Floor Cubes

Floor cubes or ottomans are great for kids and adults alike. In bright colours they're fun in a playroom, while in stylish tones they're the perfect footrest for the lounge room.

You will need

Cardboard to cut the templates. About 1.5m fabric for a 50 x 50 x 50cm cube. This will vary depending on the width of the fabric and the size of the cube. Choose vinyl, sensuede or other faux fabrics. Thick Velcro, 50cm long for a 50cm cube. Polystyrene beans, enough to fill the cube (this size needs about one and a half large bags of beans).

Instructions

1. Cut the cardboard templates: you'll need a 50cm x 50cm square and a 50cm x 35cm rectangle.
2. Use these to cut five squares and two rectangles from the fabric.
3. Sew (with a sewing machine) four of the squares into a topless and bottomless cube (with the right side facing in).
4. Sew the other square onto this to create a bottomless box.
5. Sew Velcro onto the long side of one of the rectangular pieces, tucking in a seam as you go.
6. Position this piece and the other rectangle over the square template to create a square the same size as the others (the overlap will be the opening). Mark with a pen where the other strip of Velcro needs to go, and sew on. Velcro the two pieces together.
7. Sew this last square onto the cube.
8. Turn right way round (inside out) and fill with beans.

Tips

The 50cm given here allows for seams. You can make the cube bigger or smaller depending on what you want (the cowhide print is 55cm square). Double sew each seam for strength. Take care in the corners, oversew a couple of millimetres to create secure corners. When sewing fake leather, use talcum powder on the top side of the fabric to make it slip under the sewing machine easier. Fill cubes in a bathtub (with the plug in) to confine the messy beans. After a while the cube may flatten a little as the beans compact. Simply top it up with extra beans.

WARNING

If polystyrene beans are swallowed or inhaled they may cause airway obstruction or choking. To make the cubes safer for children, sew in a zipper instead of Velcro, remove the little puller handle on the zipper, then hand sew around the zipper head so that it is inaccessable. 

Costs and suppliers

Sensuede is $18.95 per metre, but you can get a cheaper version for about $9 a metre. Fake leather is $16.95 per metre to about $20 a metre. Faux fur is $10.95 per metre to about $65 a metre; and all are available from Spotlight stores, phone (03) 9690 8899 (head office) or check your nearest store. Velcro costs $4.18 a metre from Lincraft stores, phone 1800 640 107. Bean bag beans cost $10.95 a bag from Target stores, phone 1800 814 788.

Further reading

Rita Hill's article 'Groovy cubes' is in the April 2001 edition of the Burke's Backyard magazine, available at newsagents for $4.60.

Copyright 2001 CTC Productions