How do you cover a foam bench seat? Anyone good with haberdashery?

[MrsTumbletap]

Sorry is there a place I should put this? I can see wooly hugs and arts and craft but not sure this is sits in either of them?

I am going to get some foam cut to size for a bench in our house and want to cover it with fabric. But with a dog and mucky DS/DH I can imagine it will get muddy over time so I want to be able to take it off and wash it.

How do I do this? How do I cover it and it look smooth but it be removable without loads of joins at the ends?

I'm not sure what shape I make with the fabric, where is sew it? Can anyone help?

It's a rectangle of 1600x500

Thank you in advance for any advice

There's a few different ways to do it, I've linked some tutorials below using easy closure like Velcro to make them removeable

bebraveandbloom.com/diy-bench-cushion-cover/

simplybeautifulbyangela.com/2019/07/no-sew-bench-cushion.html

bebraveandbloom.com/diy-bench-seat-cushion-cover-tutorial/

I am thinking of doing the same. My plan is to put velcro around the underside of the lid to attach it.

Thank you @FatGirlShrinking but I think it's a bit technical for me. The first one has so many different sections and then an edging around the top look that I wouldn't know how to add.

The second one involves adding elastic, which again might be a bit technical for me and I think will then wrinkle in the corner like a fitted sheet? I was hoping for quite neat edges without wrinkling? It may not be possible though.....

@Wingingitsince2018 adding Velcro and wrapping it like a present?

If you can , get fabric that is slightly elasticated. It is more "forgiving" if you are new to upholstery.

If you do seams at each edge it will have a good shape. Many patterns will add piping, but it’s not necessary. I would do a zipper, but Velcro is the simplest. Just make the back edge a couple of inches longer Than needed so you end up with a flap.

There are online companies that will make them for you. That’s what I did. Sorry it was a good few years ago now so can’t remember what they were called.

The image top left would be the easiest. But that's not removable. Or could I sew a panel and connect all those flaps to it?

But then how do you take it off? It makes my head hurt.

Depending on the thickness of the foam and the size of the piece you could make the cover non removable (much, much easier to make) and then throw the whole thing in the wash.

Maybe make it out of a folded up duvet, so it's soft , long, flat cushion type thing . Wouldn't be as "smart" looking but easier to wash.

Oops just seen the size !

Maybe seperate foam pieces that would fit in your washing machine.

I did some foam cushions back in the summer. I basically made a tunnel of the fabric, sewed one end up and tucked the corners in. For the other end I made it a bit like a pillow case so I didn't have to arse around with velcro.

Worked brilliantly.

I chose stripey fabric so that I could follow the lines to make the sewing straight which helped too.

Get some 9 mm mdf cut to size of cushion at machine shop
Staple Velcro to mdf, hot glue other half to fabric so it matches up

Now for tricky bit, with fabric in place, you need to cut into corners , see YouTube video and stitch them down with curved needle
If you’re very careful when you want to wash them you might be able to wiggle it off without undoing corners, or you might only have to undo one

I did my caravan seating and backrests only I stapled it all down, it looks great and three nearly 4 years on its like new. No dogs though.

I got proper upholstery fabric from our off cut shop..£30 per metre down to £12

@DMCWelshcakes
I did this for a little place we had in france. It was a French beige check pattern. Looked fabulous

Here’s the one I did earlier

@MrsTumbletap I think this is a very straight forward video on how to make one. I haven't made this yet as it is a job for next spring.

They use tape to hold seams and hold the zipper in place, I use this sort of tape when putting in zips too. Very useful to have.