Foam Cube with Removable Pads Sewing Tutorial! 

I hope it turns out well! Thank youuu... :D

Thank you so much Grace!

Thank you!

Thank you so so so much Tina!

Me either! 63 years old and I didn’t know how to hand sew properly

Thank you! I want to do a updated tutorial on this one soon, since I make them a little bit different now. But thank you so so much!

Thank you so so much Sarah!

Thank you for watching!

Thank you so much Eva! :)

Thank you so much!

Thank you!

Thank you so much!

Thank you Victoria! Yeah I tried... I wish I could have added more but then youtube would have never let me upload it... Took this video three days to upload haha...

Thank you Val! Yeah this is just one of those things that take practice... Haha... But once you get it down its all up hill form there... :D Thanks again! :)))

Awww thank you so much! I hope to do another soon! :D

Thank you!

Jaki Bartlett I know what you mean. I've been looking for a while and found on google - oh so crafty, they are based in Kidderminster and sell online also if you're near Cornwall- trago mills Liskeard sells some nice fleece.

thank you so much 😀

you're welcome :)

Thank you Amber! I hope to have more tutorials up soon! :D

Thank you Madi! :)

Thank you so much Maria! :)

Thank you for watching!

Thank you Jen! With practice anyone can do it! Really.. :D I hope to have more sewing videos up in the future. :D

Thank youuu!

Thank you so so much im so glad it helped you! The more you practice the easier it gets! :D

Thank you, and sorry it was going by fast, cubes take me a long time to make, maybe 3 hours, and no one wants to watch a 3 hour video. But one day ill do a updated version of this tutorial, maybe ill do a voice over one. But im glad it helped a little. :)

Thank you! Just know not all machines can go through thick layers, Also are you using the correct sewing machine needle? I use denim needles, if you just use a standard needle, most likely it will break if sewing through thick layers. But again it could also be the machine you are using. Everything I used in this video is linked in the description of it. :)

@@GuineaPiggiesDesigns I use a Brother Project Runway limited edition. It has an LCD screen, a thousand stitch designs, automatic thread cutting and presser foot lifter, and has buttons to control it without a pedal. But it is as useless as sewing with a carrot and some rope. I have other machines that are older and better quality probably so I will try that out. I just can't wait to make them and see the turnout!

@@ronfnswanson9790 Yes I used to own a Brother 350, and it didnt work for me. But hopefully your other machines work out. :D

@@GuineaPiggiesDesigns Thanks! Appreciate your support hope you have a good Holiday! and a happy new year!

I will do one soon!

Thank you so so so much!

All good. I really want a guinea pig but I'm not allowed:(

@@zoexzoe9139 Maybe one day you will on one... :D

Lol I hope so!!😂😊

Thank you so much Christine! :)))

You could always use different materials! Use what works for you. :)

Thank you so so much!

Thank you so so so much Sarey!

I make my holes smaller.... so the whole cube couldnt fit through such a small hole... I dont like making my holes bigger because it sinks the sides in... but your more then welcome to make your holes bigger so the whole cube fits through the hole but for me I just dont like that style. Plus it gives my pigs more coverage rather then having a huge hole taking up the entire side, and I know no other cozy maker does this since its more work on them, but for me I dont mind adding extra detail and work to my items. :)

Thank you so much!

The regular foam is easier to rip and not as flexible... You can for sure use it. Just know it may not last and it will lose shape over time... Its also harder to sew with due to its lack of flexibility and that it falls apart easier doesnt help... Haha... Thank you so much! I hope you are able to make your own cube! Just takes practice. :)))

Awesome information! Thank you for getting back to me so quickly.

Thank youuuuu!!!!

I already plan on doing a updated tutorial on this, just trying to finish my sewing series first. Thank you!

Thank you Tara! I have not used that stabilizer, I find that 0.5 inch foam works best, anything like a stabilizer will be flimsy but it could work. :)

Thank you! Thank you! :)))

Thank you Anna! Im so glad this video is helping you... :D

Haha nope I do the same thing lol

Anna Bella meee I dooo lol

You can try. :) But I doubt it would be easy like my machine. I wouldnt recommend you use a regular home sewing machine. Try a heavy duty one. :)

I woulld get 2 yards to be safe of each fabric... Thank you so much!

I use bamboo batting for more protection so you dont have to wash them so much... haha... and no I do not pre wash my fleece. I wash after its made... :) And thank you so much, im so glad it was easy for you! I hope to have more up soon! :))))

You can if you make the entrance hole bigger. That's what I did.

I will be doing tutorials on the basic stuff... but none on my original designs... So ill do one on the Tunnels, Hay Bags, I already have one on the cuddle cups... :) But once I get caught up on my orders I will be uploading again soon! Right now im working on a custom order video for my channel that shows my process... I hope to have it up soon! :)

Hey Kate! Right now I am not accepting any new orders.... My wait list is full. but once I get caught up on my current orders I will be announcing on my facebook page when I am caught up.... But once I get caught up I will be working on premade items and only taking one custom order at a time to keep the wait time down... :)

Lol. Just follow your seam allowance, never look at your needle. :)

@ sam. Do you use a machine? I'm usually able to just let the fabric pull it self along. Trust me I get the straight line struggle. I wear glasses with light prisms to correct me seeing at 2 different levels. I don't drive because I have such issues with depth perception. Its crazy lol

@@amyeethomas2495 Yes I use a sewing machine, link is in the description but I do hand sew up the openings on the pads, takes practice, but the more you do it, the easier it gets. :)

Thank you so much! :)

Janome 6600

I really do not mark my fabric but I would recommend a wax crayon... it comes off with heat so its a great option... Thank you so much!

Hi Sarah! Check out my cozy essentials video! Everything I use is in that video! But quick answer I use a Janome 6600, goes for $2000.00 on amazon, I do talk about affordable machines in that video too. Check it out for more info. :) Also most home machines cannot handle the layers I sew through, so use less layers for your projects. :)

Guinea Piggies Designs Thank you! I will watch that essentials video and start saving for another machine! :-)

@@seran72ify Also, if your machine doesn't have it, a walking foot is a MUST HAVE for fleece projects!

Jessica Bickley Okay, good to know! Thank you! 🙏

U haul is furniture moving pads... or recycled denim. I live in the USA so im not sure of a alternative thats in the UK. :)

Valerie Poole : can you rent u-haul trucks when you move to a different residence or when you purchase furniture that’s too big for your vehicle, so you rent a truck for overnite or for a few hours. U-haul is the name of the truck rental company in the U.S. the company sells blankets for about $8.00 per blanket. You use the blanket(s), to cover the furniture so it doesn’t get scratched. The blankets are made of recycled denim. So we call the blankets u-haul. This is used in the cube or potty pads or liners for the bottom of your pet cage. The u-haul absorbs the pet urine, so your pet is not standing in or sleeping in the wet urine. When you are making these cage accessories, you have to condition your fleece. You wash the uncut fleece, in hot water with detergent that does not container perfumes, dyes or anything that could harm your pet. Then you dry the fleece and wash and dry 2 more times like the first time. I always use the recommended detergent on the bottle, for the first wash. When I get to the 2nd and 3rd wash I decrease the amount of detergent. The first time, you are washing away any fabric sizing or whatever the fabric manufacturer puts on the fabric. By the time you’ve washed and dried your fleece 3 times, you have conditioned your fleece so the urine goes through the fleece, bamboo batting and finally to the u-haul. Before you wash and dry your fleece the first time, pour a tiny amount of water on the fleece. The water should kind of pool up and it takes a little bit of time for the water to get absorbed by the fleece. After the 3rd wash and dry, do the water test again. The water will be absorbed by the fleece immediately. So imagine if you have all the layers sewn together. The center fabric ( in this case, the u-haul) will absorb the urine all through to the center. Now if you don’t have a truck rental company selling the moving blankets, a lot of people will go to Goodwill or a 2nd hand store ( I don’t know what you call them in the uk). Some people will buy used mattress pad covers, old towels or even flannel baby blankets, to use in place of the u-haul. It works just as good. The only complaint I’ve heard about the u-haul, is it takes a long time to dry in your dryer. And line drying could take a few days. I hope this helps. And I’m sorry for the long explanation, but I wanted to paint a picture with words, so you could visualize the sewing process. Start out with something easy like potty pads. Your pet will be happy and their little feet won’t get sore from standing in wet urine. Give it a try, it’s fun😇🐹🥰, Nancy

in this video I use a janome 6600. :)

I got this big mat on amazon, the link should be in the description. :) The huge mat I have was around $300 but I have had it for 5 years so far and its still going strong.

Omg 300 on a mat I'd die lmao 😲 but I'm sure its made you that much money 10x over from its use. So I get it. Thats so cool though I didn't know they came anywhere near that big!! I got a 8×12 one at the dollar tree. It has actually held up being used compared to the one I got from Amazon.

@@amyeethomas2495 You dont need a huge mat, I started out with a smaller one too, just took up more time for me because I had to constantly move it if I was making a big cage liner, so the big mat just saves me time. But a small mat works too.

Well the U haul is what absorbs the liquid, fleece, batting, and foam do not absorb anything, the liquid would pass right through those layers, you can use old towels, or terry cloth for your inner layers, but I would not recommend using fleece or batting as a absorbent layer.

The ribbons are used in case you want to hook it to your cage somewhere, but they are not necessary. And everything I make is washable, so yes you can wash this. :)

Thank you!

it absorbs the Urine/liquid.. For foam it will just sink right through. The Bamboo batting also helps absorb Urine/liquid... :)

You mean instead of sewing it, use velcro? I mean you could.... I do not think it would wash up well, and I also think it would be a pain to put together.... But you could try it. As for me I would never use velcro, also know velcro is not safe for small animals that chew... So as long as your small animals do not chew it it should be fine. :)

@@GuineaPiggiesDesigns thank you for the tip but at the moment i do nit have a guinea pig but on the 7th my aunt is bringing two baby piggies that they had and is not from a petshop so i hope they do not chew as much

No worries! I use Denim Sewing Needles and I use the foot that came with my sewing machine which is a Janome 6600, the foot I use will only work with a Janome 6600 because its a double feed foot...

I use denim sewing needs and I use a double acu feed foot that is only made for a Janome 6600.

You can use any kind if stitch you want, I like the look of the wavy stitch but the seams on the cube are to ensure the layers stay together after washing many times. But you can use a straight stitch instead. :)

Yeah I do not think your sewing machine can handle something so thick. I always use Denim needles for everything, but my machine also has a double acu feed which helps, but you can for sure try it on your machine, for me though if I had that machine I wouldnt. :)

Sorry for the late reply but the foam is not really absorbent which is why I add U-Haul padding to the bottom. But it will not get messed up if you do not use U haul padding, its just the liquid will go right through it if that makes sense. :)

Get a different sewing machine. Most home machines are not meant to go through thick layers. A great affordable starter machine I recommend is called a Singer Heavy Duty.

@@GuineaPiggiesDesigns Ok thanks! I will try that out

I used to make my holes small so the whole cube wouldnt fit through the opening.... But if you make the opening bigger it does. :)

Yes! My etsy link is in the video description. :D

My sewing machine has a double feeder so I do not have that issue. My advice is to get a heavy duty machine. Regular at home machines are just not meant to sew through thick layers. So sorry.

If your machine has a plastic foot I found that to work better with the foam... Still requires some manipulation but better than regular foot

Foam is washable. Everything I make is washable. :)

I use a 50wt cotton thread, link is in description, but you can use whatever works for you. :)

I would say 2 yards of each fabric.

and Six 10x10 inch squares of foam. as for washing, I wash my items on a normal wash and dry on a normal cycle. This can vary for how you sew your item. If you dont reinforce your seams then gentle cycle and let it air dry.

@@GuineaPiggiesDesigns Thanks 😊

Yes. :)

Link for the foam is in the video description, I get it from Joanns

Haha! Its not hard, just need patience and practice.... Took me awhile to become good.... :)

@@GuineaPiggiesDesigns I give you props! I am new to sewing. How do you get all that fabric to go under the foot?

@@ericariebe5690 Hmmm... Well I just push it under... My foot may go higher then yours... Im guessing. :)

@@GuineaPiggiesDesigns Is that something that I can fix myself or is it just the type of sewing machine that I have possibly? I do have quite an older machine lol

@@ericariebe5690 Its the type of sewing machine. Its something you cannot adjust.

Yes everything is well! I posted a update on our facebook page... I was editing the video for the winner reveal and my computer crashed and i lost all my progress! Ahhh so I have to start over.... But we have the video recorded and its 2 hours long which im trying to edit it down to 15 minutes or less haha... Ill have it up soon no worries! And once I get that video up, hopefully I can get another tutorial up. Just also trying to get caught up with custom orders... Video editing takes a lot of time since Im still new to it... but once I get better Ill have videos up on the regular just need to better my editing skills before I do... hehehe .. :)

Guinea Piggies Designs just making sure you were OK :)

This video is old... I used to make my openings small, so I couldnt fit the whole cube through the opening hole, it was too big and therefore I left one of the bottom sides unsewed so I could pull it right side out and then I would hand sew up that hole to hide the seam... Now I do sew up all the sides and pull it right side out, but a long time ago I didnt do it that way. I learn from trial and error so these are things I tried to figure out on my own. :)

@@GuineaPiggiesDesigns thank you for the video. Ive never worked with foam so this very much helped me.

You need about one yard of each... Just guessing... :)

Yes, it is washable. :)

@@GuineaPiggiesDesigns Thanks for your reply😊. Your designs are really amazing and very creative. Have a nice day!!!!

Everything I used in this video is linked in the description... :) I also have a video where I share all my supplies and everything is linked there also. :)

It helps absorb and provides comfort.

Joann.com

Chenibbles it takes practice. I use a Janome 6600. :) Thank you!

Look up the user manual online or go to your machines website and see if you can find it there. I am no sewing machine expert, i cannot tell you how to use your machine since every machine is different. Look up some youtube videos on how to use your machine, that can help. :)