Loft Series: The Sofa

The first of my loft 'how I did it' series, this sofa was simple to make and uses craft tools and materials which are easy to find.  I mentioned previously that this sofa was inspired by this real life version. In a web full of sofa how-tos I hope some of you might find these tips and tricks helpful especially if you are daunted by power tools and wood.

I make all my miniatures in a small corner of my bedroom and sometimes the idea of getting out lots of wood and making a big mess keeps me from getting around to actually making things.

This sofa method is a great way to make a piece from scratch without buying a kit.  And it requires no sewing!  I used foam board, foam sheets and fabric to cover the sofa. Instead of using glue or sewing I used iron-on adhesive fleece, adhesive fabric sheets, and fusible hemming tape.   The adhesive fleece, fabric sheets and fusible web are all optional but create smooth seamless edges and surface. You could use glue instead and still have a nice sofa, I just prefer working with these and I like the look they give. They can be found at big box stores, or fabric, quilting and craft stores.  You can also purchase a mini craft iron at many of these places too.  I have used this method before on the blog and have really liked the results.

It's a long post! So lets get started!

 THE BASE

To begin you will need to start with a piece of foam board (typically 3/16"), cut to the desired shape of your sofa.  I chose an "L".


Next using a thick sturdy foam sheet (1/2" thick), cut out the back and sides. Notice how the arm rest on the end of the right side does not reach the very front.

FLEECE LAYER (OPTIONAL)

I decided to add a layer of adhesive fleece before adding my fabric. It not only adds a bit more softness but also covers the edges and seams creating a uniform white layer for my fabric to go on top of.  If you are using a dark fabric to cover your sofa you might be able to skip this step.


Be very very gentle!  The foam will melt if you apply to much pressure with your craft iron. If it melts down a bit add another layer to build it back up.  This will be covered with your fabric later.  Not a big problem.  I found it mostly happened on the front.

I did not add fleece to the bottom of the seat or the underside of the sofa.

Now its time to add your fabric of choice.  I used an off-white linen.  It is not very thick which is why having the fleece underneath helps.

FABRIC COVER

Start by taking a piece of fabric adhesive sheet.  These are very inexpensive for quite a sizeable amount.  Cut out enough to cover the section you are covering on the couch.  Place the paper covered side up and iron the surface to adhere the glue to the fabric.

Peel pack the paper backing and cut out the piece of fabric.


There are 6 sections of fabric to cover this sofa.  Sections 1, 4, and 5 cover the inside of the sofa and continue over the arm rest onto the back. I didn't really take a lot of pictures of this so I have made the diagram below.


Lightly press with your craft iron.


To cover the arm fronts (sections 2 & 3) you first adhere the fabric on the front like below:

Then add sections 4 & 5 overtop (as described with the green):

THE CUSHION BASES

Cut out cushion bases out of foam board. I decided on two cushions.


I chose to add layers of quilt batting to make my cushions. I decided on 6 layers of quilt batting according to the thickness I had, remember they flatten once the fabric is secured on top.  NOTE: You could just double or triple the foam board to build up your cushion, it would just be more solid.

UPHOLSTERING CUSHIONS 

WITH A BOXED CORNER 

Boxed corners for some reason were rather difficult to get right. To start I adhered the two ends using hemming fusible tape which was easy to work with.  I'm sure you could use glue too.


  The next step is a little more complicated.  It took much trial an error to get the fold right.






Shew! Are you lost? It takes some practice before you get the 'ah ha' moment.  I used more fusible hemming tape to secure, but I'm sure glue would work just fine.

FINISHING TOUCHES

I went to the craft store and got some beads on sale, they are a crescent shape in a chrome colour and I used hot glue to adhere them.




I hope you enjoyed that.  I'm really pleased with how it turned out and still am amazed at how incredibly light-weight it is.  Not to mention how comfy the cushions are with all the padding!  I added pillows from my own collection (I might make some in the matching fabric later on).

After the last couple of days I've had, I want to close with this.  My only wish with running this blog is to have fun and share with others as I am learning!  And at the same time I love learning from all of you.  Please feel free to share this tutorial, make your own sofa and apply any or all the techniques to make things that are even more awesome :)  (And while I'm on the topic, my images have a watermark because I truly have found it helps me when I see other blogger's images floating on the web and can see where to find its matching blog, otherwise I really don't care so much about my name being on them)  In the end I really just enjoy making minis! I am so thankful for the people I've met just by way of a few sentences left in the comments after a post. Your willingness to share and in some very special cases go out of their way to help me has meant more then I can say.
xo Kristine

43 comments

  1. Thanks for the tutorial...I will add this Modern Sofa to my list of minis to make. BTW, the beads are a nice added touch.

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    1. Thank you :) I saw those particular beads just as I was leaving the store too! So glad I did.

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  2. Thank you for this very interesting and useful tutorial. I learned about new materials that
    will be probably hard to find here. The little craft iron is one of them.
    Your modern scene is fantastic.
    Hugs, Drora

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    1. Thank you Drora. Hopefully you can still do something similar with other materials. I know there are so many good tutorials using glue :)

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  3. How clever! I've used glue and tape before but never considered heat bond. I really need to get me one of those irons - so versatile. Love the sofa. You did a fantastic job of it =0)

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    1. Thank you :) I never have had the patience for gluing fabric, so the iron has been well worth every penny, I highly recommend one.

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  4. Es perfecto! Muchas gracias por el tuto!

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    1. I know this is 10 years old but in case you weren’t sure of the comment before, it means Perfect! Thank you very much for the tutorial

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  5. Great Tutorial, thanks so much for sharing.

    Jenn

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  6. Thanks for this interesting tutorial.

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  7. Such a nice sofa! I can imagine it in all kinds of fabric etc. Thanks for sharing!

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    1. Thank you! I kind of think it would be nice in a dark colour too.

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  8. thank you very much for sharing your sofa tutorial, I have almost everything except for the Heat bond, I never knew you could use it like that.

    Hugs
    Marisa

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    1. I think a lot of the materials used are things that once you have, you have it sitting in your stash forever it takes a long time to use them up. The heat bond is super inexpensive and I love the way it seals the fabric without the need for stitching. It's very very forgiving too which is a big plus for me!

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  9. I'm going to have to try the heat bond. Don't you just love those tiny irons?

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    1. They are the best! They not only make things super easy but can really fit into a lot of small spaces :)

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  10. Es un tutorial magnĆ­fico, muy bien explicado y documentado.
    Muchas gracias por compartirlo. Lo guardo en favoritos.
    Un abrazo
    Victoria

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  11. Fantastic tutorial thank you for sharing this, its always wonderful for folks in out community to share techniques! I just started a mid century modern couch for one of my projects, its still foam board but it aims to look like yours!

    That tiny Iron is a thing of amazement!!
    Hugs~J

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    1. Thank you Jane! I hope to see your couch soon! I always love the mid century furniture designs and I'm sure its going to look amazing. Oh and yes, that iron is one of the most loved mini tools I've got, sometimes I just want to make projects so I can use it ;)

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  12. INCREDIBLE!!! Your sofa looks so expensive and very comfortable too! Your sofa is crisp and clean and the bead feet are Perfect! This is an outstanding job considering the fact that it is white and without a pattern. It is often a concern when using glue that it will bleed and leave spots and/ or that the white fabric will be too soiled looking after handling it with gluey fingers. The heat bond is a grand solution Kristine and I applaud the finished product! Just Beautiful!! :)

    elizabeth

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  13. precioso! gracias por el tutorial

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  14. This is an incredible tutorial, Kristine, so clear (even for me with my bad English ;o) and so clever. I ever had heard about Heat Bond, because I have seen it before on blogs, but I couldn't guess what kind of material ( in Dutch) it was, now I do, thank you :D!!
    It is very clever to use this stuff and the mini iron for melting it down on the foam board, it is genius. I would like to write tutorials too, but my lack of time and my knowledge about the technical terms in English is far too bad for that. So I try to show it with pictures while I am busy, but unfortunately I often forget to make pictures....I often am too much concentrated at working.
    My compliments for sharing/showing this beautiful sofa, it looks great:D!
    Hugs, Ilona

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    1. Thank you Ilona, I know what you mean, I often forget to take pictures too.

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  15. LOVE this sofa and the bead feet. Thanks so much for taking the time to write up and photograph such a detailed tutorial. Fantastic work!!! (If you don't win the minimodernas contest with this loft, I will be beside myself, truly stunning work).

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  16. http://josje-bouwt.blogspot.com/search/label/tutorials

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    1. Hi,
      Thank you for the link. Josje's has a beautiful blog with great miniatures.

      Josje's sofa has a great design and splits apart into two pieces. She uses plywood, which makes it much more robust looking which is great too. It's a beautiful piece and I think people who prefer using a traditional wood and glue method will find her tips really helpful. I like using iron on adhesives, foam board and styrofoam because I feel comfortable with those materials, so its nice to see another way to make a miniature sofa. There are soo many great techniques out there. :)

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  17. Greetings From Turkey! Thank you very much for your tutorials.I would like tell you " ellerine sağlık " a proverb in Turkish means " wish health to your hands ". See you again...

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  18. Such a great tutorial Kristine and so well set out. The sofa is fabulous. Thank you for sharing. You make a good point about naming your photos so people who want to can find your blog.

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  19. Fantastic tutorial, Kristine! Thanks for all of the helpful hints and photographs. I might have to try this sometime! xo Jennifer

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  20. I found this tutorial yesterday.. and I have to try this sofa immediately ;) ... I'm hopeful that i'm finished this tomorrow

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  21. I am so glad I found your blog. I love this sectional. Thank you so much for sharing!

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  22. Thanks for sharing this. I didn't know about the mini iron. Will definitely be buying one of these. Perfect for mini cushions. I've been searching for a tutorial for a corner sofa and came across yours by accident.

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  23. Thanks for sharing this. I didn't know about the mini iron. Will definitely be buying one of these. Perfect for mini cushions. I've been searching for a tutorial for a corner sofa and came across yours by accident.

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  24. Fabulous tutorial! ❤️ Thank you very much. I'm excited to make this!

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  25. Thank you so much for this! Looking forward to the rest of your posts. I'm working on a dollhouse with my 13YO and really appreciate the more modern feel of your work!

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