DIY Miniature Sectional Couch

Hi guys, it's Kat. Today I'll show you how to build this miniature modern sectional couch. It's upholstered in this beautiful gray fabric, the seats are tufted, and the legs are made of real bamboo wood. Let's get started. For the structure of this sectional, I'll be using these foam board sheets from Arteza. They're about a quarter inch thick. I'll also be using this hobby knife kit that comes with various blades and three different size knives. From one edge of the foam board, cut out a strip that's one and three quarters of an inch in width. From the strip, draw a line at a three inch mark and cut it out. I like to make several passes with a sharp blade for the cleanest cut. Make four of these rectangles for the two armrests. Every section needs two pieces because we'll be doubling these up. You also need to cut out two five inch lengths for the seat back. Don't worry, I'll summarize all these measurements in just a bit. For the seat bottom of the chase, cut out a five and a quarter by two and a half inch rectangle. Then cut out a two and a half by half an inch section on the top right corner. Here's a summary. You need two five inch by two and a half inch rectangles for the seat base, two five inch by one and three quarters of an inch rectangles for the seat back, two two and a quarter by one and three quarters of an inch rectangles for the chase back, and two to five and quarter by two and a half inch rectangles with the corner cut out for the chase seat. Each armrest will need two of these three inch by one and three quarters of an inch rectangles. There, that's the whole structure. I will glue between the duplicate pieces and double them up. This part is optional, but I like to sand all the pieces to make sure they're as smooth as possible. Sand down one of the corners to give it a slight curve. It's very minor, but will add a softness to your finished couch. Now glue the seat back and one of the armrests to the seat base. Also add a chase back and the other armrests to the chase seat base. You can glue these structures together, but I like to keep them separate for a more realistic look. Now let's get to the fun part of upholstering this section now. I'll be using this gray fabric, but you can use any color you like. The first thing I do is cut out a half inch strip with my rotary cutter. With a bit of no-sew fabric glue, glue the strip around the side of the armrest. Then cut a four and a half by five inch piece of fabric to wrap over the seat back. I glue it from the inner corner of the seat back and wrap it backwards. Fold any excess fabric under and glue it down. For the seat base, cut a piece of fabric six inches long by three and a half inches wide. Glue it to the top of the seat base and fold it over the short side. Cut the fabric on the short side so you can fold it completely over. Then glue down the long edge and cut off the excess fabric. Cover the exposed foam board with a half inch strip. To ensure that none of these edges fray, I take a bit of no-sew fabric glue on a toothpick and run it across all the corners. To cover up the armrest sides, cut out a three and a quarter by two inch rectangle. Fold a quarter inch over on each side making sure not to fold down the corner. Pull over the corner so it leaves a slight curve. Then I sew a stitch along all the edges. This is optional, but I love the way the stitches gives it a finished look. Now you can simply glue to the outer side of the armrest. Make another one of these using a smaller piece of fabric that's two and three quarters of an inch by one and a half inch. This will go on the inner side of the armrest. Repeat all the same steps on the chase. Cover up the armrest edge, add on the back panel, and cover up the seat base. Then finally cover up the armrest sides. Now let's move on to the seat cushions. I'll be using cardboard for some structure under the cushions. Cut out a rectangle that's five inches long by two and a half inches wide. It should sit flush on top of the couch. Then draw a line straight down the center to divide the rectangle in half lengthwise. Divide each half into halves again so you have four sections in total. Do the same widthwise to divide the rectangle into eight sections. These will be our guidelines for Tufting. Put a piece of foam board underneath the cardboard and use a long needle to poke a hole into each intersection. The holes need to be deep enough to go all the way through the cardboard. For the cushion itself, I'm using this half inch thick recycled foam from packaging. You can also use sponges or magic erasers. Cut out a rectangle five inches long by two and a half inches wide. It will fit perfectly on top of the cardboard. Glue it in place with fabric glue. Then grab more fabric. On the wrong side, trace the cushion. Add about an inch along each side. Cut that out. For reference, my piece of fabric ended up being seven and a half inches long by two and a quarter inches high. Place the cushion side down onto the center. Pull the fabric up and glue it onto the cardboard with fabric glue. Once that's dry, pull it tight and glue down the other side as well. I like this roll and pull method for a taut finish. Glue down the shorter sides as well. This is what you'll end up with when the glue is dry. I trim off the excess fabric and all the corners. Add a tiny drop of glue and push the three edges together. As you can see, the fabric glue dries clear and doesn't leave a residue. Trim off any excess fabric from the bottom as well. Make sure it's a perfect fit on the couch. For the tough thing, I grabbed some gray thread that matches the fabric and a needle. To get started, I first poke two holes on either side of the first corner hole. Then I take some wood glue and fill in the original hole. The glue will also reinforce the cardboard so it doesn't tear. Once that's dry, I take my needle and thread and poke it through one of these holes all the way through the cushion. Pull it out on the other side and push it back into the cushion about an eighth of an inch away. When you pull on the thread, it creates this indentation in the cushion. Tie a knot on the other side to secure it. To reinforce the knot, I like to add a bit of wood glue around the top. Once that's dry, you can move on to the remaining tops. Push the needle through from the underside, then push it back through an same hole that it entered. Pull the thread tight, then tie a knot on the underside. Keep repeating until you've hit every single hole in the cardboard. This step is very relaxing and therapeutic. If you like, you can add a drop of wood glue onto the knots to make sure they're extra secure. This is the finished tufted cushion. How pretty is that? Place it right on top of your couch. Now repeat all these same steps for the chaise. Cut the cardboard to size. Cut out a piece of cushion exactly the same size as the cardboard. Draw guidelines on the cardboard and wrap it in fabric. For this exposed area, I cut a half-inch strip and glue it right under the bigger panel. Tuft this chaise just like we did for the couch. The couch and chaise look so good together. Next up are the seat back cushions. Cut out two two-inch by three-inch rectangles. Stack them together with the right sides facing each other. You can use glue or stitch around the perimeter, leaving a one-and-a-half-inch gap. As you can see, here is the gap I left. Before I flip this cushion cover inside out, I first trim a bit off each corner. This will make sure the corners are sharp when the cushion is flipped inside out. Now use the opening to flip it. Here I'm using the back of a paintbrush to poke out all the corners. For the stuffing, I like to use polyester batting. You can also use cotton balls. Fill the cushion up until it's as fluffy as you like. To close up the open gap, I take a bit of fabric glue on a toothpick and run it along the edge. Then press the sides together. Here is the cushion all done. We'll need three of these in total. Next up are the bolster pillows. We'll need a thin skewer for that. I first cut a one-and-a-half-inch length from the skewer. Then we need a piece of felt. It can be any color. Cut out a one-and-a-half by three-inch rectangle. Add a bit of fabric glue to the bottom edge of the felt and glue the skewer in place. Once that's dry, roll the rest of the felt around the skewer. Glue the free edge down. Add some fabric glue to the side of the cushion. Then add a piece of felt right on top of it. Trim off the excess felt. Do this on both sides of the cylinder. Now let's cover this bolster cushion up with upholstery. Add glue around the perimeter of the circle and press a piece of fabric right on top of it. Once the glue is dry, cut off the excess fabric. Do this on the other side as well. For the sides, cut out a one-and-a-half-inch wide strip. Glue that to the long side of the cylinder. Wrap it all around and cut off the excess. Use fabric glue to close up the sides. This is what the bolster pillow looks like once it's complete. As you can see, it's still quite squishy. We'll need two of these in total. The last and final step are the sectional legs. For that, I'll be using these bamboo apple skewers. First, cut off a third of an inch from the pointy end. Then file the taper down so it's not as thick. Finally, cut off a half-inch length. We'll need eight of these in total. Make sure each one is straight by seeing if they can stand up on their own. Let's stain these little guys. I grab some dark brown acrylic paint and mix a drop of it with a bit of water to create a stain. Use masking tape to hold all the legs in place. Give each leg two coats of the brown stain for a deeper, special look. For the varnish, I'll be using water-based polyacrylic. It adds a nice shine and protects the stain on these legs. Let's attach them to our sectional. I add a drop of wood glue and then place a leg on top. Super simple. Add four legs to the couch and four legs to the chaise. Time to put it all together. Add the cushions across the seat back. Then add a bolster pillow to each side of the sectional. How beautiful is that? I'm so happy with how this turned out. I would love to make another one to match the real-life version that I have in my living room. I hope you guys like this video. Give it a thumbs up if you did and make sure to subscribe for more. I'll see you next time. Bye!