Sewing a Cottage-Inspired Piano Cushion Cover

July 3, 2025

Hi friends! Today I’m going to share a project with you that I just completed and that I’m tickled pink about —sewing a cottage-inspired piano cushion cover!

Now I will be upfront with you. I’m not going to share blow-by-blow directions for making this piano cover though I did write out some "light" instructions. This post will be more like inspiration and hopefully an idea to get your creative juices flowing. Writing out detailed directions for this project would have been more than I have the bandwidth for at this moment—the brutal honest truth. It was a fairly involved project, but for anyone with even marginal sewing skills (I put myself in this category), you can easily think through this project and bring it to completion.

To any weary mothers out there wondering how in the world I have time to sew a piano cushion cover—of all things?—take heart. I sewed it little by little. A seam here, and a seam there. A few pins set in place, and a few more pins pushed into place. Over six months later (yes, you read that right!), I have a pretty cover for my piano bench. It’s not perfect, and if you are a professional seamstress, please don’t look too closely or you’re likely to cringe.

My main inspiration for this project was a coffee table cover that Lisa Bass created on her blog Farmhouse on Boone. I took her ideas and expanded them to create this piano cushion cover.

Here’s how I made the cushion cover:

Prep Work

1.       I cut out a piece of foam from an old crib mattress to match the top of my piano bench. Waste not, want not!

2.       I bleached a very large piece of drop cloth (make sure you buy 100% cotton drop cloth or it will not bleach—lesson learned the hard way). Once again, I followed Lisa Bass’ directions for bleaching drop clothes.

3.       I cut out all of my pieces. I made sure to leave an extra half inch on all sides when cutting out pieces. Here are the pieces I cut.

a.       A large piece for the top

b.       Rectangle pieces for each side of the cushion (2 small, 2 large)

c.       An extra-long piece for the bottom which I then cut in half and hemmed to create an opening for the cushion.

d.       2 very, very long strips of fabric (about 3 inches wide by oh, 96 inches…I don’t remember exactly) to create piping for the top and bottom seams (I measured all the way around the perimeter and added some extra length)

e.       A huge piece to gather and create the ruffle (approximately 12 inches by 96 inches)

f.        2 pieces of elastic for the underside of the cushion (to keep my kids from yanking it off the bench!)

Now for the Sewing

1.       I sewed 2 long strips of piping for the top and bottom perimeter of the cushion.

2.       I sewed the 4 side rectangle pieces together (creating the side walls of the cushion).

3.       Pinning the piping between the top piece and the side walls, I sewed the top to the side walls.

4.       Cut the large bottom piece in half and hem the center cuts (this creates an envelope-style opening for the cushion to enter). Pin the pieces in place to fit the exact size of the cushion. Trim any excess.

5.       Hem the ruffle piece and create the ruffle. I was smart (or a little bit lazy?) and used the hemmed edge of the dropcloth as the bottom of the ruffle so that I didn’t have to sew the hem. To gather the fabric I sewed a wide gathering stitch and then hand pulled the thread to create the ruffle. For the life of me, I couldn’t figure out the ruffle attachment that my mother gave me years ago with her old sewing machine. So I just went with a labor-intensive but tried and true method—pulling the thread.

6.       Now it’s time to assemble all the pieces and sew everything together. I flipped the top portion inside out and pinned the bottom piping, ruffle, the two elastic strips, and the bottom layer (the two hemmed pieces for the opening). After pinning all of this together, I then sewed completely around the bottom perimeter of the cushion.

7.       After a moment of breathless anticipation, I turned it inside out, and voila! It worked.

To anyone who was looking for extremely detailed directions, I duly apologize for these light directions and non-existent mid-project pictures. I should have taken more pictures amid the project, but alas it was so drawn out that I just wanted to finish it. At the very least, I hope you are inspired to create a beautiful space around your piano.

I love my new washable rug under the bench. It adds the perfect touch of vintage. Thanks to my grandma, I have some beautiful, handmade doilies to grace the sides of my piano (and protect the finish should I set a hymnal down). For years an antique lamp, lovingly rewired by an old friend as a wedding gift, has stood sentinel beside my keys and cast its soft glow over the ivories.

I love this space, and it makes me want to practice more. At this stage of life, I can barely catch a few minutes of practice here and there, but I’m thankful to have a beautiful setting in which to create music.

--Ashley

Personal Disclosure

As the author of Ashley Qurollo Blog, all opinions are my own. Any possible applications are universal in nature, not directed at any one individual or people group. My sincere desire is to help others by sharing what I am learning. Nothing stated on this blog is ever intended to hurt others. Ashley Qurollo, owner of Ashley Qurollo Blog and Website, is not held liable in any way for any application of the ideas and thoughts stated here.

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