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DIY Oversized Floor Pouf {inspired by West Elm}

When we decided it was time to makeover Bre’s room, she asked for a big floor pouf. She fell in love with one at West Elm, but it was a little pricey so I told her I’d try to make it. I was a little scared at first, because it seemed a little overwhelming. Yes, I can sew, and I do a pretty good job. I don’t know why I was so scared, but I scoured tutorials all over the interwebs trying to figure out the easiest and least miserable way to make it, because every single tutorial I found made it look so complicated that I wanted to throw in the towel before I even started. Instead of following someone else’s directions, I thought through long and hard on how to make a pouf. I know what happens when you sew part a to part b, and so I mentally sewed up a pouf about 10 ways before deciding to just bite the bullet and go for it. I’m going to try my very best to make this tutorial easy to understand – but as always if you have ANY questions, just leave them in the comments at the bottom of this post.
how to make an oversized floor pouf
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You’re only going to need a few things. First, you’ll need about 2 1/4 yards of fabric. You could make it a bit smaller and use less fabric, though. You’ll also need some scissors, a yard stick, a marking pen, a sewing machine and a LOT of stuff to fill it. We’ll get to the filling in a minute, m’kay?
Let’s get started!
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First, cut six pieces of fabric 24 inches by 24 inches (yes, that’s square.) I used this gorgeous grey polka dot fabric from Fabric.com (mad thanks to them for providing me with this fabric!)

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Before we start – think of this like a big dice (well, die is singular, but you get the point.) It’s going to be a big old cube – so we’re going to sew together 4 piece end to end and then sew up the ends so you have a four sided loop. Start by sewing the first four pieces. Sew them together end to end to end to end and then sew together the ends.You’re going to use a 1/4 inch seam allowance all the way around.  {I hope I said all that right. Once again, if you have questions, just leave a comment.}

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Next, we’re going to put on the ends. Start in one corner, giving it a 1/4 inch overlap, so that the pieces line up properly. Start 1/4 inch in from the corner, because as you sew all the way around you’ll need that extra allowance for the last side.

floor pouf tutorial, square floor pillow, sewing tutorial, free tutorial, west elm knock off
Sew it along the line until you get to 1/4 inch from the end. Leave your needle in the fabric and lift the foot to set up for the next move.
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Turn the fabric so that the next side of the cube is in line to be sewn down.
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Pull the fabric out for the last edge you just sewed so that the fabric will make a turn to line up with the next side. Sew it all the way around, making each turn and sealing up in the last corner.

Repeat the steps with the other end, but leave a few inches open in the last seam on one end so you can stuff your pouf.

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It’s going to take a LOT of stuff. Mine held 4 odd king size blankets, 2 full size comforters, tons of scrap fabric and about 8 abandoned floor pillows – plus I put quilt batting all the way around each side to help even it all out and not be lumpy.

After it’s as full as you’d like, use a needle and thread and sew it up by hand.
floor pouf tutorial, square floor pillow, sewing tutorial, free tutorial, west elm knock off

It may look complicated, but I seriously made this pouf in less than an hour. I probably spent 10 minutes of that time finding more and more stuffing. It goes really quickly once you get the hang of sewing on the ends (which is the hardest part.)

If you’re interested in making your own pouf but still have questions, I’d be glad to help you any way that I can! I try my best to respond to questions in the comments section, so if you leave one be sure that you come back to see your answer.

*Thanks to Fabric.com for partnering with me on this post. All words, ideas and opinions are my own*

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Filed Under: DIY

About Gina Luker

Gina Luker is a writer, photographer and lover of all things quirky. She's usually found with a drill in one hand and a cocktail in the other while blogging along the way. She's addicted to coffee, polka dots, rock stars, Instagram, and everything aqua.

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Comments

  1. DaiseyJayne.com says

    April 15, 2013 at 10:48 am

    Love it! The fabric is perfect for this project and Bre is so cute sitting atop her new pouf!

    Reply
  2. Jillian Haupt says

    April 15, 2013 at 11:56 am

    So cute! I need several of these and never even thought to try and make them. Thanks for making it look like a do-able project!!! YAY!

    Reply
  3. itwilightgirl68 says

    April 15, 2013 at 12:18 pm

    How fabulous is this ?? Awesome job and your daughter is so cute and looks very happy with her “pouf” ! This has gotten me inspired to try on my own now, I’ve had my eye on Rachel Ashwell’s Shabby Chic pouf , but at several hundred dollars a piece , I knew I could never afford them. Thanks again ! 😀

    Reply
  4. Janel from NellieBellie says

    April 15, 2013 at 12:25 pm

    This is fantastic!!! I want one to lounge about in and drink my coffee! Pinning for later!

    Reply
  5. Mary Alice says

    April 15, 2013 at 2:57 pm

    Very clever. Good for you for figuring this out!!

    Reply
  6. Ida says

    April 15, 2013 at 3:03 pm

    Thank you so much. I have been wanting to make a pouf and couldn’t figure out any tutorials I found online. I am going to try following yours, I think I understand your instructions. Oh and love love love that fabric! Great job!

    Reply
  7. Stacy Risenmay says

    April 15, 2013 at 4:37 pm

    How fun!!! That fabric is darling and she looks like one happy girl 🙂

    Reply
  8. Courtney says

    April 15, 2013 at 4:42 pm

    So fun! Great job Gina!

    Reply
  9. Infarrantly Creative says

    April 15, 2013 at 4:54 pm

    I will totally feature you on KOD Gina. G+ and Pinned.

    Reply
  10. Cindy says

    April 15, 2013 at 6:04 pm

    Very cute. That old be great in our guestroom for the grandkids.

    Reply
  11. Marianne Songbird says

    April 15, 2013 at 8:03 pm

    So cute and perfect for any teen. I am sure your girl is loving her room makeover.

    Reply
  12. Katy says

    April 15, 2013 at 9:43 pm

    Very nice! Love the polka dots! Maybe I need to clean out my over stuffed linen closet and make one!

    Reply
  13. Julia Klimek says

    April 15, 2013 at 11:04 pm

    I love it! I love that it uses old stuff for the filling! Cute post!

    Reply
  14. Junior's mommy says

    April 16, 2013 at 12:30 am

    Put a zipper where you left the empty seam so you can access your stuff

    Reply
  15. Junior's mommy says

    April 16, 2013 at 12:31 am

    Put a zipper where you left the empty seam so you can access your stuff

    Reply
  16. srpprcrftr says

    April 16, 2013 at 3:44 am

    If anybody could figure it out it’s you Gina. It’s a matter of taking it apart, then putting it back together in your head. I usually look at something and figure out how the parts would go back together. The first time I made pants I went to get a pair and bam it made sense to me what pattern was saying. I have to see how the parts work together, sounds like that’s how you figured this out.
    Your daughter is so pretty, looks like she loves her pouf and Mom for making it for her. What a great Mom and sewer you are gal. Happy days

    Reply
  17. Jenny Lynn says

    April 16, 2013 at 5:09 pm

    This would be a great way to recycle old sleeping bags! I am so inspired. I am working on my son’s bedroom…he would love one of these to sit in when playing video games.

    Reply
  18. Heidi Smith says

    April 16, 2013 at 8:09 pm

    You can also use packing peanuts! When I was ordering all my Fiestaware from Macy’s and Kohl’s they would send huge boxes full of it!

    Reply
    • ConnieZ says

      February 19, 2014 at 11:36 pm

      I made a bean bag chair for my grandkids that is very similiar to this. I bought large bags of packing peanuts, but they break down very quickly. After it was getting pretty flat, I bought some quilt batting, tore it as I stuffed and it worked beautifully. Wish I had just used the batting first
      Also, I made the bag the first time out of white sail cloth and then made a patterned cover for it with a zipper so it can be taken off and washed.

      Reply
  19. Tattered Tiques says

    April 18, 2013 at 3:00 am

    This is just what I need! My daughter has bugged me for one, but as you said, they are expensive! Hmmm I may need to give this a try. Thanks so much, and I Looove the fabric you chose!
    Julie

    Reply
  20. Kelly says

    April 19, 2013 at 5:43 pm

    I’m NOT great at sewing but I feel like this is something I could actually make. Great tutorial!

    Kelly @ View Along the Way

    Reply
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    April 20, 2013 at 6:30 am

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    Reply
  22. Bob Baar says

    August 11, 2013 at 12:30 pm

    Great idea and helpful tutorial. I have been looking for a beanbag chair bag our granddaughter could use to store all of the stuffed animals she refuses to part with and has run out of space in her room. What a perfect solution! I think I might even be able to sew one of these up with the help of your very clear tutorial.Now I just have to figure out how to add a zipper.

    Reply
  23. Jennifer S. says

    August 15, 2013 at 5:32 pm

    I have been trying to figure out a way to store all of our extra blankets and have some seating for our children in their playroom. I think with a zipper in one seam this would be perfect. Thank you so much for this tutorial.

    Reply
  24. Karen Netzband says

    August 15, 2013 at 8:41 pm

    Hi there! It looks great! I’m curious on how and if you have washed it yet. Looks way too big for the washing machine and dryer. A zipper would help to unload the stuffing to wash it. Call me silly, but I can see my 97 pd dog climbing up on it! Oh the dog hair!

    Reply
    • Gina says

      August 16, 2013 at 6:07 am

      No, I haven’t washed it yet – but you are so right, it would be much more practical with a zipper. I’ll have to take out the stitches when I do wash it, and I’m thinking I’m going to put velcro in the space to make it easier next time. Great suggestion!

      Reply
      • ConnieZ says

        February 19, 2014 at 11:38 pm

        Gina when I made my grandkids bean bag chair, I made the first one out of white sail cloth, then chose a pattern for the outter fabric and put a zipper on it. Now it can be taken off and washed whenever it needs it.

        Reply
  25. Erin says

    August 20, 2013 at 9:49 am

    I have been looking for bean bag chair ‘bags’ to use for stuffed animal storage/seating for my kids – and I think this pattern will work beautifully! I’ll make them a little smaller (my kids are 4 and 6) and certainly will try velcro or zipper closure so they can get at their ‘stuffies’ themselves. Thank you!

    Reply
    • Jan says

      November 5, 2013 at 12:37 pm

      Stuffed animals!! what a great idea. I have 2 or 3 garbage bags full of those!

      Reply
  26. palak says

    September 9, 2013 at 1:03 pm

    I love this project– I wouldn’t share my pouf with my daughter! I’d keep it for myself! I featured your project on the frugal sewing site Sewistry.com. You can find the link here: http://sewistry.com/2013/08/diy-oversized-pouf-sewing-tutorial/. Thanks!

    Reply
  27. Christine says

    September 21, 2013 at 10:14 am

    I found your instructions on Pinterest and I made one of these last night. Thank you so much, your instructions were spot on!
    Love my new pouf!!!

    Reply
  28. Shannon says

    October 15, 2013 at 10:53 am

    So glad I found you!!!

    Reply
  29. Julie says

    December 1, 2013 at 5:56 am

    Great! I suppose with a zip it could become summer storage for winter blankets?!

    Reply
  30. Gina says

    December 16, 2013 at 7:32 pm

    Hi. I am attempting to make one of these for my son’s room for Christmas. I have sewn pj’s,pillows,and pillowcases and an apron before so not new to sewing,but certainly no expert as I have not tried anything too complicated. So if you could please help I would appreciate it. When you say sewing up the ends of the squares do you mean that you put 2 squares together right side to right side and sew up a seam along one side and then do that again with another square until all 4 squares are together? For me pictures and diagrams are my friends. Thanks!

    Reply
  31. Sam says

    January 16, 2014 at 3:20 am

    Hi Gina,
    thank you so much for this tutorial. during my pregnancy I actually bought a small pouf to put my feet up for £15 – what a rip off when it’s so easy to make yourself!!!!
    I was just wondering what type of fabric you used, as most fabrics tend to stretch.
    Cheers

    Reply
  32. Marissa says

    January 18, 2014 at 8:33 am

    I love your choice of fabric and the way it all came together. We are the same…I spend sleepless nights just thinking of how to attack a project. Sometimes, my husband thinks he’s guilty of something as I do not talk to him or anyone when I am in that state of mind. I made something like this a few years back but used what we here in the Philippines call “rugged thread”– the kind you use for jeans, tote bags and seat covers. I also used my serger on all joints and to further strengthen the cube, used piping on all joints. It became an added design feature. Because I knew it would take a lot of beating and it would be used on the floor, I added a strong zipper closure. It lasted years but I eventually had to give it up as it just looked too grimy after a while. My sister’s purchased bean bag exploded so I had the good luck of inheriting all the little styro beads inside. The fabric on the outside just served as a cover as I housed the styro beads in a muslin of the same proportions so I would not have to run around the house picking up these pesky beads or risk getting some of them in my nose every time I needed to wash the thing. You are smart for using blankets and pillows as this would be good storage as well. I never thought of that!

    Reply
  33. mira patel says

    June 5, 2014 at 6:31 pm

    first time I open your website and like your idea, I have four grandsons and grand daughter and this will be very useful. I am a sewing lady. enjoy it all the time. I will make it and will make more space in my cabinets. Thanks a lot. will be in touch.

    Reply
  34. Pat says

    June 19, 2014 at 4:06 pm

    I like the cube idea . I’ve pinned patterns with different shapes it might be neat to knit with really chunky yarn too .
    I’ll have to see what I have in my fabric and yarn stashes. thanks!

    Reply
  35. jeannette says

    July 13, 2014 at 9:41 pm

    I love this idea. We had extra bedding hiding around the house and used those to stuff with – the huge difference, was the velcro I used. Ours is storage!

    Reply
  36. Joni says

    July 31, 2015 at 7:49 am

    I love your stuff. It inspires me! I BARELY sew and I’m pretty sure I could do this. I have 6 daughters and 5 sons. (youngest is 10) So I’m going to be frequenting your blog from now on! Oh, BTW, My oldest girl is an interior design major and I know she’ll like it too.

    Reply
  37. Mikaela Tognetti says

    September 1, 2016 at 12:27 am

    I need complete and detailed requirements, policies and procedures, anyone help me please? = ).

    Reply
  38. Norma Rolader says

    January 3, 2018 at 4:17 pm

    I love this poof idea and thank you for sharing … it would be a great hideaway to store all of these

    Reply
  39. Eluxury Home says

    August 18, 2018 at 1:11 am

    Nice! Love it

    Reply
    • Gina Luker says

      August 20, 2018 at 10:20 am

      Thank you 🙂

      Reply

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    May 17, 2014 at 3:15 pm

    […] this afternoon I made a huge floor pouf. The idea came from here and was one of my sewing goals for this fall. I made mine a little differently because I left […]

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