Tutorial (Easy to Make Window Seat Cushion for IKEA Trofast Storage)

Here comes the promised step-by-step tutorial for how to make a window seat style cushion for the top of IKEA's trofast storage!
(You could do this for any flat bench though!)


(The fabric cover for the cushion is removable and involves no zipper)


Here's what we did:

1. I wanted a 2 inch thick cushion, but it was way cheaper to buy a big piece of 1 inch foam and double up (once you have the two pieces on top of each other, they don't slide around)

2. I bought fabric (I guessed on the amount- get enough to wrap around your foam like you're wrapping a gift)

3. When you get home, cut the foam to the size of the top of your bench (you can cut 1 inch foam with a pair of scissors)

4. Lay the foam on top of the fabric and wrap the fabric around the foam (like wrapping a gift) and make sure you have an overlap on top of the foam. (I made the fabric cover kind of like a pillow sham, so that you can take the cushion in & out, to wash the fabric. The overlap will not be sewn- it will be the opening for the foam)

5. Cut any extra fabric off (use the above picture as a guide to see how much fabric you need on the ends, taking into account that you'll be folding the edge over and pressing it as shown below)

6. Fold the ends (as shown above) and press. When I did mine, I worked it out so that the part that goes lengthwise across the cushion is the selvage, so it didn't need to be folded & pressed to finish it.

Time to Pin
7. Now we'll fold & pin the corners. Fold your first corner up (as shown in the photo below)

8A. Pin into place as shown. (you can pin right into the foam if that helps)
8B. Un-pin the part shown in 8B (you don't have to pin & then un-pin it, I just did that to show you closely how to pin it so that you can do the next fold)
8C. Bring the fabric up as shown, so that you have a straight line across the top edge & side edge.
8D. Pin into place & repeat for the other corners.

9. Pin the edges up as shown:

Okay, now you're done pinning- yay!
Time to SEW!

Sewing Steps

You're going to sew by hand, and you're going to sew the foam right into the cover (don't worry- you can get it out later- I've already had to wash my cover once!)

1. Start at the top corner of one end. Tie a knot at the end of your thread and start (I tried to show you in the photo below)

2. Do a blind stitch (as shown below) to close up the side and top edges of the ends of the cushion.

3. Now you're done sewing!
Here's what your little overlapping pillow-sham-like opening will look like:


And here's the finished project!
A cute little seat for my girls to read on... or put their dolls to sleep on :)



I hope this tutorial was easy to follow- let me know if I need to clarify anything!
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This post was featured at ABC & 123.