Revisiting Shirley’s Pouffe Project

Former Fiction Ed Shirley was always one for a craft project — here, we take a look back at her homemade pouffe from last year.

Who wouldn’t want to put their feet up these days?

I do like to put my feet up of an evening. And proper up, on a footstool or pouffe.

I used to have a lovely footstool, but it matched the armchair I passed on to a friend. I started looking around for a new one, and although there are lots available, nothing caught my fancy in my price range.

I’ve mentioned in my Fiction Ed’s blog and in our Facebook chats that I’m knitting and crocheting up a bag full of odd balls of yarn. That’s meant looking through lots of pattern books.

Last weekend I was leafing through one for chunky yarns — and found two patterns for a pouffe, one crocheted, one knitted. Now, I don’t have any of the super chunky yarn required, and for obvious reasons I didn’t want to buy any — I’m trying to clear out, after all.

But what caught my eye was that both patterns said, “Once complete stuff with cushions.”

Really? That was all?

Now, when you buy a new cushion cover these days, it almost always comes complete with cushion pad. Which means you end up with loads of them. I certainly have.

Getting started

So, my pouffe project.

I took four cushion pads and stacked them up to see how high they were. Just about footstool height, which was a good start.

I had spare fleece blanket in the linen cupboard. I used that to wrap the cushions up just like tying up a parcel, to form an approximate cube. Then I stitched it at strategic points to secure it.

It worked but was a bit short on finesse. I dug out a soft-weave plaid throw, wrapped it round the outside, then tied it in a knot underneath. Artfully smoothed out the folds on the top.

Et voila, my own design pouffe, completely recycling odd bits and pieces.

It’s incredibly easy, and satisfying, too. Why not try it?

For more craft projects from “The People’s Friend”, click here.