Design Technology - Arty Cushions (Lower Key Stage 2)

This unit of work forms part of the PrimaryDT scheme of work that features over 60 units of work designed to deliver outstanding outcomes for primary school children in design technology.
This unit of work has been revised and updated for 2026 and is based on delivering six sessions of design technology that are guided by high quality presentation slides accompanied by all the resources that are needed to deliver the lessons, including a knowledge organiser.

Comprehensive medium-term planning that includes
• Unit overview and sequence of learning
• Prior learning needed and links to other curriculum areas
• Learning statements (from our curriculum pathway document)
• List of resources and background information to support teaching and learning
• Key vocabulary for the unit of work
• Teaching activities (investigative and focus tasks)
• Teaching activities (designing and making)
• Advice for challenge and support strategies
• Assessment indicators that children are keeping up with the curriculum

Accompanying this revised unit is further information about the scheme of work and the progression chart and vocabulary list used when creating the scheme of work.

Design Brief: Design and make a decorative cushion to be sold in the local art gallery shop.

Sequence of Learning for Teachers
In this unit children join textile pieces to create both a cushion and a cushion cover. Children investigate different kinds of cushions and their purpose, and they learn that cushions can be designed to provide support and to be decorative. They build on previous learning about the running stitch and different embroidery techniques that are used to decorate fabrics.
They are introduced to the backstitch technique and apply this skill when learning about different textile fastenings and when sewing a button and matching buttonhole.
Using the design brief and specifications, they design a cushion cover based on a famous and iconic work of art. They use learnt techniques to make a cushion and a decorative cushion cover following the designs that they made. As part of the evaluation, children consider the skills that they used in designing and making the cushion product and also present their product in a Dragon’s Den simulation.

This knowledge, skills and understanding is delivered through the following six sessions:

1. Investigate Task 1 – Investigating Cushions & Focus Task 1 – Decorative Stitching
2. Investigate Task 2 – Investigating Fastenings & Focus Task 2 – Buttons & Buttonholes
3. Focus Task 3 – Making a Cushion
4. Design and Make - Cushion Designer (Designing the Cushion Cover)
5. Design and Make - Cushion Maker (Making the Cushion Cover)
6. Evaluating the Cushion Product

Some activities / sessions can be re-arranged or delivered in different ways in the learning sequence to allow for whole-class teaching and/or small adult-led sessions to take place at the same time.