Are you looking to give your old cushions a new look? In this tutorial I will show you how to make a cushion cover with a decorative border and an envelope-type back opening [without a zipper].

Beginners, intermediate or advanced in sewing will find this process very easy. Here I will give you exact measurements to make a cover for a 17″ by 17″ cushion. Also, I’ll show you how to take your own measurements for a different size cushion.

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What fabrics to use to make cushion covers with border?

As for the fabric, you can use the fabric and colors of your choice or depending on how you want to personalize it. Cotton, canvas fabric, denim, polyester are good choices for interior cushions. However, if you were making outdoor cushions, a waterproof fabric would be more suitable.

Customize or not?

If you are not going to personalize, you could choose a fabric with a color and pattern that matches your decoration.

Now if you want to customize, there are a lot of very nice methods you could use. For example, with iron on vinyl, fabric appliques, home screen printing, embroidery, Infusible Ink and sublimation among others. In this case, I recommend using fabric in solid colors.

To make this cushion, I will be using 75% polyester fabric and in solid colors since I am going to personalize it with the homemade sublimation technique. Taking into account that a 65% superior polyester fabric is recommended for this technique.

Materials list

• Sewing machine
• Fabric [measurements based on a 17″ x 17″ cushion cover]:
  • 1 ] 18″ x 18″
  • 2 ] 18″ x 3 1/2″
  • 1 ] 22 1/2″ x 3 1/2″
  • 1 ] 22 1/2″ x 14
  • 1 ] 22 1/2″ x 20″
• Fabric of your choice:
  • Cotton –
  • Cotton Canva –
  • Polyester if you wish to sublimate –
  • Water proff water for exteriors.
• Iron
• Scissors
• Body Tape measure Especial for my subscribers 👉🏻 get 20% off use code: Daisyoff

Video tutorial in my YouTube Channel.

The measurements for the cover I’ll be making today are based on a 17″ by 17″ cushion = 43.18 x 43.18 cm.

If you want to make a cover for a cushion with different measurements, we must measure the cushion to determine the measurements in which we must cut the fabric. Measure height and width from one end to the other.

This one measure 17″ by 17″ = 43.18 x 43.18 cm so when cutting the front base fabric, we need to add an inch on each side. That being said, for this cushion the base fabric would be 18″ by 18″.

If your cushion measures 18 x 18″ you will cut a 19″ x 19″ square piece of fabric and so on. See diagram below for measurements in inches and centimeters.

Step 1

Take the piece of fabric that measures 18″ x 18″ and the two that measure 18″ x 3 1/2″. Put the largest piece of fabric on the bottom and right side up. Then place the two small ones one on each side, align, secure with pins and sew leaving a 1/4″ seam allowance.

Iron and then place the two pieces measuring 22 1/2″ x 3.5″ one at each end.

Align and secure with pins and sew, leaving a 1/4″ allowance. Iron again.

Step 2

Take the piece of fabric that measures 22 1/2″″ by 14″, make a 2.5″ hem and sew a 2 1/4″ allowance.

Then, make a 1/2″ hem to the piece that measures 22 1/2″ by 20″ and sew up leaving 1/4″ seam allowance.

Put the front part of the cover on the bottom with the right side up. Then place the smaller fabric on top right side down and place the last one measuring 22 1/2″ x 20″ on the bottom, but above of the smaller one. See diagram below.

Sew around leaving a 1/4″ seam allowance.

Step 3

Cut the corners just above the seam, turn inside out and iron defining the corners with a ruler.

To finish, sew a hidden seam just below the edge.

Pass a double hidden seam in the joints of the overlaps at the back so that it does not come undone when inserting the cushion.

¡¡¡Voila!!!

Once finished, you can leave it like this or you could also customize it using the method of your choice, be it with iron on vinyl, fabric appliques, home screen printing, embroidery, Infusible Ink and sublimation among others.

I will personalize this cushion cover with the sublimation technique. If you would like to learn how to customize with that method, click here to view the tutorial.

The front of this cover was made with a different color border, but if you would like to make a simpler one with the same color border, click here to see the tutorial.

Now you can make your own decorative cushion covers. I hope you enjoyed this tutorial as much as I did. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to send me a message either here in the post or on the following social networks.

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