasting colours.

 The finished cushion, so much more interesting than the plain brown one it was this morning!


This does not take long to make. You can either hand sew it or do it on the machine ( or a mixture of both), Remember that you are working on quite a few thicknesses of fabric, if you machine stitch, so use a strong needle suitable for heavyweight fabric.


It does not cost much to make this, especially if you recycle old clothes. You could make the trim out of decorative panels from another unwanted item of clothing.