How to Sew a Round Cushion Cover with Piping and a Zip - circle cushion sewing tutorial

Oct 2, 2021
3 min read

Updated: May 8

Sewing a piped round cushion

Circle cushions are such an easy way to add interest to a sofa, bed, or reading nook. They break up all the straight lines and instantly make a space feel more styled.

This version includes a piped edge and a zip fastening, so it looks polished but is still very doable if you’re comfortable with basic sewing.

Round pillow with abstract faces in black line art on white fabric. Set against a dark background with a lamp and a book nearby.

What you’ll need -

17” cushion pad

17” square of front fabric

18” square of back fabric

110” of piping cord

Strip of contrasting fabric 48” x 3”

18” zip

Tools used -

Quick unpick

Fabric glue pen

Ruler

Erasable fabric pen

Pins

¼” seam allowance used unless stated otherwise

Before you start

To get a nice full cushion, we reduce the finished size slightly.

For a 17” cushion pad, the finished circle will be 15” + 1" for seam allowance. This helps the cushion look plump rather than flat.

Sewing Instructions

1. Cut your circle (easy method)

Start with your 17” square
Fold it in half, then in half again (so you have a quarter square)
Measure 8” from the folded corner
Pivot your ruler to draw an arc
Cut along the line

Hands marking fabric with a pink pen and ruler, on a light wood table. Fabric has grey floral patterns and pink dashed lines.

When opened out, you’ll have a full circle.

Round cloth with abstract black line art of faces and hearts on a white background. Placed on a light wooden floor.

2. Prepare the zip back

Cut the 18” back square in half across the width
Place right sides together and sew with a ½” seam allowance
Press the seam open

White paper with abstract gray line art of faces and flowers on rustic wooden surface; black text partially visible.

3. Insert the zip

Lay your zip face down over the seam
Use a glue pen (or pins) to hold it in place
Stitch down both sides of the zip from the right side

Hands sewing a white zipper onto patterned fabric with a marker. Background features a wooden surface.

4. Open the zip seam

Use a seam ripper to carefully unpick the seam
This reveals your zip underneath

Hands using a seam ripper to remove stitches from a black and white patterned fabric with a zipper, on a wooden surface.

5. Cut the back circle

Use your front circle as a template
Cut a matching circle from the zip panel

6. Make the gusset

Join the short ends of your 48” strip
Sew with a ¼” seam allowance
Press seam open

This creates a fabric loop (the side panel of your cushion)

A white and black checkered ribbon forms a loop on a textured, light wood surface. The ribbon's pattern contrasts with the rustic background.

7. Add piping to the back circle

Pin or clip the piping around the edge (right side)
Raw edges aligned, piping facing inward

To join ends neatly:

As the two ends of the piping meet, pull the fabric away from one end of the cord and trim the cord back so that both ends meet. Trim the fabric so that it’s about ½” longer than the cord. Fold one side of the fabric under by about ½”, tuck in the other end in and continue sewing. This will give you a neat finish.

👉 Tip: Clip small snips into the seam allowance so it curves smoothly