Joanna Gaines' Rug Repurposing Idea Is Incredibly Clever

Finding unique textiles for your home can be one of the best ways to create texture, interest, and touchability in your spaces. This is especially true with cushions and pillows, that provide both style and comfort. While the options are endless for covering these elements in terms of upholstery, you may be overlooking one clever and unusual fabric source that may already be in your home. HGTV and the Magnolia Network's Joanna Gaines, in a recent remodel project, showed off how she had a cushion for seating created from a pretty woven rug. Rugs can be a perfect alternative to conventional upholstery that are not only beautiful, but also durable enough to endure a lot of use and care.

This is a great chance to use a rug you may already have and love, especially if a portion of it is damaged or stained that can be cut away. It's also a perfect way to utilize a thrifted or discounted rug you do not want to use on your floors. While Gaines' find is a rich woven neutral cream fabric, rugs offer an endless variety of textures like shag, fur, and rag woven textiles, which make interesting upholstery choices that vary from the expected. Many are also washable and stain resistant, making care much easier than some other types of upholstery fabrics. 

While Joanna Gaines enlists an upholstery expert to create a custom cushion with the rug, you can also do this project DIY-style using a sewing machine with an upholstery setting. Or you can hand sew it with a large, thick needle and sturdy thread, using blanket stitch. You will need enough rug fabric to cover the cushion entirely, and you may want to incorporate things like a fringe or tassels that may already be part of the rug, either around the edges or along a fold in the middle. You can also remove the rug's original fringed or tasseled elements, and reposition them where needed, like at the corners. Fill your cushion with loose batting, a pre-made pillow insert, or an old throw pillow you want to upcycle. Or, turn one unused bed pillow into two accent pillows.

Measure and trim away any excess on the rug, but make sure you leave enough to create a seam along the inside. Sew a pocket for the pillow insert or batting with the fabric inside out, which you will turn back topside when completed. For a smaller cushion or pillow, you will likely only have to sew along the open edges that are created when you fold the rug over. After you've added your filling, sew up the remaining side. You could also create an envelope-like enclosure that fastens with a pretty button. Use a single rug, or, for larger projects, you can put two together for each side of the cushion. Or, cut many rugs into smaller segments and sew them together for a patchwork effect.

While Gaines uses a new rug for a large seating cushion, you can easily adapt this project to create covers for any-sized cushions, including small accent pillows for your chairs, sofa, and bed. Or, repurpose an old rug to make a dog or cat bed that matches your décor. Enlist a large floor rug to create a textured bolster for the top of your bed, or a full-length body pillow to help you sleep. You can even use indoor-outdoor rugs for cushions you use outside. The increased durability and washability also make these cushions perfect for spaces like banquette and chair cushions that may need regular laundering. 

To create beautiful layered seating, you can mix and match your rug-covered pillows and cushions to create variations in material, color, and pattern. Or blend these in various sizes with woven fabrics made from more delicate materials like velvet, linen, and damask.