On our latest tiny house - the Open Concept Modern - the client challenged me to create a sectional sofa lounge area that was very comfortable, had the maximum amount of storage, and converted into a guest bed for occassional use. With limited shopping options up here in Alaska, and pricey shipping for such a large item, there really was no other option than to DIY.  

With minimal sewing, a quick and easy box build, and a foam mattress, I was able to DIY this sectional for about $300.

In this post, I'll show you how I made the cushion covers that double as a guest bed for about $200 with minimal sewing.

Since foam for cushions is always very expensive, especially nice, thick, comfy foam cushions, I simply purchased a 6" thick foam mattress off Amazon for $119 with free shipping.  This is less than half the cost of other foam options I had researched.

Then I cut the foam mattress into three pieces - two are seat cushions and one is the pillow.  Of course, the pieces can be put back together to create a full size mattress.  

Now for the covers.  Just covering in fabric isn't enough because the hard corners of the cushions will show, and if not an exact fit, the covers will look sloppy.  You need fabric and batting.

Wouldn't it be nice if there was such a thing as fabric with batting right off the shelf?

Turns out they do make such a thing!  I purchased this coverlet from West Elm to make my cushion covers.  A big selling point was the grid pattern quilting - 

Makes it easier to cut.

I cut the coverlet up into pieces 16" bigger than the foam length and width wise.  The 16" comes from 6" deep mattress plush 2" extra, multiplied by two.

Then I cut the corners out with 7-1/2" squares.  

All ready to sew!

Then I just sewed the corners together, with right sides together, with 1/2 seam allowance.

From there, we hemmed the inside and added elastic at the corners (just like a fitted sheet).

The couch cushion covers are so comfy and well suited for this tiny house.  I love that they can be easily washed, or changed out.  They made such a difference!

What do you think?  Would you tackle a sewing project like this?  Let us know in the comments!

XO Ana

PS - See these couch cushion covers in action in this Tiny House's full tour video.

PSS - Pin this tutorial to make it later.