Create a Charming Ruffle Cushion Cover: A Beginner's Sewing Project

Kimberley Hind
May 18
4 min read

Updated: Jul 7

Add a handmade touch to your space with this sweet ruffle cushion cover - a great sewing project for beginners and easily adaptable for any cushion size!

Striped blue and yellow ruffled cushion on white wicker chair, set in a garden with blooming white flowers. Peaceful outdoor setting.

Looking for a quick, trendy sewing project that adds instant charm to your home? This ruffled edge cushion cover is perfect! The front and back are sewn as one continuous piece. The closure features an invisible zip, giving it a neat, professional finish.

Materials Needed for the Ruffle Cushion

To get started, gather the following materials:

Your cushion (any size - for reference, mine is 20" square)
Fabric for the main panel (I've used three sewn strips, measurements below)
Extra fabric for the ruffle (around twice the length of your cushion, or more for added flair!)
Invisible zip (shorter than the width of your cushion)
Invisible zipper foot for your sewing machine
Sewing machine and basic tools, including pins or clips

This technique works best with a non-directional print of fabric.

Step 1: Measure Your Cushion

You’ll need two measurements for this project:

Width: The distance from left to right
Length: The distance from top to bottom

Step 2: Cut the Main Panel of Fabric

To create the body of the cover, we’ll make a single piece that wraps around the cushion. The seam will serve as the position for the zip.

To determine how much fabric you'll need, use this formula:

Width = same as your cushion

Length = (width × 2) + 1" seam allowance

For my 20" × 20" cushion, the panel size will be 20" wide by 41" long (20 × 2 = 40 + 1 = 41). The extra inch provides some wiggle room and seam allowance for the zip.

Fabric Measurements for the Stripe Cushion

For this cushion, I'm using three plain fabrics to create a striped pattern:

Four Blue Strips: 2.5" x 41"
Three Yellow Strips: 2.5" x 41"
Six White Strips: 1.5" x 41"

Folded fabric samples in white, blue, and yellow are arranged in a gradient on a light background, creating a soft, organized pattern.

For the ruffles, I cut:

Two strips of yellow fabric measuring 4.5" x WOF (width of fabric).

Step 3: Sew the Cushion Panel

To sew the panel:

Begin by sewing the strips of blue, white, and yellow together in rows, using a 1/4" seam allowance.
Alternate yellow and blue strips with a white strip between each one.

Step 4: Insert the Invisible Zip

To insert the invisible zip:

Open the zip as far as possible without the slider coming off.
Place one side of the zip with the right sides together, centrally aligned with one short edge of the cushion panel, and pin it in place.

Pastel blue and yellow fabric with white stripes, laid flat. Zip pinned to the top. Simple, clean background.

Using your invisible zipper foot, sew the zip to the panel as close as possible to the zip teeth. Begin just after the zip pull and sew until you're about an inch away from the end, leaving a small tail.

Tip: Roll the teeth open while you sew for a closer fit. You can always go back and sew an even tighter stitch if necessary.

Close the zip and ensure no stitches are preventing it from closing. If there are, unpick and re-sew that section, this time a little further away from the zip. Line up the opposite side of the zip with the other short end of the panel and pin or clip it in place.

Pale blue, yellow, and white fabric strips are clipped at the top with multicolored clips on a white background.

Open the zip again, almost all the way, and sew the other side of the zip using your invisible zipper foot as before.

Hands folding pastel fabric swatches with yellow and blue clips on a white background. Sewing process with neat stitches visible.

Step 5: Create and Gather the Ruffle

To make the ruffle:

Cut two strips for your ruffle that total roughly twice the length of your cushion. I’ve cut mine slightly longer to the WOF to minimize waste. You may need to join strips.
Fold each strip in half lengthwise with the right sides together and press.
Sew the short ends with a 1/4” seam allowance.
Turn the strip right side out and press it.
Run a long basting stitch along the raw edge. Set your machine to the longest stitch length (about 5 mm) and sew just inside the seam allowance, leaving a tail of thread at the start. At the end, pull out a few extra inches before trimming. Pull gently on the bobbin thread to gather the fabric until it matches the sides of the cushion, then distribute the gathers evenly.
Repeat with the second ruffle strip of fabric.

Step 6: Attach the Ruffle

Ensure your zipped cushion panel is inside out. Rearrange your panel so that the zip is in the center. This orientation will form the back of your cushion.

Pin your gathered ruffle to the inside edge of the panel, aligning the raw edges. Pin or clip in place, sandwiching the ruffle between the fabric.

Hands hold a striped pastel fabric with clips, displaying a sewing project. The background is plain and light pink, creating a soft mood.

Sew the ruffle in place.

Step 7: Turn and Stuff the Cushion

Turn your cushion cover right side out, give it a good press, and insert your cushion pad to finish.
If any gathering stitches are visible on the outside, feel free to unpick them.

Striped blue and yellow cushion with ruffles on a wicker chair, set outdoors against a backdrop of blooming white flowers. Cozy ambiance.

This ruffled cushion cover is a lovely project you can complete over a weekend. Whether you're refreshing your living room or gifting a handmade home accent, it's sure to bring joy.

If you try it, I’d love to see! Tag me @made.onmonday on Instagram :)