My laptop sits at the end of our kitchen counter. It is a major thoroughfare of our household and a hub for much activity. In the mornings, I check to see what’s in the cafeteria that day so my eldest can decide if he wants to be a “trayer” or a “pack-luncher.” I also check the weather forecast as we can often have a thirty degree swing in temperature from the time said son departs until he returns home. And it seems like I’m always googling something or other. After seeing me often hunched over there, my sweet husband brought an old stool out for me and placed it in front of my laptop at the end of the counter. The stool is a natural light wood color and is not exactly a statement piece, but it is neutral enough to have flown under the radar for months without getting the treatment it deserves.

Things came to a head when I got a foam round to cushy my tushy. Not pretty. I had good intentions of making a cover for it [immediately], but it has sat like this for a month or two in our kitchen. Now we will never live in a show home, but this is certainly not the design statement we’re looking to make.

So this morning, during my daughter’s nap, I pulled the stool outside and propped it up on some blocks to give it a paint job. It went creamy white just like every other piece of furniture in our house seems to do if it sits still for too long. I didn’t pull out the paint sprayer since it was such a small job and just did it by hand with a foam brush (to avoid brush marks). Then Sissy and I went to the fabric shop where I choose between some of the loveliest gasp-swoon fabrics. But I knew this was the one. I love it. I want to smooch it. I love how it is neutral enough to go with our home, but also has a little soft color in it (the muted aqua I’m so in love with).

To make the cushion cover, I simply cut around the foam cushion, adding 2-3 inches all the way around, and I cut a piece about 3-4″ wide that was long enough (plus seam allowance and extra… remember, it’s easier to TRIM extra than to ADD length) to go around the edge of my cushion. I “measured” this length by literally rolling the cushion along the fabric one full rotation.

Then it was off to the sewing machine. You can certainly pin the long strip all the way around the edge of your circle, but you know me–working against the clock (afternoon nap for the sewing), so I eyeballed it as I went, sewing right sides together. I sewed my strip on a couple of inches from the edge of the circle because I realized my circle was WAY too big.

I’m afraid I missed one photo op here: Once you’ve gone all the way around adding your strip to your circle, sew a straight stitch from the part where the two pieces join to the edge of your strip (you basicall make a right turn after you’ve gone around your circle to sew together the two open ends of your strip).

Next, turn your cover right side out (it will look like a fitted tablecloth, or a round top with a skirt), and turn under your fabric about 1/2″. Again, you could pin then sew, but you know I know folded as I went.

Set that aside for a moment.

Next, measure your elastic (I used 1/2″ width elastic) by wrapping it around the legs of your stool right under the top.

Then utilize my super technical method of closing that loop by running a stitch back and forth and back and forth to join the two ends.

Then bring back your cushion cover and tuck the elastic under a second fold of the hem. Make sure you fold enough over that you can sew a channel for the elastic, not sew on the elastic.

Of course, you will run out of elastic loop before you run out of fabric seam, so simply lock your needle down to hold your fabric in place and gently pull the elastic out until you have enough to work with again (this will bunch the fabric up behind the needle, but no worries).

And you’re DONE! {And as a side note, you’d also have a great beret if you ever moved to France… Well, you know, and if your head swelled up to the size of a stool seat…}

Just insert your foam circle…

…and slip it over the stool seat.

I say, that’s a bit of all right! Wheeeeee!

And I have to say that this project can be good for your health, too. I myself can’t stop standing up and sitting down and standing up and sitting down to look at this pretty little improvement to CampClem!

In fact, it makes me so happy, I want to dance walk.

So what little improvement do you want to make around your place today?