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    Home » Decor

    July 24, 2019

    How to make a tufted french mattress cushion

    How to make a tufted French Mattress cushion

    Learn how to make your own French tufted mattress cushion with this step by step tutorial. These handmade French mattress cushions can be used on window seats, daybeds, benches or simply as soft and comfy box floor pillows. This DIY project is easier than you may think – it was my first attempt at a French mattress cushion and the result is not at all bad if I say so myself. If you fancy having a go at creating a French mattress cushion yourself, don't be daunted, it's not nearly as hard as it looks!

    Learn how to make your own French tufted mattress cushion with this step by step tutorial from chalkingupsuccess.com.

    When I started looking for a French mattress cushion for the window seat in our newly installed walk-in wardrobes, I realised, it was going to be a bit of a challenge finding one that (a) I liked and (b) actually fit the custom size of the seat.

    I love the look of these gorgeous French mattress cushions but they can be quite expensive to buy especially if the fabric used is linen, which it usually is if it's a good make. The cushions I found were either too big or not big enough! That's when I decided I had the perfect excuse right there, to try my hand at another creative project! It turned out quite well if I say so myself and I can see myself making more of these in the future.

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    Here's how I made my French tufted cushion

    Time needed: One weekend 2 days.

    Preparation

    1. Tools needed:

      High-density foam pad cut to size (USA) (EU)
      Foam batting (mine was around 1inch thick) (USA) (EU)
      Fabric Adhesive (spray) (USA) (EU)
      Fabric – My piece was 145cm x 90cms (I saved a little here by ordering an off cut) (USA) (EU)
      Matching sewing machine thread (USA) (EU)
      Strong Upholstery thread (for the quilting - so it doesn't snap when you pull it taught) (USA) (EU)
      Hand sewing needles (USA) (EU)
      Long mattress needle (USA) (EU)
      Tacking pins (USA) (EU)
      Tacking thread (in a contrasting colour to the fabric)
      Scissors (USA) (EU)
      Measuring tape or ruler (USA) (EU)
      Fabric marker (disappearing ink) (USA) (EU)

    2. Cutting the Fabrics:

      Foam cushion:
      I was very lucky to find a foam cushion that was the exact size for my window seat. If you need to cut the foam to size, one of the best ways to do this is with an electric bread knife.
      Foam batting and high density foam cushion pad, a can of spray adhesive and scissors.

      Foam Batting:

      Cut two rectangles of batting to cover the top and bottom of the cushion.
      Cut two short side pieces and two long side pieces
      OR
      Wrap the foam around the entire cushion and just cut side pieces as needed, (this is what I did).
      A person cutting some foam batting with a scissorsa person wrapping foam batting around a high density foam cushion pad

      Linen Fabric:
      Wait until you've attached the batting to the foam to measure the cushion again. Add ½ inch seam allowance to the measurements.
      Cut 1 top panel and 1 bottom panel.
      Cut 2 side panels
      Cut 2 long side panels

    3. Prepare The Cushion

      Spray the top of the foam cushion with spray adhesive (follow the instructions – I had to wait five minutes before attaching the foam).
      A person spraying a high density foam cushion pad with spray adhesive

      Press the batting onto the foam cushion pad. Repeat this until all sides are covered with batting.

      The cushion pad is finished.

    4. Make the mattress cushion cover

      If you search the web for 'How to make a box cushion' this is the first video that shows up: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gw_40jnjZBE

      This is the tutorial I followed except for making the zip.

      I first pinned and then tacked the cushion panels together before machine sewing and with the cushion turned inside out, I inserted the cushion pad to make sure I had measured correctly and that the cushion cover fitted.
      A person pinning together the sides of the linen fabricShowing the top section of the linen cushion fabricSewing together the side panels of the linen cushion cover

      After sewing, you will be left with one of the small side pieces open.


      Make a small fold down the length of each of the open edges and iron flat.

      Insert your cushion pad into the cushion cover.

      Use the hand sewing needle to sew the small edge together using a 'slip' stitch (also known as 'ladder' or 'invisible' stitch).

      Using the hand sewing needle to sew the small edge together using a ‘slip’ stitch (also known as ‘ladder’ or ‘invisible’ stitch).Hand sewing a cushion with a slip/ladder stitch

      The mattress cushion cover is finished.

    5. Tufting the mattress cushion


      Measure the cushion and use a fabric marker to place a dot in the middle of the cushion.

      Thread the upholstery needle with a long piece of double thread and tie a large knot in the end. (Just keep making the knot until it's nice and big). The length of the upholstery needle makes it easy to grab hold of and push through the layers of fabric, batting and high-density foam.

      Long upholstery needle for making the tufts in the middle of the tufted French mattress cushionTwo of the 'tufts' completed in the middle of the tufted French mattress cushion

      Push the needle straight down from the top to the bottom of the cushion then double back through to the top again. Repeat this a few times pulling tightly as you go. Finish by cutting the thread and tying several times. Snip the thread close to the knot.

      From here, it depends on the size of the French mattress cushion as to how many tufts you make. I measured from the middle out to the side (26 cms) and made a tuft at halfway (13cms). I did this all around the top of the mattress cushion.

      The top tufting is finished.

    6. Tufting the sides of the mattress cushion


      This was the part that I was most unsure of. I've read countless 'tutorials' and never did quite get the gist of how to tuft the sides of the French mattress cushion. In the end, I decided there was nothing for it but to 'learn by doing'.

      Measuring & Stitching
      If you are good at eyeballing whether the stitches are even then you will save a little time here. I decided to measure and mark where the stitches should go using the fabric pen.

      Measuring along the top and bottom seam ready to make the side tuffting on the tufted french mattress cushion


      I measured along the top edge every 2cms with a depth of 2cms in towards the middle of the French mattress cushion. Then I did the same with the stitches underneath but used the half centimetre marks to measure along the sides. This meant that the stitches were staggered top and bottom. I know that sounds a bit convoluted but you should be able to see what I mean from the photos and if not from those then from the video if it's up by the time you read this post (If not, then it's coming soon!).

      Pushing the need straight down into the foam and battingpushing the need out about 2cms down on the side panel of the cushion pushing the needle back up to the top panel of the cushion about 2cms in

      Continue doing this around the top and bottom of the French mattress cushion. Try your best to line up the top and bottom stitches because that's what gives the cushion its 'mattress' look.

      The French mattress cushion is finished!
      See below for:
      'The things I learned' and 'The things I'm glad I bought'.

      Finished mattress cushion on window seat in walk-in wardrobes

    WATCH IT ON YOUTUBE

    Watch the video tutorial of making a French mattress cushion on YouTube here.

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    The finished tufted French mattress cushion on the window seat in the walk-in wardrobes

    So my French mattress cushion is finished. Since the high-density foam was the exact fit for the window seat, I was worried that after adding the layer of batting and fabric it might make the cushion too big for the space but it didn't. Tufting the sides seemed to pull them in enough so that the cushion was still a perfect fit.

    finished tufted french mattress cushion styled with a black and cream 'diamond' pattern throw and cream and white throw cushions
    natural linen tufted French mattress cushion on a window seat and styled with cream throw cushions

    Things I Learned

    My French tufted mattress cushion is not perfect but for a first attempt I am happy with how it turned out.

    I will definitely make another one of these but there are a few things I might do differently next time around.

    1. I would buy a larger piece of fabric. I saved money by buying an off-cut but ended up having to sew two pieces together for one of the small side panels. No one will see it because it's packed tight against the sides of the window seat so it doesn't matter here really but it wouldn't look great on say the bench in our hallway where something like that would be very noticeable.
    2. I would tuft the edges first and the centre of the cushion last. I've seen it done both ways but tufting the middle first, pulled some of the edges in towards the middle. They ended up crooked and that made it hard to measure the tufting along the edges and I was left with an uneven edge.

    Things I'm glad I bought:

    1. The long mattress needle. I thought this was going to be a waste of money but it made light work of pushing the thread through the middle of the mattress for the tufting. I had read that I would need to wear leather gloves for this project but now I'm glad I didn't buy them, I wouldn't have needed them at all. I think the fact that the needle is so long meant there is more to grip and that makes it easier to push through the high-density foam and batting.
    2. Thicker upholstery thread. You need to be able to pull the thread really tight to create the tufting. I doubled up the thread thinking that would be even better but I don't think I would have needed to do that at all. When I tried to break the thread with my hands, it would not budge so I had to use my scissors.

    I saved some cash by doing it myself but I know a project like this is not for everyone.

    If you love these mattress cushions but don't want to make one yourself, here are some gorgeous custom handmade alternatives you can buy online:

    If you're in Europe – Heritage and Folklore FRENCH MATTRESS CUSHIONS, Handmade to order, Window Seat Cushions, Bench Cushions, Bespoke sizes

    If you're in the USA – Grateful Home Ticking Floor Pillow, Tufted Floor Cushion with French Mattress Quilting, Stuffed 24x24x4 Floor Pouf, Floor Seating, Custom Sizes Available

    Or here if you are in the UK – Wendy Hood Furnishing FRENCH MATTRESS CUSHIONS, Handmade to order, Window Seat Cushions, Bench Cushions, Bespoke sizes

    Other posts you may like:

    How to sew a pillow with invisible zipper

    French Style Chair Makeover Series

    This post was shared and/or featured at these link parties.

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    1. Rebecca Ayala says

      November 20, 2019 at 9:24 am

      Mattress cushions can be really expensive. It's so much better and economical to make one. Your tutorial is amazing and simple to follow. I'll try it out this weekend.

      Reply
      • Jayne Westerholt says

        November 20, 2019 at 6:17 pm

        You're right Rebecca, they can be expensive - especially if you need a custom size as I did here. I'm so glad you found the tutorial helpful and that you're going to try it out yourself. You'll easily manage it in a weekend - good luck!

        Reply
    2. Kippi says

      April 24, 2020 at 5:29 am

      Stunning cushion for your bench!
      Happy spring,
      Kippi
      Ps. Please share on my site at You're
      The Star Blog Hop

      Reply
      • Jayne Westerholt says

        April 24, 2020 at 4:40 pm

        Thank you Kippi, happy Spring to you too!

        Reply
    3. Pamela~DIY Vibes says

      April 24, 2020 at 8:27 pm

      Your cushion turned out so nice. Your instructions are very clear and the video really makes it look easy!

      Reply
      • Jayne Westerholt says

        April 26, 2020 at 2:15 pm

        thanks, Pamela! I wasn't easy for me at first, that's why I was determined to make it easy for anyone else who wanted to try it!

        Reply
    4. Cecilia says

      April 27, 2020 at 12:01 am

      This is lovely, Jayne! Thanks for sharing at Vintage Charm!

      Reply
      • Jayne Westerholt says

        April 27, 2020 at 4:06 pm

        Thank you Cecilia! 🙂

        Reply
    5. Julie Briones says

      April 28, 2020 at 4:05 am

      Jayne, your DIY French tufted cushion is LOVELY! I have a window bench that I'm planning to make one for! Thanks for the amazing tutorial, too! I'm excited to be featuring you at Tuesday Turn About this week! See you tomorrow!

      Reply
      • Jayne Westerholt says

        April 28, 2020 at 4:21 pm

        Thank you, Julie, I'm glad you like it and it's so lovely of you to feature me! I'm sure your window bench cushion will be fabulous!

        Reply
    6. Justine says

      June 27, 2020 at 6:18 pm

      Hi! It looks like this DIY is possible! I’ve been getting quoted some really high prices on Etsy that I did not expect. I think I would like to try it myself but before I do, could you give me an idea of how much it cost for all of the materials? Thanks!!

      Reply
      • Jayne Westerholt says

        June 30, 2020 at 8:09 am

        Hi Justine, I'm glad you liked the tutorial. I know that mattress cushions can be pricey, that's why I decided to make my own. If I remember rightly, the fabric was an off-cut and cost around €14. I bought the High-density foam for €6.00 and it was already cut to size. I bought it hoping it would fit and it was perfect. The mattress needle was around €9.00 and worth every cent! I already had some foam batting leftover from another project but you can buy it for around €5 per yard. For the sewing thread, I used what I already had but it costs between €1-€3 depending upon the quality and yardage. I hope that helps and good luck with making your cushion, I'm sure it will turn out amazing!

        Reply
    7. Andrea says

      August 10, 2020 at 4:43 pm

      I had to click through to read more. These look great. Thanks so much for the tutorial. I have a bench this will be perfect for. I couldn't tell from the title if it was something for the bed or anyplace.

      Reply
      • Jayne Westerholt says

        August 12, 2020 at 6:41 am

        Hi Andrea, yes this is perfect for a bench and it's much easier than it looks!

        Reply
    8. Danielle says

      February 19, 2021 at 7:20 pm

      This looks SO good!!! I love the fabric you chose, and I'm a sucker for tufting!

      Reply
      • Jayne Westerholt says

        February 21, 2021 at 12:24 pm

        Thanks, Danielle! I have to admit that after doing this, I'm hooked on tufting too!

        Reply
    9. Maria says

      May 17, 2021 at 1:57 pm

      These tufted french cushions are so popular and so expensive!!! Thanks so much for this tutorial. Sometimes all we need is a step by step process to give it a try. Thanks so much!!!!

      Reply
      • Jayne Westerholt says

        May 21, 2021 at 5:59 pm

        You're welcome, Maria! I'm so glad you found this french tufted cushion tutorial helpful!

        Reply
    10. Angela Brown says

      June 23, 2021 at 10:54 am

      I am so looking forward to making this, thank you so much for your clear instructions, I am in the process of creating a breakfast nook, with bench seating and totally adore this look , Angela from UK

      Reply
      • Jayne Westerholt says

        June 25, 2021 at 5:14 pm

        I'm so glad you found my tutorial helpful Angela. I'd love to see how your breakfast nook turns out. Chalking up success has a Facebook group for all things home, I'd love it if you could post a pic in there. You can find us here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/organizedecoratecreatechalkingupsucces

        Reply
    11. Danielle says

      July 26, 2021 at 3:23 pm

      This is absolutely gorgeous! I've always wanted a tufted cushion!

      Reply
      • Jayne Westerholt says

        July 27, 2021 at 7:48 pm

        Thanks, Danielle! You could easily make one, it's not difficult. I also have a video on YouTube showing how I made this tufted cushion!

        Reply
    12. varun kumar says

      September 20, 2022 at 10:43 pm

      Awesome content Jane and very helpfull too , bec of quarantine everyone is at home and looking for activities to enjoy and be creative
      Regards
      Varun k

      Reply
      • Jayne Westerholt says

        September 21, 2022 at 3:12 pm

        Thanks, Varun!

        Reply

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