Our Sunroom is a favourite hang out spot for friends and family. The view is pretty nice and it gets great light. I had my dining room table in there but little else, so I needed a seating solution on a budget. I decided to make a pallet couch. That would be an inexpensive solution right? The pallets are inexpensive to buy and you can even pick them up for free sometimes, if you don’t mind some sanding. The material I picked up on sale for a real bargain, but the foam I needed would cost over a thousand Rand. So I decided to reuse my daughter’s cot mattresses. That decision not only saved me lots of money but allowed me to reuse something that would have ended up in the bin.
Here’s how I did it
I used 6 Euro pallets (1m x 1.2m) to make a L shaped couch base. You can use whatever size pallets you want
I used 2 large cot mattresses and cut them to size. The mattresses did not completly cover the pallet. There will be a gap at the back. You can add a backing, I used pillows to cover it. I shortened my mattresses to fit, then used the cutoffs and sewed it to the one mattress, so that it fits nicely onto the pallet.
I measured each mattress and cut the material allowing for 3cm for allowances ( 1.5cm seam allowance and 1.5 foam allowance)
You will need to cut 3 pieces for each mattress: a top and bottom piece as well as a long strip for the sides (you may have to sew a few pieces together to achieve this)
If you decide to add a zip, you will need to adjust for it when cutting your long strip. You will then need 2 pieces, one wider, allowing for the zip.
I sewed a thick foam around each mattress by hand. This is inexpensive and makes the mattress more comfortable.
I sewed piping cord and added that to the top piece of material. This is not neccesary but gives the couch an expensive, finished look. I then sewed on my long strip, followed by the bottom piece.
Tip. When putting everything together to sew, use pins to secure everything in place and make sure that points where you joined the material for your long strip are hidden. Also use a plastic zipper foot when sewing piping. It let’s you sew closer to the piping cord. When adding piping around a corner, cut a few strips around the corner. This just makes it easier to get around the corner.
I used pillows as a back rest. I chose a fun print to break things up. I added piping cord to the cushions in the same material as the couch.
I love the way it turned out and it has become one of my favourite hang out spots.
CREATIVE | MOM | TRAVELER | DIY ENTHUSIAST 