How to make memory foam cushions using old pillows.

These days I’m all about the environment and upcycling old items and with two memory foams pillows that we both hated, sadly we reverted back to feather. I was a bit reluctant to throw them away when there are so many uses for memory foam.

If your like me, you may find memory foam pillows just a tad bit too hard at times to sleep on. They do take a while to sink into and feel comfortable. Oh I should probably mention my other pet hate, hollowfibre cushion inners! Yuck, they are so flat and lifeless and never seem to last very long. My favourite feather cushions, seem to eventually start to shred feathers after awhile. But memory foam cushions (when shredded) are definitely the way forward and are extremely comfortable to lay on, plus they are better for the environment than feather down.

I guarantee that most people have a couple of memory foam pillows knocking around the house that they don’t use. I found that by shredding the memory foam, its makes a much more comfortable and sinking feeling as a cushion. Plus its absolutely easy to do yourself. I made my memory foam cushion inner fillings in less than an hour. So let’s get started on how to make!

What you need:

Two Memory Foam Pillows (standard size)
Four 18 x 18″ (45 x 45cm) Cushion Covers
Craft Knife

Lets Begin.

To begin, remove the outer pillow case, this can be recycled along with your old clothes.

recycle upcycle old memory foam pillow shredded

I used the craft knife (a plain kitchen knife will also do the same job) to score lines on the memory foam pillow to allow for a better grip of pulling the memory foam apart.

recycle upcycle old memory foam pillow shredded diy

Then with your hands, simply pull chunks of memory foam apart from the pillow. Feel free to go as small or as big as you want. I found random chunks sizes seem to work best to give a comfortable feel. Its quite a satisfying task!

diy recycle upcycle old memory foam pillow shredded

I used the outer pillow case to store the shredded memory foam to keep my work area tidy. But this is a personal preference.

I got these lovely cushion covers from Amazon which are perfect for my outdoor seating area. The material is made from canvas which is very hard wearing for outdoor use. They are absolutely beautiful! Would definitely recommend.

Laxeuyo tropical cushion covers amazon upcycle old memory foam pillows to reuse as cushion inners — Laxeuyo Tropical Cushion Covers, Pack of 4. Retails at Amazon £16.99

Once I had one pillow shredded, I began to fill two of the cushion covers with the shredded memory foam. When doing this, try to get the memory foam into the corners to add shape to the cushion.

Once complete, its time to start on the second memory foam pillow, following the same instructions.

Now you should have super filled cushions!

laxeuyo cushion covers recycle upcycle old memory foam pillow shredded

Its easy right?
And there you have it, four of your favourite cushions filled with memory foam, created under an hour. Just think how much you have saved by not buying expensive inner cushions and how much you have helped the environment by not throwing your old memory pillows away to add to land fill sites. Now its time, to celebrate those efforts with a nice drink outside!