Ok, deep question time: Are you a “floor sitter”? In other words, if you go to a party at someone’s house, do you always end up sitting on the floor even when there are available seats? I know I do. The past two winters, my husband and I have spent most of our free time laying, sitting, or kneeling on the floor as close to the fire as we can, trying to soak up all it’s warm goodness. We even bought a pouf last year with the sole purpose of sitting next to the fireplace. This plan worked great for a while, but after a few months the filling in the pouf started to sink and now it’s looks like a sad little round rug on the floor. I would fill it back up with new stuffing, but there’s no opening on the pouf, so I decided it was time to make a new one (and give it a zipper for easy refills!). 
Supplies: 2 yards of upholstery fabric, fabric scissors, a 22″ zipper, piping trim, beanbag filling, craft paper, iron.
Cut an 18″ circle out of craft paper and pin the paper to your fabric. Using the circle as a template, cut around the circle and remove the pins (save the circle for a later step). This is the top of your pouf.
Cut another piece of fabric that is 18″x19″. Lay the fabric with the 19″ width horizontal and cut the piece vertically straight up the middle into two equal pieces (so these two pieces will each be 9.5″x18″). Make sure your fabric is right side up. Take your zipper, open it and turn it face down. Lay the left edge of the zipper even with the left edge of the right piece of fabric (see first photo above). Pin zipper in place with the top and bottom of the zipper hanging over each edge. Use a zipper foot to sew that side of the zipper in place. Once it’s attached, fold the zipper back and press the zipper in place with an iron so the teeth are facing outward. Pin the fabric in place (see the second photo above). Switch back to a standard foot on your machine and sew down your fabric 1/4″ from the zipper to keep the zipper folded in place.
Repeat process with the other side of the fabric so that you can zip the fabric together once complete.
Pin your paper circle template on top of your zipped fabric and cut out the circle (don’t worry about cutting through the zipper, the ends will be closed off later). Make sure that the zipper head is zipped under the paper circle just out of sight so it doesn’t get cut off during this step. This will be the bottom piece of your pouf.
Now that you have your top and bottom circles cut, line up the piping edge with the edge of your top circle (right side up) and pin the piping in place. When completing the circle of piping, cross the end piping over the beginning piping so that they both hang off the circle and pin in place. Use your zipper foot to attach the piping and trim the excess hanging from the beginning and end strands.
Repeat the process with the bottom circle, but first open the zipper a 1/2″ above the piping and make sure the zipper halves are pinned close together.
Once your piping is attached, cut a rectangle of fabric for the side of your drum pouf that is 16″x56″. Pin the fabric lengthwise around the edge of your top circle with the right sides facing each other (you will be placing your pins just in front of the piping as shown in the photo above).
When you have pinned the fabric all the way around the circle, pin a side seam down the side of the drum shape. Sew the side seam first with the standard sewing foot and a 1/2″ seam allowance. Once the side seam is complete, switch to the zipper foot and sew around the top circle securing the sides to the top (you’re using the zipper foot here because you’re trying to get as close to the piping as you can). Repeat the process by pinning the sides to the bottom (right sides facing each other) and sewing the two together with the zipper foot. Make sure to unzip the zipper a few inches before you pin the bottom circle to the sides so you can unzip it easily once the pieces are sewn together.
Once your sewing is complete, turn your pouf right side out and use an iron to press the seams near the piping. After that, fill your pouf with the filling of your choice and get ready to sit in style!
I have to say, of all the sewing projects I’ve done, I’m the most proud of this one. It looks so good that I think people will be shocked when they find out it was a DIY. Plus, I’m excited that I can refill it (or change the type of filling) whenever I want. It is a little more work to put a zipper in things, but it’s totally worth it. Happy sewing! xo. Laura
Like this? Try this hand-stitched pouf DIY as well!
Credits // Author and Photography: Laura Gummerman.
I would like to see this in my apartment.
It would look wonderful
Amazing! Love the fabric, great idea!
Is the circle template you used 18 inches in diameter or circumference?
Hi,
very nice blog
Bean Bag : Bean Bag manufacturer in Mandawali, Delhi, India
I am sitting on the floor reading this while I stare at two empty chairs and an empty couch. I think I need to make one of these! 🙂
Great job on the pouf and I especially like how you paired it with that shag-like area rug. Where did you get the rug? Who’s the manufacturer? Again, nice job all around!
I made two similar poufs about two years ago, following a modified tutorial from Living With Punks. I absolutely adore them!
(http://www.livingwithpunks.com/2010/05/tutorial-land-of-nod-inspired-floor/)
I filled mine with the guts of a $5 Walmart bean bag chair. However, I’m really glad I put in a zipper, because after a while the filling falls flat. I just open the zipper and top it off whenever I need to. Lately, however, I’ve been stuffing them with leftover scraps from other sewing projects. This seems like the PERFECT combination to me! The fabric scraps add a little more durable, non-squishable heft to the poufs, while keeping the fluid, non-clumping, non-lumpy texture of the bean bag chair filling. Plus, there’s the added benefit of reusing all those scraps that would have otherwise ended up in the garbage.
Doesn’t look at all like you crafted it yourself, as in, maybe you should sell these! I have a friend who made a similar thing and she claimed it wasn’t impossible to make, either. Now I am motivated.
Lindo,amei a ideia
I just love this! Can’t wait to try it!
decidedlydanica.com
I was out shopping and saw a floor poof and took a picture of it with my phone thinking “I can make that.” And here is the exact tutorial on your blog. You read my mind! Thanks for sharing.
Your poof looks great! How many packages of pellets did you use to get it hard enough to sit on?
The fabric you chose is great! I might make a shorter one – this one feels tall like a chair. 😉
Love this – I can’t get enough black and white pattern in my house. Laura, did you used to work at Evangel? Your name sounds so familiar. I think you were my daughter’s admissions counselor last year?!
I don’t have a sewing machine or even know how to use one. But I do know how to sew by hand. I really, really want to make this but I don’t want it to look like a 4 year old made it.
Awesome!! I’ve linked to your post over at Craft Gossip:
http://sewing.craftgossip.com/tutorial-drum-floor-pouf/2014/02/04/
–Anne
So cute! I’m definitely a floor sitter. And a counter sitter. And a weird in-the-corner-of-the-couches sitter. I have a tiny butt that can fit in most places and yes, it usually ends up on the floor. haha.
xoxo
Taylor
www.welcomehometaylor.com
The fabric is amazing, love the pattern
I love this idea! Will definitely be making these for every room in our house!
Bean bag filling, I linked the filling in the supply list 🙂
Laura