DIY: Chevron Pouf Ottoman

I'm back with another nursery DIY project! I feel like I haven't jumped too far onto the chevron bandwagon yet, until I realized the two main areas I've used it in the nursery - the rug and this chevron pouf! It's so bright and playful for a nursery, how could I not? 

I was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to make the chevron, especially using the tutorial from Better Homes & Gardens (find it here). I tried to take pictures as I went, but forgive me if I'm lacking a bit... the tutorial is really great though, so maybe just use that?

I found the fabric at JoAnn's and it's actually outdoor polyester fabric. It's really thick and I think it will be easier to keep clean than regular home decor fabric. I love the colorful chevron pattern and it works perfectly with the nursery colors. 

Supplies:

Once I cut out the paper pattern and taped it all together, it was super easy to cut out the eight fabric pieces to sew together. They recommend using a liner, so I used an old sheet. I also used polyester outdoor thread. It's super heavy duty and I figured it would hold the whole thing together better in the long haul.

I tried my best to cut the fabric consistently so I could line up the chevron, and I think I did a pretty decent job. Next I just sewed all the pieces together - two sections of the four pieces each (check out the tutorial as I didn't take pictures... I was on a roll!). 

After sewing all the pieces together and leaving a big gap at the top, it was time for stuffing! The pouf is actually really large and to stuff it solely with fiberfill would be crazy expensive. The tutorial suggested using old towels/jeans/rags, so that's what I did. Two birds with one stone since I didn't have to bring all that stuff to Goodwill anyways! Boom. 

Once I got a good base with my towels and jeans (beware - it gets heavy!), then I started stuffing with the fiberfill along the outside to give it good shape and then along the top (about the top two inches) to make it soft enough to sit on as well. Then I just sewed it up as best I could (and not very pretty since I knew it wouldn't show once the top octagon piece was on). 

The hardest part was sewing on the top part... I didn't use the suggested method in the tutorial because I didn't like the zig zag look. Too obvious and reminded me of a baseball or something. Instead, I just used a blanket stitch as best I could around the exterior of the top only (not down each side stitch like in the tutorial). It was a pain! The angle is so awkward and it definitely took me a while, but I am happy with the result. It's not too noticeable, and that's what I was going for.

That's it! Actually an easy project until the end top stitching and for much cheaper than you could find on Etsy! The only thing is that when you use the towels/jeans/etc for stuffing, it gets heavy very quickly. I can't even lift it up by myself! It's OK because I don't think I'll be moving it all that often and I want it to be sturdy anyways. I can't wait to use it in the nursery as a foot rest while I'm rocking Little Miss to sleep at 2am (except maybe the 2am part...). 

Can't wait to share the rest of the nursery with you soon! Just need to get some pictures up on the walls! :)