Craft Lovers ♥ DIY Decoration with Colours of Life: X-Treme Cushion and Stool Cover

7 September, 2017

In this Craft Lovers, Colours of Life proposes two very easy DIY Decoration ideas for your home. Stefanie van Wendel de Joode is a technical designer who collaborates with Dutch decoration magazines and teaches in schools. 5 years ago she began her journey as Colours of Life: whereby she combines her technical formation with the creative environment of her family. Stefanie clearly enjoys creating her own decorative pieces for the home.

DIY Decoration

For her, it’s important to be familiar with the materials she uses in her designs. Therefore, for this special DIY Decoration, she’s chosen Katia X-Treme. Get ready! Create a cushion and a stool cover using your hands. First, follow the Colours of Life tutorial to make this soft ´Smyrna´ cushion using a base of simple knots. Next, give a new lease of life and a cosy touch to an old stool. You only need a few balls of Katia X-Treme and your fingers! Follow the Crochet XL pattern and make a crochet stool cover using your fingers.

DIY Decoration: ‘Smyrna’ Cushion

DIY Decoration

Materials: 3 balls of Katia X-Treme for a cushion cover measuring 19 5/8”x19 5/8” (50x50cm) or 4 balls of Katia X-Treme for a cushion cover measuring 23 5/8”x23 5/8” (60x60cm), using the colours that you prefer. Cushion cover in the same colour as the Katia X-Treme yarn. Rubberised, anti-slip grid (canvas) in the same size and shape as the cover (only one side of the cushion cover is covered). Scissors, sewing thread and a needle to sew the piece onto the cushion cover.

The X-Treme ´Smyrna´ cushion is made from a base of knots made with the fingers in the following manner:

  1. Cut strands of Katia X-Treme each one being approx. 5 7/8” to 7 7/8” (15 to 20 cm) long.
  2. Fold the strands of yarn in half with the ends together.
  3. Push the folded end through the rubberised anti slip grid.
  4. Pass the ends of the strand through the middle of the folded part, (see photo), to make a knot.

DIY Decoration

Note: the grid holes must be big enough for the double strands to pass through them. Therefore, it may be necessary to cut 4 small squares in the middle so they form one large square (see photo). Leave two vertical squares uncut between the larger squares. In this way, the knotted strands of yarn will be evenly distributed.

Finally, place the piece covered in knots on top of one side of the cushion cover. Sew both pieces together with small sewing stitches around the edge.

XL Crochet: Stool cover

DIY Decoration

Materials: 1 or 2 balls of Katia X-Treme (the quantity depends on the shape and size of the stool). Sewing thread in the same colour as the yarn and a sewing needle. You will not need a crochet hook, this cover is made using your fingers as a hook.

Abbreviations

Ch st = Chain stitch

Sc = Single crochet

R (s) = Row (s)

R.1: Make a magic ring with the fingers and work 8 sc inside.

Continue working in spiral.

R.2: * 1 sc (= in a sc on the row below) and 1 ch st * repeat from * to *. (16 sts.)

R.3: Work a sc in the ch sts on the row below and increase in the sc only, but not in all of them. Which means, alternate the increases so that the work does not become too tight.

R.4 (and following rows if they are necessary): Continue increasing in every alternate sc until the desired size has been reached.

DIY Decoration

Work a few decreases to give shape to the cover and to ensure that it fits the stool snugly. Cut the length of Katia X-Treme and neaten off with sewing thread in the same colour. Place the cover on the stool with right side facing up.

We hope that you enjoy these two DIY Decoration projects from Colours of Life. Remember to share your results with us on Facebook and Instagram!