Loving the fringe benefits!
Fringe details are set to be huge in 2018 decor! We’ve already seen the rise of tassels and macrame-style wall hangings, so it’s only natural to add a bit of a fringe in there too.
With a simple DIY, it’s so easy to add some boho vibes to your decor. This easy DIY burlap fringe cushion is possible because of the woven nature of burlap fabric. We haven’t actually ‘added’ a fringe, we’ve really just ‘unravelled’ the excess burlap around the outside of the cushion. Normally this feature of fabric can be a pain, and you end up double-hemming or folding the fabric to stop it unravelling. But we used it to our advantage, giving a plain cushion a tropical, boho makeover with the fringe!
This fringe cushion kind of reminds me of a giant umbrella, with the natural palm-like fronds hanging off the side, blowing in the breeze on a beach… It’ll have you feeling like you’re on a tropical island (called Living Room Island) in no time.
You will need:
Burlap / hessian material
Cushion or cushion inner
Pins, scissors and measuring tape
Sewing machine
To make this fringe cushion, firstly measure the size of your cushion or cushion inner. I wanted my fringe to be around 5cm long, so I took my cushion measurements and added an extra 5cm or so to each side. For example, my cushion was 43cm x 43cm, so my material size needed to be 53cm x 53cm. You can make your fringe as long as you like, but I found 5cm to be a good starting point. Mark out your new size on the burlap material and cut out two pieces.
Pin your two pieces of material together (with the ‘good’ sides facing outwards), so that the pins run along the edge of the material 5cm in. You should have a 5cm ‘border’ around the outside.
Using a zigzag stitch, sew around three sides of your material. Once you’ve sewn three sides, stop and push your cushion into the cover.
Pin and sew the fourth side. Your cushion should look like a little (or big) ravioli!
To make the fringe, start at one of the corners and pull the lengthways strands of the burlap out, one by one. You may need a pair of tweezers to get started but they should come out easily. Once you’ve started, it shouldn’t take too long to pull all the strands out until you reach the hem you sewed. It took around 20 minutes total to ‘fringe’ my whole cushion. Work around the four sides of the cushion doing this until you’ve reached all the hems.
The zigzag stitch you’ve sewn should hold the rest of the fabric in place to ensure that the material doesn’t unravel past your hem.
How easy was that! This DIY can be completed in about 45 minutes or so.
This DIY burlap fringe cushion is one of those DIYs where it is so easy to do, it barely needs a tutorial! And really, you could use this fringing method for more than just cushions – think pot plant covers, garlands and seasonal decorations. As long as you hem where you want the fringe to stop, the burlap shouldn’t unravel any further.
You could also use this cushion in your living room, bedroom, or in an outdoor entertaining area. Burlap material is hardy and suits almost any space. What do you think of this DIY burlap fringe cushion? I’d love it if you’d share this post if you found it helpful! Or check out more of my home decor DIYs here.
Coco the Frenchie just loves to come see what I am up to… And steal the show!