Sit-upon Tutorial By Rachel Beyer

As a former Girl Scout, I have lots of fun camp memories. I remember learning to tie knots, set up camp and to cook over the campfire. An essential Girl Scout tradition is making a sit-upon. A sit-upon is a homemade waterproof cushion. They are easy to make and I remember using them every time we did any activity while sitting on the bare ground, which most often was damp or scattered with uncomfortable sticks and pebbles. A sit-upon is great for sitting around the campfire, your backyard, or even a sporting event. 

There are lots of ways to make a sit-upon. When I was a Brownie Girl Scout, we made ours from old vinyl tablecloths and foam. But in a pinch, you can use a plastic garbage bag and a stack of old newspapers for padding.

To revisit this simple craft project, I decided to use a roll of vintage vinyl wallpaper I found at a thrift store and some foam I bought at my local craft store.

Essential Supplies:

• Waterproof Material (vinyl tablecloth, or other store-bought vinyl or plastic grocery bag). You need enough for a 30”x15” rectangle.
• Padding (foam, carpet padding, or 1 ½ “ stack of newspapers) cut into a 13”x13” square.
• Scissors (or I used a rotary cutter and cutting board)
• Hole punch
• Yarn or string
• Tape

Step 1: Cut your waterproof material into a 30”x15” rectangle. Fold it in half so that you have a 15”x15” square.

Step 2: If using carpet padding or foam for padding, cut it into a 13”x13” square and place it inside the waterproof material.

Step 3: Use a hole punch to punch holes all the way around the folded square, about 1” apart and ½ “ from the edge. 

Step 4: Wrap a piece of tape around the end of your yarn or string to make it easier to stitch. Sew all the way around. I used a blanket stitch, but you can use a straight stitch or any kind of stitch you like. Tie off and your sit-upon is ready to use!

Thank you to Rachel for this great tutorial!  You can visit her for more fun ideas at her blog, Camp Smartypants.  You can also win a great prize from Rachel right here at Artsy Chaos!