It’s Wednesday the 14th, which means it’s time for this season’s unofficial Pinterest Challenge — a fun, do-it-yourself prompt dreamed up by Katie to push us from pinning to making. This challenge isn’t sponsored by anyone; it’s simply a nudge to tackle a project.
I decided to make a homemade beanbag for Clara’s closet, a project I hinted at last Wednesday when Katie, Erin, Cassie and I encouraged everyone to stop pinning and start creating. I followed inspiration from several pinned projects, then added my own twist to create a soft, comfy pouf that works perfectly for kids, pets, and even tired parents.
The tutorial I ultimately followed — recommended by two helpful commenters — was clear, concise, and very beginner-friendly. It walked me through techniques I hadn’t tried before, including piping, which I’m proud to say I finally mastered. The process felt intimidating at first, but the step-by-step guide made it manageable even for a novice sewer.
My approach was simple: I increased the original pattern to make a slightly larger pouf, cutting two 22″ circles for the top and bottom, two tabs for a handle, and a rectangular piece to wrap around the middle. I used leftover fabric from a previous project for most of the cover and another piece from my stash for the remaining panel. While I can’t identify the exact fabric line (it came from an outlet store), the mix of prints ended up working in my favor.
I began by pinning piping around the perimeter of each circle, sewing it with the piping side in and aligning the ends with the fabric edge. I repeated this for both circles and added piping to the fabric tabs for the handle. Following the piping’s stitched line with my needle was easier than I expected — once I got into a rhythm it almost felt meditative.
After stitching the piping, I sewed the two sides of the handle together, turned it right-side out, and stitched a reinforcing box with an X where the handle would attach to the pouf. While sewing the handle closed, I did break a needle, which briefly stalled progress, but replacing it was straightforward and I continued without further trouble.
Next I pinned one circle to the long rectangular panel (print sides together) and stitched along the edge, matching the piping’s thread line. Turning it right-side out revealed the piped edge and the partially assembled pouf. I pinned and reinforced the handle in place at this stage, then attached the bottom circle to the rectangular panel, leaving a gap for turning and stuffing.
For the stuffing I repurposed four old pillows that had outlived their guest-room usefulness. Shredding these into batting made a wonderfully cushy filling for the beanbag. I hand-stitched the final opening closed; I had purchased a zipper with the intention of adding it later so the cover can be removed and washed, but for now a snug hand-stitched seam does the job. If desired, the hand-stitching can be removed with a seam ripper and replaced with an inserted zipper in the future.
One happy accident: when I pinned and sewed everything together, a portion of the top fabric wrapped over the side in a way that aligned the pattern beautifully. I hadn’t planned it — the fabric had been inside out when I pinned — but it created a charming detail that even John complimented. Sometimes beginner mistakes lead to the best results.
This tutorial worked very well for me, but if you’re unsure about any step, check the original tutorial for clearer diagrams and photos. My version is a simple, budget-friendly take on a piped pouf that you can adapt in size or fabric choice to suit your needs.
Budget breakdown (I used several 50% off coupons at JoAnn):
- $0 for one yard of leftover fabric (from a local outlet)
- $2.38 for two 25-yard packs of white piping
- $1.19 for a zipper (planned future upgrade)
- $1.50 for white thread
- Total: $5.07
Katie, Erin, and Cassie are also sharing their Pinterest Challenge projects today, and I can’t wait to see what everyone else made. If you completed a Pinterest Challenge project this week, please share it — link to your blog post or leave a photo in the comments or on a public photo-sharing gallery so we can all enjoy your creativity. Whether you followed a tutorial exactly or took your own route, it’s so satisfying to turn inspiration into something real.