Million dollar cushions!

We have all looked at gorgeous cushions and then when we get to the price tag which is $160 or something we back away slowly towards the door...

Really cushions are so easy to make. Finding lovely prints is the harder part. I find thrift stores the places to go. They have racks of old lace curtains and net curtains. I bought some for $4 a curtain and this got me metres of mesh and metres of wide gorgeous lace that would cost a fortune in the fabric store. 

I like to wash it up and use fabric softener so they smell divine!

Whatever print you have it will look softer and more romantic if you sew a layer or two of mesh over the top of it. This gives a soft dreamy look. I have often sat in the evenings cutting lace carefully from along the bottom of curtains to use on cushions and other projects. One of these cushions has edging lace over 12" wide. To buy this would be $20 or more a meter. It worked out less than 50c a meter by doing it this way. And looks lovely and a little vintage. So both the mesh and the lace are so useful.

My next project is to use some of this to edge sheets so when I turn down the bed there is a  lace overlay. I have so much left over from the cushions I could do this to a couple of sets of sheets. Imagine that on pale pink sheets for a little girl!

Once again when trying to get an ages look, consider the reverse side of the printed material as sometimes that's perfect.  I will often sew my cushion squares but hand stitch the lace on, I find that easier. You can sew fancy lace on flat or finer lace you might like to gather that up.  A wide lace edge is also stunning on a pretty pillowcase. Of course these could be made as pillow shams to dress up your bed. Mine are cushions and they live on the bed anyway. 

The most expensive component was the cushion inners, making each cushion cost around $12. But often you can use inners from cushions you no longer love so you could have fabulous new cushions for a few dollars.

I always keep my eyes open for pretty fabrics as there are so many simple things to make and having a supply means they are there when the mood strikes!