21 Jun ikea hack: diy painted cushions

These simple DIY cushions are ideal for a fun crafternoon. Tiny helping hands optional…

You’ll need:
IKEA Home Furnishings: Gurli Cushion Covers in white
Iron + Ironing board
Paper
Pencil
Ruler
Card Stock
Scissors
Fabric Paint
Paintbrush

How to:

1. Wash and iron the cushion cover. Before you begin to paint, line the inside of the cover with sheets of paper to ensure that the paint does not seep through to the back of the cushion as you decorate it.

2. Next, mark out a grid so you know where to paint the triangle shapes. The cushion measures 51 x 51 cm, so start by measuring 10 cm in and 10 cm down from the top left corner. Mark this point lightly with a pencil.

3. Keep moving along 10 cm and marking 10 cm down until you reach the end of the row. Repeat for another three rows until you have a grid of 16 dots marked out.

4. Cut out a triangle-shaped piece of card stock. Make two level marks on each side to form a guide as to how long your triangle shape should be, and then make a hole in the middle. The marks and the hole will help you to position your triangles centrally and ensure that they are all the same size.

5. Place your card guide over the first dot on the grid, positioning the hole over the pencilled dot. Draw a light pencil line up and down each side of the card guide to your desired (marked) length. Repeat until you have 16 shapes drawn, then rub out the pencilled dots.

6. Take your paintbrush and paint over the marked shapes with fabric paint. Once dry, iron the cover to heat-set the fabric paint.

TIP: Why not try a different shape? For the cushion pictured on the right, another grid has been created using a scallop and dot pattern. To do this, follow Steps 1–6, finding something circular to draw around to create your scallop template, and then apply your paint to the marked-out shapes.

This project is from 50 Flat Pack Hacks by Elyse Major & Charlotte Rivers published by Murdoch Books, RRP $29.99, available now.