Banquette Cushion Covers Made From Drapes

Easy Home Decorating: How to Cover Bench or Sofa Cushions With No Sewing

I am feeling a bit like Maria  – you know the character Julie Andrews played in the movie, The Sound Of Music.  I channeled her resourcefulness and took a pair of perfectly good drapes that I no longer needed and used the fabric to make something new.

I didn’t make clothing, but two new banquette cushion covers for the banquette in my kitchen.  I want to lighten up the kitchen and over the past few months have been changing some of the black accents.

How-to-make-a-no-sew-cushioHow to Make No Sew Sofa or Bench Cushion Covers

This is the best kind of use-what-you-have-decorating. I shopped my basement and now have a new look with no new cost involved.  Strike that, I did need to buy some safety pins -cost $1 at the dollar store.

I could not be happier with the results.

Before

The existing banquette cushions – professionally done about 8 years ago.

How to build a kitchen banquette

I also am changing the back pillow fabric.  The purple and green served well, but time for a color update.  I will show you their transformation in my next post.

How to make a Banquette Cushion Cover

After

I moved the table away so you could get a better view of the banquette.

No-Sew-Cushion-Cover Tutorial

I use bed pillows for the back.  I stripped them of the previous fabric. Now they are just waiting for their new look.

See where the floor is worn? That is from the chair my husband has sat in for the past 3 years working non-stop networking and job-searching. He uses this table as his office.  I know this floor is one of the big projects I will be taking on eventually. (Update:  Floor was refinished, It came out amazing – you can see it in this post. )

Banquette-Cushion-Tutorial

This is one of Trax’s favorite spots.

How-to-make-a-kitchen-banqu

How to Cover a Sofa or Bench Cushion Using Drapes

supplies needed:

  • Drapery panels or fabric yardage – enough to wrap around all sides of your cushion
  • Large safety pins – I found mine at the dollar store.

Banquette Cushion Cover Tutorial

1. Lay the drape or fabric yardage right side down.  Center cushion on top.

Banquette-Cushion-Cover-How

2.  Wrap the fabric around the cushion as if you were wrapping a gift.  Place the safety pins horizontally into the fabric and grab a small bit of the cushion, then close the pin.  Repeat all around the cushion making sure to pull the fabric taut before pinning.

Slipcover--Ideas

3.  Wrap the corners in the same way your would a gift box. Make sure the fabric lays flat.  Use a few pins around the corners so the fabric stays in place.

Place back on seating.

I have used this same cushion covering technique for the porch swing on my deck and in my daughter’s room on her window seat cushion.

Banquette-Cushion-Cover-Fab

Check out what I made for the banquette using this fabric.

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22 Comments

  1. Love your ideas. Duck tape and safety pins were my previous “go to” for no sew cushions. However my new favorite hack is hot glue with the same gift wrapping technique as you do. The process goes quicker and is more secure.

    If I wanted to remove the cover for wash . . . I would secure one end with safety pins. Hope this helps someone.

    1. Diane Henkler says:

      Hi Betty – Thanks for sharing your favorite no sew hack with me and other readers. Hot glue is one of the best inventions ever! :-)

  2. Josh Davis says:

    This is so creative!
    Thanks for all of your ideas! There is a wonderful website where you can read a lot about cleaning drapes, carpets, etc – http://purecarpetcleaners.com/ Definitely worth checking out!
    Best regards!

  3. Norma Rolader says:

    I love the banquet and wow the transformation is beautiful I think your choice of fabric for the pillows is going to be amazing Thank you for the easy way to change the fabric and with safety pins … exciting

  4. Renee Meany says:

    Loved your banquette so much, my husband is currently building me one. I am going to try to make no sew cushions as well, but don’t know if safety pins will just hook into and stay in the foam. I was going to try Velcro strips and try doing it myself before paying someone to come out and make them for me. Love your blog and style!

  5. I was wondering what I could for the actual cushion part of it.I have a long cube organizer type thing that I want to make a long (about 6 ft.) cushion for.

    1. Diane Henkler says:

      Hi Melody –

      You can get foam cut to size at fabric stores.I know JoAnn’s has many different thicknesses. It can get a little pricey, so I always wait until it goes on sale or I use a 50% off coupon.

      You can also sew bed pillows together and then cover them as one. Or…Cut an old blanket to the size cushion needed. Layer the cut pieces of the blanket on top of each other to get the cushion thickness and then cover the layered stack. An old sleeping bag can be used – fold or cut to the size cushion needed. An old sofa cushion can be cut down to size. Look around your house – you may already have one of these.

  6. Hi Diane, what first came to mind when I saw your Banquette Cushion Covers Made From Drapes post was not Maria, but Scarlett from Gone With the Wind when she yanked down drapes to make herself a dress! You and Scarlett are amazingly resourceful women. I second Debbi in Texas’ recommendation of the Howard product for the worn hardwood. It’s so easy to use and you will probably be able to blend it in with the rest of the flooring. Redoing the entire floor would not be needed. I love all of your inspirations, especially the frugal part of your transformations. Keep it up! Brigitte

    1. Diane Henkler says:

      Thanks Brigitte –
      I am going to check out the Howard product. The floor in my kitchen is in desperate need of a makeover. Every morning when I go to the kitchen, I say to myself – next project is the floor. Now that it is warm outside and I can open the windows for better ventilation, I can take the project on.

  7. *I mean drape (whooops typo)

  8. Random I know, but can I ask where you got the drapes from? I’ve been looking all over for a natural weave drap that’s lined!

    1. Diane Henkler says:

      Hi Dancy – Lowes They still have them in 3 different colors. I think 2 different lengths, too.

      1. That’s great! Thanks so much. Our nearest Lowes is about 1hr away, but sounds like a trip called for! Thanks again.

  9. I love the way Trax is perched so perfectly on the end :)

  10. liz martinez says:

    Love the lighter colored fabric. Looks just as good as the one professionally done. Hope they hold up as well, but for the price you can repin them as needed & remove easily to wash. good job!

  11. Athena at Minerva's Garden says:

    This is the kind of cover I use for my dining room chairs–love it, because I can take them off whenever I want to launder them, and change them out seasonally! And I have an old sofa cushion that I can cut down the size and cover with drop cloth in this manner for a cushion for a bench in our dormer window–the cats love the lay there in the sun! Looks like your kitty is enjoying your cushions, too!

  12. What a good idea! It’s always nice when you can do your updates without having to spend any money. I have a couple of sidelights in my house by the front door and I was having a really hard time finding fabric I liked that wasn’t too expensive. I needed the fabric to be at least 84 inches long, so at least three yards of fabric. Well I also needed to be able to cut four panels at 11 inches wide. If one panel was 44 inches wide then I had exactly what I needed width wise without any room for a seam allowance. So I would need two separate pieces of fabric that were 3 yards each. (That can add up to be a lot!) So guess what I did?? I found a table cloth at TJ Maxx that was 84 inches long and 66 inches wide for TEN DOLLARS!!! =] Done!

  13. Debbi in Texas says:

    Your floor may just need some love. I found a great product I am using on my wood furniture that needs some refreshing. Until you actually need to do the entire floor, this might work temporarily. It’s Howard’s Refinishing products. The nice thing is, you don’t have to strip the wood. Try this first just wiping it on and off. Different tones of product to choose from to match wood color. I have used on some vintage oak furniture and brought them back to life without stripping the finish first. Howard’s Restor-A-Finish http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LARrSHU9uXQ; find it at Home Depot in the staining products aisle.

  14. Sheryll & Critters. says:

    Great idea to pin the curtains on so when you want to change them around next time, it will be no sew easy! I too love the colors of the new and I always loved what you had. I know it is great to change to new every once in awhile.

    And you probably know that banquette is on my long bucket list that I have from reading this blog from you.

    Along with your guest bath makeover and dresser make over and buffet makeover…. you would fall asleep if I named all I have from you.

  15. Diane | An Extraordinary Day says:

    Truly creative! And the pillow colors are gorgeous!! What is the clear plastic thing in the corner? A suction cup maybe?
    I’m so sorry there is no job yet. Will pray right now. It was 2.5 years for my husband….I know the emotions. {hugs}

  16. Connie@Connie Nikiforoff Designs says:

    Great use of lots of fabric (i.e. unneeded curtain panels)! I can’t count the number of times I’ve done things like this with curtains, sheets, blankets, etc. Right now I have two cushions on an ottoman that are ‘covered’ in Euro shams I didn’t need that came with a thrift store comforter set. I happened to have upholstery spiral ‘tacs’ on hand to fasten/adhere them to the foam cushions. Looks like it was done by a professional upholster.

    Great idea for repurposing. Thanks for sharing!

  17. Faye Scharber says:

    Quick cover-up for the cushions! Hope you have some suggestions for
    improving the look of worn wood floors, short of a complete refinishing. Thanks for all the great ideas!