To make a couch, that you can take apart and travel with.

[roguewolf128]

Ok this is my first tutorial and if you are confused, or I missed some thing please tell me.
Materials:
Cardboard, corrugated
Blue foam camping mat(I get mine at wal-mart, they're around six dollars in the out door section)
Fabric glue (I use clear Fabri-tac)
Fabric, about one and a half to two yards depending on how big you want the couch
A box with a lid (mine was the box my doll came in)
Strait pins
Needles
Thread
Stuffing (poly-fil, or what ever you have)
Velcro(to to attach the arms and back to the box)

The box I'm using there was a clear plastic window so I cut a rectangle to fit the inside bottom of the box's lid, and glued it in place.

Then I glued a piece of fabric to the top lid, enough to come up the side and about an 1 1/2inch to on the inside lip.

Carefully cut a square on all four corners, leaving about 1/2 inch of fabric from the corner of the lid

Take a line of glue, (spread, don't glob) to the short end of the lip, gently put the fabric on, making sure there are no wrinkles repeat for other end

Take a little glue to secure the end excess from the last step, repeat to other excess

Then tuck and fold the opposite corner, making sure you leave enough slack for the other end. Use strait pins to tack before you glue

If you've done the tuck right it should look like this. Do all four sides. Tuck the excess hang of fabric into the inner lip and glue in place. Repeat for lower half of the box.

Next steps in next post

[roguewolf128]

Ok, next step is to build the back, arms, and cushions

Take a piece of you're cardboard and cut a piece as tall as you want the back to be and as long as the box is. Then take the blue foam and sandwich the cardboard.

trim the edges until the blue foam is flush with the cardboard

Cut a piece of fabric that will be able to come up and over to the other side. Glue the back in place.

Then attach the excess with glue to the front side

It should look like this.

The next part is you want to sit your box that you covered on a flat even surface, making sure that the lid is tight. stand the back that was covered and stand in blue side to box. Mark were the top of the box is.

cut the front fabric out, make sure there is at least a one inch over hang. Fold and glue to the bottom, now taking pins, pin the the excess up to the line you made indicating the box top.

now glue every thing up to the line, and don't forget to take the pins out before it drys. Let the glue cure for a while. In the mean time, lets make the arms.
Take another piece of cardboard and cut it as high as you want the arms to be, and long enough to include the box and the depth of the back. Sandwich like back piece, make two of coarse.

Cut another piece of fabric long enough to circle the height of the arm plus a few inches to stuff. And three inches on both sides to hem. Glue one side up to the point you want the arm to be stuffed.

Then glue sides to previously mentioned stuffing point. Let dry. Continued in next post.

[roguewolf128]

Ok, now that the back has had time to dry you want to sew up both edges using a ladder stitch.

Stuff the top fold last top edge and, again use the ladder stitch. Attach Velcro to the top box lid, on the outside lip.Then set the box on a level surface, and level the back with the box with the other side of Velcro. (I used big snap-ons, use a good Velcro trust me)

Now you have the seat and back piece done, as show with Victoria.
Now back to the arms

Glue the back or 'the inside' of the arm making sure to tuck the raw ends in. then pull over the top to meet the bottom and pin. carefully stuff a little fluff in the top of the arm. You can fill it more when one side is sewn.

here's the front

Ladder stitch up the side, and gather the top sides, and repeat. Now that the arms are done you can attach Velcro were you need it. Along the side of the back, the lip of the box and the arm, and some on the bottom side of the box for extra support.

As for the couch cushion I made a half filled pillow and quilted it. But if you don't have the time to quilt a pillow, just make three pillows and attach them together.

This is the couch assembled. I again will try to answer any question, some of the steps may not be clear enough. This took a week to build and I have a bad memory so please just comment any questions. Thank you!!!

[Dark Angel]

Wow...

*bows down to your superior skills*

[Gift_in_Edge]

So creative and easy! Thanks for the How To. :)

[roxygotmoxie]

That's amazing. Have you considered posting it on a seperate blog, too?
Or perhaps on Flickr?
Seriously, it could save a lot of people a lot of money

[roguewolf128]

That's amazing. Have you considered posting it on a seperate blog, too?
Or perhaps on Flickr?
Seriously, it could save a lot of people a lot of money

Pretty good at sewing, lousy at the computer thing. Please explain.

[DollyKim]

I have a blog with TypePad, there's several free blog services to chose from. The controls are similar to a bulletin board but you can upload your pics from your computer.

That really has me looking at some of the shoe boxes we've gathered up. I can see keeping doll stuff inside the box and/or that making a safe way to travel. Thanks a ton for the ideas I'll give you credit when I get around to making some.

[roguewolf128]

I have a blog with TypePad, there's several free blog services to chose from. The controls are similar to a bulletin board but you can upload your pics from your computer.

That really has me looking at some of the shoe boxes we've gathered up. I can see keeping doll stuff inside the box and/or that making a safe way to travel. Thanks a ton for the ideas I'll give you credit when I get around to making some.

Thank you, and you don't have to give me credit, if its a good idea, then it should be shared with every one no matter who made it.

[EAB]

THIS. IS. WONDERFUL!
Thanks for sharing.