A B
C D
GOING FULL CIRCLEKick back in high style with a plush
patchwork of happy color, above. For projects requiring a
large circle (ours is 40 inches in diameter), here’s a terrifi c
technique to create a pattern. Drive a screw in the center
of your plywood. Tie string to a pencil and tie a loop at the
opposite end so the total string length is half the diameter of
the desired circle (our string was 20 inches). Place the loop
over the screw, pull string taut, and place pencil lead on
plywood. Rotate pencil around screw to draw a full circle.
MATERIALS
- Jigsaw
- ¾-inch-thick plywood
- Spray contact adhesive
- 4-inch-thick upholstery foam
- Serrated knife
- 1-inch-thick batting
- Needle and thread
- Pattern, available at BHG.com/Velvet
- Upholstery-weight velvet in 12 colors
- Straight pins
- Thread to match velvet colors
- Sewing machine
- Staple gun and staples
- Four 6–8-inch furniture legs and brackets
- Drill/driver and screws
Step 1 Cut a 40-inch-diameter circle from plywood.
Using contact adhesive in a well-ventilated area,
adhere upholstery foam to plywood, piecing as
necessary. Flip over and use a serrated knife to
trim foam equal to edges of plywood circle.Step 2 Place plywood on top of batting and cut
around perimeter to get a 40-inch circle of batting.
Cut an 8-inch-wide strip of batting long enough to
wrap the perimeter of the plywood circle. Lay the
batting circle on the top of the foam and wrap the
8-inch-wide strip of batting around the perimeter
of the circle. Whipstitch the pieces of batting
together, catching the foam every once in a while.Step 3 Print pattern, and cut velvet pieces allowing
for ¼-inch seam allowance. With right sides
facing, pin pieces together and sew into pieced
strips (A). Remove pins, then pin the seams open
(B) and topstitch each side of the seam using
matching thread (C). Remove pins. Repeat to sew
all of the strips together to form the top of the
ottoman and to sew the side pieces into a strip.
To fi nish the cover, sew the side strip to the top,
making sure to match colors. Turn cover right
side out.Step 4 Lay the velvet cover atop the batting on the
plywood circle and fl ip project upside down. Pull
one edge of the cover taut to the underside of
the plywood and staple to secure. Repeat directly
opposite the fi rst staple and then again halfway
between the fi rst two staples. Continue pulling
taut and stapling evenly around the entire circle.
Trim excess velvet from the underside.Step 5 Mark intersecting lines to divide the circle
into quarters. Where each line reaches the
perimeter, install a leg bracket about 1½ inches
from the outside edge (D). Screw legs into
brackets and fl ip ottoman right side up.