Week seven has arrived of our Pop Up Camper Renovation and we are in the home stretch people!! But with it the mountain that is dinette cushions, curtains, and bedding. I’m not going to lie, I thought “Oh I can knock out the sewing in no time….
I will say it wasn’t hard just time consuming but worth it.
Chapter 1: dinette cushions
Choosing fabric was like walking through a candy store, it was very hard to narrow it down — so many options. We knew we wanted something with deep jewel tones but also durable. So for the dinette cushions we went with something a little fun.
We knew that we were going to have to replace the foam in the original cushions which was easy enough. You can buy the foam at your local craft store like Joann’s and it is easy to cut we just used a razor blade.
Patterns and outlines
Now since I wasn’t changing the shape of the cushions I pretty much just used the old fabric as an pattern outline for the new fabric. I also reused the vinyl backing of the original cushions. Using a stitch ripper to take the old fabric apart, giving it a good cleaning and sewed to the new fabric outline I had cut out. Remember when you are sewing cushion pieces you want to sew the pieces together inside out that way when you turn them outside in you won’t see the stitching when you’re finished.
We love how it turned out and how can you not love the colors and pattern!!
Chapter 2: curtain picking and privacy
Curtains. Sounds simple, right? When it came to the curtains we knew we wanted black out curtains. We decided this not only for the bunk end curtains but for the main part of the camper as well. That way we had privacy while we were walking around in the camper or……
using the bathroom.
I saw a tip in a camping group about taking already made curtains and simply turning them sideways to use. So off we went to find blackout curtains in the right length and width that we needed. We decided on these from Target, the grey ones matched the color of the canvas of the camper which was perfect for the bunk ends. For the main part of the camper we found these thick beautiful green ones which was turned out perfect for the color scheme we were going for.
curtain adjustments
Now to make them work I had to cut off some of the width of the grey ones because the choices we had was to long or to short. When you cut off some of the curtain remember to a lot for the seam. I basically took them out to the camper and held them up and placed a mark so I knew where I wanted to cut them. After you sew your seam you will then need to sew your tabs or hooks (depending how curtains hang in your camper). Another tip when sewing your tabs or hooks make sure you sew them where the curtain is high enough not to let in any light.
Now with the green curtains I cut the curtain flaps off that were sewn in for the curtain rod to go through (if that makes sense) and simply sewed the tabs in place down the side.
Boom! Black out curtains and I didn’t have to sew them from scratch!!
Chapter 3: Bunk end Makeovers and sweet dreams
Turning our attention to the bunk ends, our sanctuaries of slumber were more like sleeping on what could generously be described as a pancake. Our goal? To transform these thin excuses for mattresses into clouds. How hard can it be? Just so you know the camper mattresses are 3 inches thick……yeah.
The process involved layers. Lots of them. Egg crates, mattress toppers, soft sheets, and thick quilts all became part of the plan and we also were adding new fluffy comfy pillows.
Now I know if you’re like any other normal person, than you will agree with us when we say if we were going to be enjoying ourselves while on our camping trips then that includes getting a good nights rest. So this is how we laid it out:
- Mattress (3 inch)
- Egg crates inside mattress cover
- Mattress topper
- Cotton sheets these and these
- Heavy quilt this one and this one
- Fluffy pillows
When I say it was the most comfortable bed! Best idea ever! Trust me this is the how you want to layer your beds and when you close the curtains….total darkness. Even in the mornings the little bit of light that comes in through the canvas doesn’t even wake you up.
By the end, our bunk ends were fluffed, padded, and cozy.
As we go snuggle down into our comfy beds I want to thank you beautiful people for always coming and hanging out in our little corner of the world. We hope you come back next week because we are going to be finishing up this entire renovation by painting the exterior!! The chef’s kiss……the cherry on top….. well you know what I mean. See you then!
