CUBE  DIY Cube

 

 DIY CubeDescription:
Our cube’s are made from a core of polystyrene and can be used as a footstool or an occasional table. They can be covered in almost any fabric you choose (See note on fire retardant fabric conditions)

Our guide to preparing and covering the cube
The polystyrene is slightly shorter in one direction. When the foam is added to pad the top, and a wooden board is fixed to the base, it becomes an actual cube shape with all sides being equal. Please note however that all sizes given are approximate, and there may be slight variations.

Preparing the polystyrene.

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Measure all sides and determine which is the shortest. This shows you which two surfaces are the top and bottom, and with the addition of the foam and board, will make all sizes roughly equal. Mark the top and bottom with a felt pen so that you don’t get the foam stuck to the wrong side later!
Foam Top

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Cut a piece of 1” (25mm) high density upholstery foam (RX39 Blue or similar is fine) to the exact size of the top of the cube. The easiest way to do this is to put the polystyrene on the foam and draw around it with a felt pen.

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Stick this to the top of the polystyrene using a light spray of adhesive. IMPORTANT NOTE excess spray adhesive will melt the surface of the polystyrene so spray the foam first, and then quickly give a light spray to the top of the polystyrene before sticking the two surfaces together.

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Base
Make the base from 6mm plywood or MDF. Firstly mark the size on the board by drawing around the base of the polystyrene and cut the board to size. Use sand paper or a rasp to remove the rough edges and the sharp corners from the board, then offer it up and make sure it is a good fit and that none of the edges protrude beyond the polystyrene.
Stick the board to the polystyrene base in exactly the same way as you did the foam making sure all edges are flush.

Polyester wadding

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The cube is then covered with polyester wadding, which provides padding to the edges and serves as an interliner between the foam and your fabric. Use thin 2oz polyester wadding in order to keep the square lines of the cube. Use the spray adhesive sparingly, and cover all the sides, and the top of the cube in the wadding, trimming the excess away with scissors. Take the wadding over the edge of the base to soften the hard edge of the board and then add an additional square of wadding to cover the wood.

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Preparing the cover
Depending on how much material you have available, there are various ways you can cut and sew the fabric for your cover. In this example, I have used a faux leather vinyl fabric, and have made the top from one piece of the vinyl and the sides from two separate pieces, so that on two of the corners there will be a seam. You could just as easily have a seam on every corner if you preferred, or even just one if you had plenty of fabric and the pattern permitted you to run it sideways.

Marking & cutting out the fabric.

Top

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Accurately measure the top of the cube. You will need to add your sewing allowance to the edges so if, (like me) you tend to use imperial measurements and the top of the cube is 16” x 16”, then I would add ½” to each side which would mean you need a piece of fabric which is 17” x 17”. You then need to mark this size on the back of your fabric. As the vinyl I am using has a white back which is easy to draw on with a pencil, I have also marked the sewing line for extra accuracy. Cut this out and lay it on the top of the foam on your footstool. It should hang over all four edges by an equal amount which is where it will be sewn to the side panels.

Sides
To determine the size of the side panels you have to decide were the seams are going to be. In this example I have two seams on opposite corners, using two panels of fabric.

Firstly the width of the panels; you need to add the width of two sides (16” + 16”) to the two sewing allowance’s at either side (½”+ ½”) making a total of 33”

The depth (top to bottom) is slightly different in as much as you have to add your sewing allowance at the top ,to join to the top panel, but at the bottom, you need to allow more fabric to staple to the base of the footstool. I suggest 2” (50mm) should be sufficient making a total (½”+16”+2”) of 18½”.

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So, mark out the two panels on the reverse side of your fabric. Again I have drawn the sewing lines in as well, and marked (and drawn in pencil) the position of the two corners which are not sewn. This is important because you need to notch the top and bottom of these lines, to help you accurately sew the cover.

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Sewing the cover

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Place the two sides panels, face sides together, and sew down each side along the lines you drew earlier.

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Sew the top panel in place, taking care that the corners (of the top panel) match up with either a seam, or one of your notches you made on the sides.

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Fitting the cover
Push your cover the right way out and slide it over the polystyrene. It should be a snug fit but not straining at the seams. Make sure the seams are in line with the corners, and that all the slack is pulled down from the top. I used a metal rule to slide up the inside of the cover and straighten the seams.

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Starting at the corners, tension the fabric by hand and pull it across the base at 45degrees to the edge and staple in place. Repeat with the other corners checking all the time your seams are in line. Once the corners are in place, check again you are happy with the way the cover looks as you can easily take staples out and reposition the cover at this stage.

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Starting in the centre of one edge, tension the fabric by hand and staple it to the bottom. Repeat on the other three sides. When this is completed and everything looks OK, use a sharp knife and trim the excess fabric away from the base.

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Finish the base with cotton platform cloth or similar turning the edges under and tensioning the fabric whilst neatly stapling all the edges.

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