How to Make a Floor Sofa [6 Ways]

Last updated on October 2, 2023

Yes, you can make your own DIY floor sofa and it’s a rather easy project for homemade furniture. Here are six ways how you can do it. Read on!

My first homemade floor sofa was back in college. I then used old car back seats covered in sofa cover to make great seating that cost me nothing. It was a big hit with my roommates.

And this is just one of the six ways how you can make a perfectly fine floor sofa without having to buy one.

Know how to sew? You can sew one. Not into handicrafts? You can make a sofa from a bunch of floor cushions and throw pillows or cover a mattress with beautiful fabric.

Intrigued yet? Read on for more excellent ideas we have in store.

Cover a Mattress

One of the easiest ways to create a floor sofa and a sleeper is to cover a mattress with a cover (slipcover, throw blanket — anything will work). Add a few throw and accent pillows for a complete look.

If you place the mattress against a wall, you can use throw pillows as a backrest. This is truly the easiest and cheapest way to make a lounge area, a reading nook, or a daybed if you have an extra mattress to use.

Sew It From Scratch

sew floor sofa video — Tutorial on Youtube

If you know how to sew fairly well, this idea will get you a nice custom floor sofa or a lounge chair (it depends on the size you choose to make). The goal here is to sew to pillow-cover-like parts of the couch (one for the seat and another for the backrest). Stuff it with a filling of your choice (it can be stuffing beans, for example).

It’s a simple version, and there’s no support for the backrest, but placing it against a wall will do the trick. The tutorial we’ve added above will show you the fairly straightforward process of sewing it.

Sew Large Pillows Together

sew-floor sofa from pillows video — Tutorial on Youtube

This project actually looks like a real sofa (with armrests and all). The idea is to sew a bunch of pillows together than form the shape of the couch. There’s no backrest support in this version either, but again, a wall works.

Use Floor Cushions

Don’t feel like sewing and don’t have a spare mattress around? Get a bunch of floor cushions and pillows to make your makeshift sofa. It’s that simple, and it’s stylish. It’s got the cozy boho vibe written all over it. I love this idea for its simplicity, and I’ve actually used it quite a few times. The best part is that it’s completely non-committing (you have put it together or disassemble it in a few moments).

Pallet Floor Sofa

Know your way around woodworking? All you need are a few pallets to get this thing together. How you top it is also open to suggestions. You can put a mattress on top or add a few cushions. The idea is that the pallets create a perfect base for the sofa, and you don’t have to use the floor anymore. This gives it a more permanent and complete look while still being really cheap and quick.

Repurposed Items

We circle back to the good old car backseats for a sofa alternative. And that’s just one item that you can use for seating or lounging. Think about what else you can use for this purpose. Old chairs, benches, ottomans, cushions — anything you can sit back on, really.

So there you have it, six perfectly fine homemade floor sofa ideas that you can make in an afternoon. I hope this has inspired creativity in you too. It sure was fun putting this list together.

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