Geneva Vanderzeil
Instructor
In This Lesson
Sew your own adorable heart-shaped beanbag! This easy sewing project is fun to create and makes a cozy, comfortable piece that’s perfect for relaxing.
You Need
Materials
- Sewing machine
- Fabric of your choosing about 5m/5.5 yards
- Thread that matches your fabric
- Styrofoam balls
- Scissors
- Fabric pen or chalk
- Pins or clips
- Measuring tape
- Iron and ironing board
Instructions
1
Lay out your fabric and cut as big a square as your fabric will allow. To do this, fold the fabric over corner to corner, to form a triangle and cut along the line to remove the excess fabric, then open up to reveal a square. You can iron the fabric if needed.
2
Fold your fabric in half lengthwise, with the right sides together. Sketch half of a heart shape so that the fold will form the center line of the finished heart.
3
Carefully cut along the drawn heart outline, making sure to cut through both layers of fabric so the shape remains symmetrical, but keep the fold in tact.
4
Place the cut-out heart on top of the remaining fabric and use it as a template to cut out a second heart shape.
5
Cut two long strips of fabric for the sides that are 35cm wide. To determine the length, measure around the outside edge of the heart, plus you should add about 30cm extra.
6
Take the two strips and pin the short edges together, right sides facing. Sew them together to create one very long strip.
7
Place the heart and the long strip with right sides facing each other. Align the bottom point of the heart with the center seam of the strip, then pin in place.
8
Continue pinning the heart to the strip all the way around the edge.
9
To sew the heart and the strip together, start at the bottom point and sew up and around to the top point, then start again at the bottom and sew up the other side.
10
You will have an opening and some excess fabric at the top point. Use the opening to turn the fabric right side out, then fill the beanbag with styrofoam balls.
11
Trim off some of the excess fabric and then push the rest inside and pin neatly closed. Carefully hand stitch the opening to secure the filling inside.
