scrap fabric floor pouf

Recently I taught a surface design class in my studio where we spent two days making all kinds of handmade fabric and that means I had tons of scraps left over from all my teaching demos! So I decided to use all those scraps to create a big colorful floor pouf for our living room. 

I started by cutting my scrap fabric into smaller(ish) squares and then I sewed all those squares together to make two large pieces of patchwork fabric- one for the top of my pouf and one for the bottom.

note: I wasn't at all concerned with perfection (cause I never am) or with things being perfectly straight or square.

This process would have gone a lot quicker without a toddler in the mix but projects are WAY more interesting with a tiny helper!

Next, using a paper pattern that I made (simply by tracing a large circle) I cut out two large circles from my patchwork fabric- one for the top and one for the bottom.

Then I sewed the two pieces together leaving an opening for stuffing.

I stuffed the pouf as full as possible with stuffing.

Then I used heavy twine to tightly wrap the pouf 4 times- this immediately transforms a pillow into a pouf! 

Note: For all those sewers out there, this is basically using the concept of making a pin cushion but REALLY LARGE. And while you could use a long tapestry needle to pierce the center of the pouf and then wrap, I found it WAY easier to use my husband's brute strength to tightly wrap the twine!

I finished it off by sewing a button into the middle of both the bottom and the top.

The result is a super fun and colorful floor pouf made entirely from hand painted fabric! I can't wait to make more!

P.S. For those curious about the techniques that I used to make the fabric- I teach an online class called Beneath the Surface that covers all my favorite surface design techniques! You can read more about it HERE