The other day I was driving and as I passed my father’s home I noticed him working out in the garage. I ran a quick errand I needed to complete and went back after to see how he was doing.
For some reason the project to me seemed brilliant and cost effective, yet, I had never thought of it. He needed to replace the bottom couch cushions on his couch since they had no firmness or comfort left; instead they just left an imprint on something that use to be firm and comfortable.
As many times as I have removed my couch cushions, never had I thought about how easy it would be to make new cushion inserts. He purchased a long piece of foam around 86 inches in length, 27 inches wide, by 6 inches in depth. This will cost approximately $40 to $80 dollars depending on size and place of purchase.
In addition, a can of Camie #313 Fast Tack Upholstery Spray is needed. One can of this is enough to do around 3 to 6 cushions. Camie #313 forms flexible bonds, is translucent, and has a fast tack for fabric bonding. One can costs around $10.
The last item you will need is cotton batting. The batting used was around 27 inches wide, 12 yards long, and 2 inches thick. The roll of batting will cost $20 to $30 and will cover the entire piece of foam except one of the ends.
The easiest way for me to achieve the same measurement and shape of the original cushions was to simply lay one of the originals on the new foam and make an outline with an ink pen.
Next, you will need a serrated knife of some kind; a bread knife, a saw or whatever you might have of this nature will work. An electric knife also works great for this project. Carefully cut out the foam along the outline you created. Make sure, while doing this, you keep the blade straight up and down to create even edges, contours and cutouts.
Once the foam piece has been cut to size you will need to trim a piece of the batting to fit around the cushion, leaving the back end (the cover zipper end) without batting. Using the can of glue, spray one side of the cushion very well, and let it sit for about a minute and a half. Afterwards, apply the batting to the tacky glue, pressing firmly to assure adhesion. Repeat with the rest of the cushions.
Afterwards, for around $100 you will have all-new couch cushions that will make your couch feel brand new.
We have gone through about four couches since we lived in our home (don’t judge, we have 3 small children) so I wish I had thought of this before. It is much cheaper than a new couch, and after all the jumping mine endure, they never look quite right after about a year. Kids will be kids only once, however now your cushions can keep up with the herd that plops on them! Put the cushion covers back on and enjoy!
Feel free to email me you have any further questions or suggestions on this project.
April Sherrill is a staff writer for the Hamilton County Herald. Contact her at april@dailydata.com.