This is one of those 'Why Not?' schemes that come along and aresometimes worth it. I slept on them a couple of years as a kid andhave no issues. They are comfortable enough and the same holds truefor many more exotic fillers. In fact, the draw back of straw isthat you only do get a year or so while grains will stand up forever.
We have gotten better with our liners and additional padding may workwell also.
The real take home is that the commercial product is a mattress coverand pad anyway with some manner of suspending same with a flexiblemateriel. None of us have ever figured out how to sleep on a metalspring. So yes stuffed pads do deserve a comeback and we need tothink about what best stuffs them. Straw is okay but not really goodenough.
How To Make YourOwn $35 Straw Mattress
by ZIGGY on SEPTEMBER11, 2009
http://www.small-scale.net/yearofmud/2009/09/11/how-to-make-your-own-35-straw-mattress/
(This lovely DIYhow-to is written by my partner April, who recently made a fantasticstraw mattress for the cob bed. Not only is it entirely natural,it’s pretty super to sleep on, too. Read ahead!)
Living in a hand-builthome can often mean making unique and non-conventional furniturechoices. I recently transitioned from a tent to a cob house and raninto the dilemma of what to do about a bed. My criteria was somethingnatural and sustainable, economical, readily available, quick andeasy to assemble, and comfortable. Is that too much to ask? I decidedto do some research first.
Why not to buy aconventional mattress
I looked at someconventional mattresses. What the heck is in those things, I asked.These mattresses are composed of metal coils, often plastic coated,encased in fabric and padding. As a result of their materials andmanufacturing, they also contain Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs),formaldehyde, and chemical fire retardants that will off-gas overtime. And, with a price tag of over $350 for a full size mattress,this option isn’t particularly economical. However, there is such athing as eco-friendly and organic mattresses. These usually containorganic cotton or wool, non-toxic fire retardants, natural latexrubber, and recycled metal springs. But with an even heftier pricetag of around $1000 for a full size mattress, this wasn’t really anoption for me at all.
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What about making myown mattress? People have been making their own beds forthousands of years. The ancient Romans used straw, an agriculturalby-product, to make their mattresses. Another by-product, rice chaff(the husks separated from the edible grains), is used as mattressfiller in Asia and oat chaff was traditional in Scotland. At first,making my own mattress sounded too ambitious since I’ve got aminimal amount of sewing experience, but straw is natural, locallyavailable, and at $2.00 – $4.00 per bale, it was worth a try. If itdidn’t work out, disposing of my straw mattress would be as simpleas reusing the fabric for another purpose, and dumping the straw inthe garden for compost. (Most conventional mattresses go to alandfill at the end of their lives.)
Making a tick
I needed to make asimple sack, traditionally called a tick, to serve as the mattresscover. A sturdy cotton fabric with vertical blue stripes, calledticking, is still used for mattresses today. I chose heavy fabricwoven from 100% cotton, or duck, because it appeared to be moresturdy and durable for my purposes.
My mattress would reston a cob platform pressed against a curved wall along one side.Because of its custom shape, my first step was to lay down a sheet ofpaper (I used sheets of newspaper taped together) to trace a templatefor the mattress shape. For someone making a conventional-sizedmattress, this step is as easy as finding dimensions for theappropriate size bed frame (twin, full, queen, or king).
Designing a template
Next, I laid the papertemplate on my fabric and added an inch to each side (2 inches addedto the total width, 2 inches to the total length). I cut out the topand bottom panels at the same time to eliminate any shapeinconsistencies. Mattress thickness can be based on personalpreference. I chose to make the side panels for my mattress 9 incheswide (7 inches when finished) based on the height of the bedplatform. I cut out rectangular side panels from the leftover scrapsof my large panels and sewed them into one strip long enough to goaround the perimeter of the two long sides and one short side of mylarge panels. (The other short side is where the button closure goesfor stuffing straw – more on that later.)
Pinning and sewing thefabric
Next, I pinned andpinned and pinned. Don’t underestimate this step. It takes a lot ofpatience, but the attention to detail at this point will makesewing much easier later. I took the edges of each panel (about ½inch) and folded them over twice before pinning to reinforce the seamand make a finished edge on both sides of the fabric. This ensuresthat your fabric won’t unravel and should make stuffing mucheasier. You can attach panels to each other by folding with the edgessandwiched together. Make sure to insert pins perpendicular to thedirection the thread will be sewn (if using a machine) so the needleglides easily over the pins. This fabric is heavy and unwieldy sopinning one side at a time makes it easier to push through astandard-size sewing machine. Also, make sure to use a heavy-dutyneedle, made for canvas or jeans, and thick thread.
The panel for thebutton closure was a little trickier. I wanted the closure to buttonin the center of the panel rather than at the seam to help put lessstress on the edges of the mattress. And they need to be strongenough to take daily abuse. So, I cut out two panels to make up theclosure side (one 6 inch wide panel and one 5 ½ inch wide panel) andfinished one long side of each panel (where the buttons and buttonholes would be sewn). After over-lapping the finished edges (about ½inch), the panel should be 9 inches wide (like the other sides) andeasy to sew in place. After sewing everything up, I turned it insideout and stuffed the mattress!
Stuffing the mattress
Stuffing is prettyself-explanatory. Make sure to break up the straw bales thoroughlyand stuff evenly. Stuff more tightly for a firm mattress withoutlumps. You can use a stick or rake to help push straw into corners,or climb into the tick yourself to get the straw packed especiallywell.
The mattress looked alittle absurd once I got on the bed because it was so huge, but thestraw eventually settles to the intended thickness after a coupleweeks of use. After about four to six months, the straw will bereplaced. This is because the straw will become quite compact aftermuch use.
In total, I paid$29.00 for fabric and thread, and $6.00 for 3 bales of straw. Alltold, it took me about a week and $35 to make my own comfy strawmattress!
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