In this world, unfortunately, nothing is eternal. The same applies to mattresses, which over time begin to lose their original characteristics. They sag or bulge in some places. Sleeping on such mattresses is no longer very comfortable. So you decide to buy a new one.
What should those whose financial situation does not allow them to purchase another mattress do? Or for those who love original and unusual things? There is a way out - make a mattress with your own hands.
It is clear that you will not be able to build it yourself orthopedic mattress. But still, you will definitely be able to reconstruct the old one and make it more convenient.
Before you begin this peculiar procedure, you need to prepare. First, set aside free time for work. And secondly - stock up necessary material. You will need:
- padding - your choice;
- strong threads
- sewing machine
If you are going to reconstruct a stationary mattress, then in addition to everything you need to prepare:
- wooden slats,
- springs,
- arm yourself with big nails,
- hammer,
- and of course, with a stapler.
First you need to decide on the padding, that is, what kind of material you want to use.
To do this, you need to know exactly how you will use your mattress in the future - whether it will be removable or stationary. As a rule, for removable models they use soft padding (foam rubber, synthetic padding), which allows them to be easily folded during operation.
Step-by-step process of working with a removable mattress
So, spread the foam rubber on work surface, and apply the markings you need. You can use two options: cut the foam rubber lengthwise into two parts or leave it as a whole piece, and also cut the foam rubber into 2-3 squares. This way, it will be easier to fold it, pack it and put it in a secluded place if you do not intend to use it constantly.
This option is very convenient as a spare, for example, for guests. For the procedure of cutting foam rubber, it is better for you to use the help of a friend who will help you stretch the material, and at that time you can carefully cut it according to the markings.
So, the foam rubber is prepared, all that remains is to correctly cut out the blank for the cover. Remember to allow allowance for the seams as well as the thickness of the padding itself. Take the correct measurement of the foam piece and allow a few centimeters on each side.
A good alternative is a removable cover, which can be easily removed for washing during use. To do this, you still need to leave 20 cm along the length of the pattern, which in the future will act as an overlap. You can sew Velcro tape or a zipper to the overlap area - at your discretion.
Let's start sewing the cover. The process must begin with cross sections. After this, sew the cover lengthwise, placing the corners in the middle. Unfold it with the seams in the middle and put it on the prepared foam rubber. If yours is not removable, sew the raw edge with a sewing machine or by hand.
If you prefer soft padding or synthetic padding, then first you need to sew a cover.
In this case, you need to carefully measure the size of the bed and add to this the thickness of the future mattress. Make the pattern according to your measurements, leaving seam allowances. Sew the seams on sewing machine and the case is ready.
Fill it up soft upholstery taking into account that it will soon begin to nail down and become thinner. To prevent it from getting into lumps, it is recommended to stitch the mattress in several places with strong thread, attaching dense pieces of fabric to both sides. Such mattresses are softer, and their service life is much shorter than their foam counterparts.
How to reconstruct a stationary mattress with your own hands?
Now let's consider the option of creating with my own hands stationary mattress with springs. Let's say your old mattress has worn out. Here and there, the springs are sticking out, the cover has already acquired an untidy appearance, and you have decided to make drastic changes - to reconstruct the mattress.
Here you can do two things - tighten the old springs with strong twine, replace some of them, change the padding and, if possible, the cover. But you can radically reconstruct your mattress, and ultimately, find a completely new product - one that you made yourself. Such things are most valuable!
To do this, prepare spring blocks, the number of which should correspond required size. Place them in a vertical position. Make sure that the outer level of the springs is level. Their bottom part you need to fasten it to 2-centimeter slats, the width and thickness of which are no more than 7 cm. Prepare nails and drive them into the end side of your sleeping pad at the level of all spring rows. Start tying the springs.
First of all, the transverse row. Then along the row and finally diagonally. Check the upper level of the springs again - it should be level! At this stage, lay the material prepared in advance on top. Almost any thick fabric will do. Place padding, such as padding polyester. And, the last layer is the upholstery. It is better to fix it with a furniture stapler.
The mattress is ready!
That's all - yours homemade mattress already ready! The best part is that you were able to do it yourself, spending a little time on the process, while saving a lot from a financial point of view. In addition, you sewed a mattress cover from a fabric whose colors you and your family like.
You no longer need to run around the shops looking for the color you need - this also has its advantages. And don’t despair if on the first try you didn’t manage to do everything the way you would like. Any business requires practice, and you have already passed the first stage. Now you can offer your help in reconstructing mattresses with your own hands to your loved ones, relatives and friends. Enjoy your holiday.
It is inconvenient to sleep on the sofa all the time: even structures equipped with a “French folding bed” mechanism are inferior in comfort to beds with an orthopedic mattress. If, in addition to organizing a comfortable sleep, you need somewhere to seat guests, you cannot do without a piece of furniture with a backrest that can accommodate several people. Then it’s worth making something like a sofa out of the bed - making a soft headboard (back), sewing removable covers from a suitable furniture fabric.
As you can see, both furniture products are in demand in everyday life; it is difficult to choose between them. It’s good if the size of the apartment allows you to add a sofa and bed, but what if not? In this case, you need to figure out how to sew a mattress for a sofa or make a soft backrest with a cover for the bed.
Fabric selection
The fabric must have not only stylish look, but also easy to wash. Quite often, even in fabric catalogs, only dry cleaning or dry cleaning is indicated as a method of cleaning textile material. However, as practice shows, this does not mean that washing is contraindicated.
To avoid sewing again, purchase a small piece of fabric you like and wash it in washing machine at a water temperature of 30°C (flocked fabric will not survive washing - it will peel off, don’t even try to use it).
Measure the cut before washing - further comparison will show whether shrinkage has occurred. Assess for discoloration, appearance or absence of lint. If the results of the experiments are positive, this piece of fabric will come in handy: you can use it to reupholster a chair or make a cover for sofa cushion.
- Since furniture fabric is not cheap, sew the invisible part of the cover from calico.
- Before cutting, the fabric should be washed, especially calico, which noticeably decreases in size. In addition, the calico must be ironed with steam.
- To determine the required amount of material, lay out the patterns on a checkered sheet. Don't forget to reserve material for shrinkage when cutting.
Mattresses are different
Annoying misunderstandings happen even in the home of perfectionists, so the sofa and bed need protection from dirt. If you don’t want to do anything, buy a sheet with an elastic band suitable size. She can handle minor stains quite well, but any spilled liquid is too much for her. Cleaning a sleeping place is quite problematic; changing it every time is too expensive.
What to do? It is best to sew a cover yourself - a purchased one may not fit in size and will sit on your mattress like a “new thing from someone else’s shoulder.” After all, mattresses differ in size and shape of corners (rounded and straight), and covers differ in the way they are sewn.
The ideal cover fits the mattress tightly, protects it as much as possible from dirt and is easy to wash.
Good decision is to protect a sofa or bed with an additional thin mattress about 5 cm thick. It is easy to make it yourself from foam rubber (cheaper option), polyurethane foam, artificial or natural latex (more expensive option). Such a mattress can be washed in the bathroom or simply made a new one. Why? The cost of replacing it is much less than purchasing an orthopedic mattress or reupholstering a sofa.
Making a thin foam mattress
A sheet of foam rubber (density not lower than 25) can be easily cut with a sharp knife. Most often used for this operation construction knife with replaceable blades. This is done like this:
- The sheet of foam rubber is marked with a marker (felt-tip pen), and marks are placed.
- Using a wooden plank, all marks are connected by a straight line.
- Under the place of the future cut we place some unnecessary hard cloth (a scrap of board, a piece of thick cardboard, etc.).
- Taking the knife strictly vertically, make the cut with leisurely, precise, strong movements.
- We check the depth of the cut: we push the resulting hole apart with our fingers and cut the foam rubber to the bottom.
If there are a lot of burrs at the cut site, the tip of the blade (or the whole thing) should be replaced. Curvilinear cuts are made in a similar way: a pattern is applied, markings are made along it, vertically installed knife excess foam rubber is cut off, the resulting cut will not be ideal, but quite acceptable. If necessary, foam rubber can be easily glued together, the resulting seam will be strong and elastic.
Pay attention! When heated, foam rubber releases cyanogen-containing substances that are hazardous to health, damaging the respiratory and respiratory system even in small doses. nervous system. Therefore, hot cutting of this material at home is categorically unacceptable.
Cover for a thin mattress made of calico or satin
It is acceptable to use ready-made quilted fabric (the composition is more natural, containing cotton), used for making linings or sewing bedspreads. We begin work by taking dimensions: length, width and height. To avoid creating unnecessary seams, we take the fabric as a single piece. Remember that natural materials shrink noticeably; after washing, a piece 2 m long may shrink by 10 centimeters. Therefore, it is best to wash the fabric first.
Leave a 1.5 cm seam allowance. To cut the fabric evenly, we wrap the remainder over the main part and even out the edges. Holding it with your hand, slightly pull the fabric towards you with scissors and make a cut.
We fold the piece of fabric along the fold line, rounding the corners as on a mattress. We sew the cover around the perimeter using a sewing machine, using a zigzag or overlock to go around the edges.
On the shorter side we leave a hole for installing a zipper, a space at the edges of 20 to 30 cm. We iron the fabric in this place, and after preliminary basting we sew in a zipper using a machine.
There is almost no sliding of the fabric on the foam rubber, so carefully, without tugging, we pull the cover onto the mattress. We tighten the fabric, straighten the corners, then pick up the folds and tighten them again, after which we fasten the zipper.
Cover for a thin mattress made of upholstery fabric
To ensure that our fabric covering neatly covers the mattress on all sides, after marking the corners, we mark the auxiliary lines of the detailed pattern. Applying the pattern, we round the corners of the upper part, do the same with the corners of the lower part (hems) and draw a straight line at 45°, following through the intersection points of the lines indicating the height of the mattress.
Cover for orthopedic mattress made of furniture fabric
The side of the cover is essentially a long ribbon. If there is not enough fabric for it, sew it from several pieces. Make sure there are no seams on the visible front, or make the seams symmetrical.
2A+2B is not an exact size (the difference appears due to the presence of rounded corners), the side part will be longer, the excess is simply cut off. To calculate the length more strictly, you can measure the perimeter of the upper part.
We process the edges of the allowances with a zigzag (if the fabric frays), the seam allowances are folded onto the calico and stitched along the edge. It is sewn in front of the top, the sections are processed and stitched, just like the sides. The upper part of the case is ready.
Comfort and convenience while sleeping is important aspects, which allow the body to gain strength at night. The bed and mattress must be comfortable, the purchase of which often causes financial difficulties. Making a mattress with your own hands is an opportunity to save money, use necessary materials and interesting work.
We create a comfortable mattress ourselves
This interesting process has a number of advantages. It is simple and does not require additional study of implementation technology. The materials are available options. You can choose the size, height, and softness of the product yourself.
Creation sleeping place depends on personal preference. It is important to understand that you can make the following products with your own hands:
- Orthopedic mattress;
- Foam;
- Using pillows.
These are the most common options that do not require special tools and materials that cannot be purchased in a store.
Foam rubber is a common filler on modern market. It is accessible and can be purchased by each of us. The second name of the synthetic material is polyurethane foam. Many people often wonder about using polyurethane foam in a mattress - what is it? PPU, foam rubber or polyurethane foam is constantly being improved as a material and it is no longer worth comparing the properties of today's material and the material of ten years ago. Scientists are constantly working on the composition of the material and they have managed to bring its performance closer to the standard safety level.
Exists large number types of this filler, they all differ in their performance properties:
- Elasticity;
- Hardness;
- Densities.
Selection of foam rubber for a mattress (foam rubber density)
The material selected as a filling element meets certain requirements that contribute to obtaining a good result. Foam rubber must be elastic and soft, and quickly return to its original form after use. Quality assessment is determined by the density of the product, for a mattress ideal options values in the range of 25-40 kg/m 3 are considered. The selection of filler begins with taking into account its labeling.
Preparation of materials and tools
The purchase of the required materials depends on the choice of purpose of the finished product. For the stationary model, additional spring blocks are purchased. For the portable version, you only need polyurethane foam. Construction using the following materials and tools:
- Dense foam rubber - required to create a frame;
- Filler, which is designated by the markings EL, HR and VE;
- It is possible to supplement the structure with coconut coir or other materials;
- Glue for fixing the product, purchased specifically for foam rubber;
- Fabric (natural materials are great).
Additional tools you will need are a tape measure, a knife, scissors, and a machine for sewing a cover.
Before manufacturing the product, you need to measure the sleeping area. Next, the frame itself is assembled; for this, a body is made of dense polyurethane foam, the thickness of which should be at least 5 cm. The bars of the material must be laid out on a flat surface, then they are glued together.
Foam rubber in the form of scraps will not become good filler, the base must be solid.
How to sew a mattress cover?
This is the next step in making a mattress, for which you will need fabric, a sewing machine and threads matched to the color. The filled frame is measured and the parts are cut out, leaving three cm on each side for the seam. The cover must fit snugly to the product and it must be tightened with outside help. It is necessary to have a zipper for comfortable cleaning of the mattress.
It is necessary to select natural fabric as a material, since it is not allergenic.
To keep your homemade mattress clean, you need to sew a mattress cover.
This type of product can also be made at home yourself. Only spring blocks will be required, and as a filler you need to purchase felt and coconut coir. First, the springs are tied together for alignment, then several layers of felt are applied, which are glued together. The next stage is laying out the coir.
The coconut filling should be no thicker than two centimeters.
Additionally, you can add artificial latex, which can be replaced with foam rubber. Alternating layers depends on personal needs.
And for a complete understanding of how to make a mattress at home yourself, you can watch this video:
DIY pillow mattress
This is the most interesting and budget option portable mattress. It sews quickly and easily. To do this, you need to purchase several pillowcases, the quantity is determined by the person. Then sew them together and insert soft, cheap pillows. This is a great option suitable for children.
How to sew a mattress cover?
This part perfectly protects the mattress from dirt and reduces wear. You can make the model in the form of a regular bag; all you need to do is take the fabric and wrap the mattress, and then sew the seams. More difficult option- this is a sheet with an elastic band; for this you need to sew it along the edge of the cut fabric. The material for the product is selected to be wear-resistant and easy to clean.
How to make a mattress smaller at home?
Alteration of the product may be required if a mattress is purchased or manufactured without preliminary measurements of the bed. It is important to understand that this must be done carefully. If there are no springs in the product, then the seams are simply ripped out and excess filler is removed. In the opposite case, you need to remove the excess spring block. Next, the seams are carefully sealed and the mattress is ready for use.
How to make a mattress harder or softer?
It is important to understand that if you feel discomfort in your sleep due to an uncomfortable mattress, you need to make adjustments to it. It is possible to make the mattress softer or harder. This is done using a mattress pad. To increase rigidity, coconut coir is used as a filler, and for additional softness, foam rubber can be added. The thickness of the product should not exceed 10 cm, otherwise discomfort will occur.
Considering the possibilities modern man who is not limited in purchasing materials for his experiments, then sewing a mattress and its accessories is a simple task that requires only perseverance. The main thing is to choose the right insides of the product, purchase high-quality fabric for finishing and do the work carefully and carefully. The process itself will not cause difficulties, and even children can participate in some processes. It's important to remember that finished product needs to be thoroughly dried in the fresh air.
Foam rubber is a filler that is made in various ways, so manufacturers today have the opportunity to offer options for products made from it to suit every taste. You can choose a foam mattress: hard or soft, more or less elastic, regular or orthopedic.
How to choose a quality mattress
In order for your purchase to provide good rest for many years, you need to choose a mattress with high-quality filling. The foam inside should be dense; this determines what loads it can withstand. There is a special hardness coefficient, but you can check it and in a simple way— see how quickly the foam straightens after deformation, and whether it cracks when pressed and stretched.
The filler density is great value so that the spine receives the necessary support during sleep and the body weight is distributed correctly.
When purchasing, preference should be given to well-known manufacturers with a good reputation, then the foam mattress will serve for a long time and effectively.
Advantages of a foam mattress
Mattresses made from foam rubber have a lot of positive characteristics:
The production of this filler is economical, so it is worth buying a cheap foam mattress if you want to buy something that is not inferior in quality to more expensive models for little money.
Making a foam mattress with your own hands
Don't rush to furniture store in order to purchase such a recreational accessory. The manufacturing technology of this item is so simple that it will not be difficult to make a foam mattress with your own hands.
For this you will need: foam rubber, fabric for the cover, sewing machine, scissors, thread, needles.
First, the mattress is marked on a piece of foam rubber. Then a pattern is made accordingly on the fabric intended for the cover, while a few centimeters should be left for allowances and seams. This mattress cover is sewn on a sewing machine and placed on prepared foam rubber. For more convenient use, it is recommended to sew a zipper into it.
The main role of the cover is to protect the filler from external influence(contamination, rubbing, moisture). But, in order to give the mattress a more respectable and aesthetic appearance, the covering fabric must not only wash well, but also have a pleasant texture and beautiful colors.
Which mattress is better - cotton or foam?
Both cotton and foam products are in approximately the same price category. They also have many similar positive qualities - lightness, compactness, ease of transportation. A significant difference is the fact that there is a possibility of the appearance of all kinds of microorganisms and mites. This is unsafe for health, especially for people prone to allergies. Over time, a foam mattress can become deformed, and cotton filling usually clumps into clumps.
IN military units, medical and children's institutions, preference is given mainly to mattresses with foam filling, since it is the safest for health and easy to care for. Due to these properties, it is also recommended to use such accessories for baby strollers.
In order for the filling in the mattress to be distributed correctly, it should be turned over every 2 weeks for the first 3-4 months. Then you can do this once every 3 months.
The mattress should be aired monthly, leaving it exposed to air for at least 5 hours. Cleaning is easy with a regular vacuum cleaner. If there are any small stains, a sponge soaked in any upholstery cleaner or soapy solution. If the contamination is severe enough, then dry cleaning will be required, using special cleaning agents for such materials. If water gets on the mattress, wipe it with a dry cloth and dry it thoroughly. Only after this can you cover it with bed linen.
Foam rubber absorbs odors very well. This should be taken into account when carrying out repairs, disinfections and other activities involving the use of strong-smelling products. In such cases, it is better to wrap the surface of the mattress with a covering that does not allow air to pass through.
Prices for orthopedic mattresses may seem quite high - people want to sleep on good-quality and comfortable mattresses, but not everyone is willing to pay a lot of money for it.
What to do in such a difficult situation? There are three options:
- Purchase a similar mattress from a little-known manufacturer;
- Buy an inflatable orthopedic mattress;
- Make an orthopedic mattress with your own hands.
Is it really that profitable?
By purchasing a mattress from a little-known manufacturer, we get a product that is not much different from the products of famous brands. Large manufacturers spend a lot of money on advertising and promotion of their product, including advertising costs in the cost of mattresses. Little-known companies, as a rule, operate in local markets and do not aggressively promote their products - which is why prices for mattresses are lower.
The disadvantage of this method is that some little-known companies produce extremely low-quality mattresses that cannot compete even with the cheapest models from well-known brands.
By making an orthopedic mattress with our own hands, we will receive certain benefits. The raw materials are cheaper than a finished mattress, and we will have virtually no additional costs. Depending on the cost of materials, we we can save up to half the cost of a finished mattress. Let's figure out what we need to make an orthopedic mattress with our own hands.
In order to make an orthopedic mattress ourselves, we will need raw materials - the main budget will be spent on their purchase. We will make a springless mattress, since purchasing blocks of independent springs will be quite problematic, and classic spring blocks will not add orthopedic properties to our mattress.
To make a mattress we will need:
- Dense polyurethane foam for lateral support;
- Main filler;
- Dense material for making a cover.
Dense polyurethane foam laid along the edge of the mattress will act as a holding box. Thanks to it, the mattress will keep its shape well. And in the middle of the mattress there will be filler.
We can choose the same polyurethane foam as a filler. It is advisable to get a solid piece that is suitable both in thickness and side dimensions. If you have the desire and opportunity, you can try to look for coconut fiber, laying it in turn with polyurethane foam. The result is a mattress with increased rigidity that is beneficial for the spine. We can also design a mattress with different hardness of the sides - coconut coir will lie on one side, and polyurethane foam on the other.
Together with polyurethane foam, we can use dense struttofiber material. It has an interesting structure with vertical fibers and provides decent support for the spine. This material should be located at the top and bottom, and in the middle we can lay polyurethane foam or a mixture of polyurethane foam and coconut slabs.
As for the cover, preference should be given to dense natural fabrics. For example, it could be calico or natural linen.
The most difficult thing is to get filler materials - this will be the most the hard part mattress manufacturing process.
Let's start making the mattress
When making an orthopedic mattress with our own hands, we need to prepare the following tools:
- Sewing machine;
- Roulette;
- Scissors and sharp knife;
- Glue.
We will need a sewing machine to sew the cover, a tape measure to measure the materials, and we will use scissors and a sharp knife to cut our fillings. As for the glue, it is necessary for gluing individual layers of fillers - here we need some kind of glue that is safe for health and does not emit harmful toxins and odors. Recommendations on this issue can be obtained from a furniture repair shop.
Before starting work, you need to measure the dimensions of your sleeping place- they will be equal to the size of our future mattress. After this, we begin assembling a frame made of dense polyurethane foam, which will provide support for the filler from the sides and help the mattress hold its rectangular shape. To do this, we use dense polyurethane foam with a thickness of 50 to 100 mm. The approximate thickness of the mattress should be 14-15 cm - a smaller thickness will not increase comfort.
The next stage is laying the filler. If you are lucky enough to get a solid piece of polyurethane foam suitable thickness, measure the dimensions free space in the resulting frame, then cut out the corresponding piece of polyurethane foam - here you will need a sharp knife, for example, a stationery knife or a shoe knife.
If you decide to use a combined filling, then the individual sheets of filling will need to be glued together so that the finished mattress is dense and does not “walk” under the weight of the person lying on top. To do this, we use safe, odorless glue, otherwise it will simply be impossible to sleep on the mattress.
Did you manage to get only thin polyurethane foam? No problem - glue the individual layers into a single structure using glue. But don’t even think about using scraps and small pieces of polyurethane foam for stuffing - the base of the mattress should be closer to a monolith, and not consist of miniature elements, like a cheap foam model.
After the stuffing is ready, we place it in our frame and begin sewing the cover. To do this, we take measurements of the resulting mattress and measure out two pieces of fabric - don’t forget to leave some extra space for the seams and the thickness of the side parts(approximately 3 cm is allocated for the seams on each side). The cover should be quite dense - it should be put on the filling with the frame with some difficulty to make the mattress strong and elastic. The seams of the cover should remain inside.
To sew the cover, only natural fabrics and thick threads are used. Natural fabrics will ensure the absence of allergies and irritations, and strong threads will ensure the durability of the manufactured cover. It is quite possible that you will need someone's help to tighten the cover. After stretching, the cover needs to be sewn up (if necessary, sew in a zipper on one side).
By the way, this will be a permanent cover, non-removable. Therefore, it is recommended to sew a removable cover on top of it, equipped with zippers around the perimeter or on two adjacent sides - at any time this cover can be removed and sent for washing. If you are too lazy to bother with another cover, buy a mattress cover, but in this case you need to be prepared for additional expenses - the cheapest way is to sew the cover yourself.
After the mattress is ready, you need to let it air a little in the open air - to do this, you can take it out to the balcony or loggia, where the unpleasant odors will disappear from it.
In conclusion, here are some tips:
- Accurately measure the dimensions of the components and the dimensions of the sleeping area - the mattress should be dense and not falling apart. Yes and in its place it should lie tightly, without moving to the sides;
- Do not make mattresses from foam rubber and batting - these materials will not allow you to create a mattress with orthopedic properties and anatomical effect;
- Do not use synthetic fabrics for sewing covers - they can cause allergic reactions and irritation;
- Do not use for self-made orthopedic mattresses, Bonnel spring blocks - on their basis it is almost impossible to create normal mattresses with orthopedic properties.