If you love to shop in Japanese design stores as much as I do, you'll know that zafus (meditation cushions) are on the expensive side ($55-75). Recently I decided that if I had my own zafu at home, I would sit more (certainly there are flaws in this logic), so I decided to save the $$ and make mine. 

Ingredients:

• 1/2 yard of fabric
• about 6 pounds of buckwheat hulls

One yard of fabric is enough for two zafus. Cotton duck or cotton canvas is best, organic of course! The buckwheat is actually the more expensive part. I bought mine from buckwheathull.com for about $18. You could use tightly packed foam or pillow stuffing, but if you're going to sit for longer than a few minutes, I find the buckwheat hulls a lot more comfortable.

Instructions for one zafu:

1. Cut two circles, each 13.5" across (use a large plate or skillet lid to trace this). The top and bottom circles of the zafu will be 12" across, so this allows for 3/4" seam allowances.
2. Cut one long strip of fabric, 54" long and 8" wide. Again, 3/4" seam allowances are included in this measurement.
3. On the long strip of fabric, mark and pin a 1-inch pleat (2 inches of fabric total) every 3 inches (measuring from fold to fold), along the whole strip (top to bottom).  Don't stress out about the measurements, this doesn't have to be exact! However, do make sure the pleats are all pointing in the same direction.
4. Iron the pleats. (This part is important.)
5. Pick up one of the circles and turn it face down. Take the pinned, pleated strip and, with it also facing down (wrong side up), pin the length of the strip along the circumference of the circle. You should have a little bit of a tail left over. This is OK, because it will be used to sew the zafu shut.
6. With the sewing machine, sew along the outside of the circle (3/4" seam allowance). You might want to sew this circle twice to reinforce it, so the buckwheat hulls don't try to escape between the threads.
7. Repeat with the other circle — wrong side down, pin the other edge of the fabric strip to the circle, and then sew. The side strip should be sewn all the way around, leaving a gap open at the side.
8. Using the unfinished opening on the side, turn the zafu inside out. Now the outside of the fabric is showing, and the seams are on the inside. 
9. Pour the buckwheat hulls into the zafu. Hint: use coiled piece of newspaper or cardboard as a funnel so you don't send 1000 little teeny hulls cascading across the floor like I did. 
10. Fold the raw ends of the fabric opening under; pin closed and sew by hand.
11. Done! Now go sit!

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