Okay, here’s my blog post about the volleyball cushion project, written in a casual, personal style:

So, I’ve been wanting to make some impact-absorbing cushions for volleyball practice, something to soften the blow when we’re working on dives and rolls. I had some scrap plywood and timber lying around, and figured, “Why not?” This is how it went down.

First, I gathered all my materials. Besides the plywood and timber, I grabbed some old cushions – you know, the kind you’d find on outdoor furniture. They were pretty worn out, but the padding inside was still good. I also needed some heavy-duty fabric, staples, a staple gun, scissors, and a measuring tape. I didn’t do precise measurements, just roughly estimate and then trim later.

Cutting the Wood

Next, I cut the plywood into the sizes I wanted. I wasn’t going for anything fancy, just basic rectangles. The timber I cut into smaller pieces to create a simple frame. I used the larger plywood as the back panel.

I rough assembled the frame, just laying the timber pieces around the edges of the plywood. It looked like a shallow box. I was eye-balling most of the work.

Padding Time

Then came the fun part – gutting the old cushions! I ripped them open and pulled out all the stuffing. It was kinda messy, but satisfying. I stuffed this padding into the wooden frame, making sure it was packed in pretty tightly. It’s all about shock absorption, right?

Wrapping it Up

I laid the heavy-duty fabric over the stuffed frame. I made sure to leave plenty of extra fabric on all sides so I could wrap it around to the back of the plywood. I wanted it to look somewhat tidy, at least.

Then, I started stapling. I pulled the fabric taut and stapled it to the back of the plywood, working my way around the edges. I trimmed off the excess fabric once I was done, to make it look neat. I flipped it back.

And that’s pretty much it! I now have a couple of homemade cushions for volleyball practice. They’re not pretty, but they do the job. They’re sturdy, and they definitely take the sting out of those hard landings. Now, I can crash on the court with better protection!

It was a fun little project, and it’s always satisfying to make something useful out of stuff you already have. Plus, now I feel a little safer.