Recover Patio CushionsPatio Furniture CushionsNo Sew CushionsChair CushionsCouch RecoverPorch ChairsSew PillowsChair SeatsOutdoor IdeasForwardDID IT! No Sew Project: How to recover your outdoor cushions using fabric and a glue gun. So doing this to my ugly old half dog chewed furniture cushions! I actually sewed mine and used heavy duty Velcro on the edges so they can be washed. Two years later and still look awesome!By now you've probably seen the cozy little outdoor space that we created at our studio so we can soak up some good summertime vibes outdoors. Josh made amazing bench seating to give us a place to lounge, but it can be difficult to lounge properly on stiff wooden boards, so we decided to add some thick outdoor cushions to make our seating area more comfortable. Here's what I did: Supplies:-canvas twill or outdoor fabric (I bought our stripe fabric at a local fabric store)-outdoor cushion filling (like this)-standard sewing machine-zipper the width of your cushion-fabric scissors and sewing pins
First I measured the width and depth of each seat to see how big the cushions should be. The cushion filling I bought was 4" tall, so I knew that number would be the height of my cushion. To figure out the fabric dimensions for the cushion panels, take the width and depth measurements and add 1" to both numbers to allow for a 1/2" seam allowance all around. These measurements are for the top and bottom panels of the cushion. To determine the side panel length, add the original measurements (the numbers before the additional inches for seam allowance) of all four sides of the large panel together. Add 1" onto that big number to allow for a 1/2" seam allowance. The height of your super-long side panel is the height of the cushion filling with 1" added for a 1/2" seam allowance. Take these dimensions and cut your top and bottom panel and your long side panel accordingly. Use fabric scissors to round the edge of your fabric corners on your two larger panels. To connect your long side panel strip and make one big continuous loop around the edge of your cushion, fold the panel in half (with the right sides facing each other), and sew 1/2" from the edge to connect the ends.
Line up the edges of your side panel loop of fabric with the edge of the top panel (with the right sides together), and pin the edge in place. To make the corners easier to sew, add some "V"-shaped notches around each corner. Use your machine to sew all the way around the edges with a 1/2" seam allowance. Pin the bottom panel to the side panel in the same manner as the top panel, and make notches on all the corners. Before you sew all the way around the bottom panel, you'll want to add a zipper at one of the ends so you can insert your cushion filling. Place the zipper face down onto the right side of the fabric at one of the ends of your bottom panel. Pin the zipper in place so that the zipper will be installed 1/2" from the edge. Use a zipper foot on your machine to sew the right side of the zipper in place. Repeat the process of pinning and sewing the other side of the zipper so that you have a functional zipper installed. Now you can sew all the way around the rest of the bottom panel (starting at the end of the zipper and stopping when you reach the beginning of it).
Make sure to leave your zipper open a few inches before you sew all the way around so you can get back in later! Flip your cushion cover right side out, and you're ready to add the filling!Use a ruler and a marker to measure the appropriate width of your cushion filling.* If you aren't able to buy a cushion long enough that's in one piece, you just use as many pieces as needed to fill the cushion length. *NOTE: I would highly suggest making the width and length of the insert a little bigger than your actual cover dimensions (maybe add an inch to both). This way the insert will fit snugly into the cover and you will have a full-looking cushion.Now, I've heard that some people use jigsaws or even electric turkey carving knives to cut foam and filling, but the thing that worked the best for me was actually a plain old handsaw. The saw was able to do most of the cutting pretty easily, but I did use some fabric scissors to clean up the edge a bit. Once my filling was cut to size, we folded the filling in half like a taco shell and inserted it into the cushion cover through the zipper opening.
Use your waterproof spray to seal your fabric, and you're done! Having these cushions on the outdoor benches makes the space look much more finished and one million times more comfortable. Once you get this cushion-making technique down you'll be not only able to update your outdoor space, but you can also apply the principles to making cushions for lots of other seating options as well. Credits // Author: Laura Gummerman. Photography: Laura Gummerman and Sarah Rhodes. Photos edited with Stella of the Signature Collection. Sew Your Own Outdoor Cushions Under $20OutdoorSimple Modern Outdoor SectionalBeginnerModern Style Furniture PlansYou have no idea how happy spring makes me. It’s the welcoming committee for summer. It’s proof that warmer weather exists. It encourages new plant growth. It beckons my children to come outdoors. It encourages my pasty white winter skin to make an appearance. I just love it! We inherited an old patio set from my brother a few months ago (thanks Greg!) and let me tell ya……..we have enjoyed many days this spring, sitting in those patio chairs and having picnics up to our new hand-me-down table.
We’ve never had a patio set before but it’s actually kinda nice to have outdoor furniture to use while enjoying this beautiful spring weather. The fabric that was on it was fine. A little faded……..but still holding up really well. However, you know me and fabric. We start dreaming together. So, I decided to recover the cushions with a happier print. But I couldn’t decide on just one fabric. So, I picked two……and made the cushions REVERSIBLE!! You know, so that my chair cushions can change with my mood. Goodbye old seat cushions….. I kinda love that you get a partial view of the other fabric on the back, even when it’s not in use. Now, if you don’t have existing cushions to recover, I’ll share how to make them from scratch……..no worries! The shape and technique is pretty simple. Anyone can give this reversible seat cushion technique a try! And in case you’re worried about fabric outdoors……this is an “Outdoor Fabric”.
So it’s pre-treated and nice and thick. And perfect for our little patio chairs. Oh, how I love the new punch of color this gives our back patio! Makes me enjoy my favorite parts of spring, twice as much! Would you like to recover some chair cushions (or start from scratch)? ***Remember, if you don’t have existing cushions, you can still make these from scratch. I’ll show you below.*** If you have existing chair cushions that are in pretty good condition and the foam inside is still comfortable, just cover them. It will speed the process up for you. Just remove them from your chairs and take a look at them. Most likely, they’ll be a rounded rectangle with some ties on them. Measure your cushion length and width. And make sure when your measuring, to flatten out the foam a bit so that you can get an accurate measurement of the existing fabric. My cushions were 20 inches wide and 37 inches tall. However, if you don’t have cushions, measure your chair back height, seat depth, and chair width.
This will give you some measurements for your own rectangle shaped cushion. Be sure to determine how high you want your cushion to go on the back and how much of the seat you want to cover. I would have liked for the existing cushions to have more seat depth to them…..but I didn’t want to reconstruct them, so I just went with it. But if you’re making from scratch, you get to determine that. Also, the chair width is only a guide. You may want your cushions a little wider. My chair width is 17 inches but my cushions are 20 inches wide. Also, when you fold the pads in half and place them on the chair, it takes some length away. So, you may want to add a few inches to the length of the cushion to account for that. TIP FOR THOSE STARTING FROM SCRATCH: The easiest way to determine your fabric size is to cut your foam first. My foam is about 1 – 1.5 inches thick. You don’t need super plush (and if it’s too thick it will be hard to sew through) but adding a little foam adds comfort to your cushion.
Hold your foam up to your chair, fold it to contour with the chair and trim down if necessary. Now you can determine your fabric sizes by measuring around your foam piece. (Just be sure to add a bit to the length and width, to account for the 1 inch or so foam thickness.) After you have the cushion length and width measurements that you need, add an inch for seam allowance to both of those numbers. So, my existing cushion measured 20 x 37 inches but after adding an inch, I knew I needed to cut out pieces at 21 x 38 inches. Cut out 2 different pieces of fabric in the size you need. ***I purchased this fabric at Joann Fabric and I needed about 2.5 yards of each color to make all 4 seat cushions. The fabric is OUTDOOR fabric and has been pre-treated to withstand weather conditions. Now, you could leave the cushions square but that may create very pointy corners with such stiff fabric. So, rounding them helps with that. Fold your fabric in half and round off two corners at the same time.
Just take off a little so that the rectangle shape is still there but there’s no more pointy corners. Then fold it in half the other way and use the rounded corners as a guide for the other corners. (This will assure all curved corners are exactly the same.) There you go……a rounded corner rectangle piece of fabric. Now, place together with the other piece of fabric (right sides together), match up the sides, and cut each corner exactly like the top piece. Trim any wonky edges if needed, so that both pieces match up. Now, leave those pieces together and start cutting strips of fabric for the ties. Each of my ties were about 12 inches completed. But I added 2 inches to that for seam allowances. So, I knew I needed 8 total ties per cushion at 14 inches long and 2 inches wide. That’s one long piece of fabric that’s 112 x 2 inches. You can make each strip in separate pieces but it’s easier to make it in one long piece (or 2) and then cut them after turning into a tube, etc.
Then, because this fabric is so stiff (and would have been hard to sew into a tube and turn right side out), I folded it in half lengthwise, opened it up, and folded those edges in towards that center fold and ironed again. You know, just like making Bias Tape. Then I sewed the strip closed, making it about a 1/2 inch wide. Then, I cut my long strip into 14 inch long pieces. Next, I folded an end over a 1/4 inch, another 1/4 inch, and then sewed into place. You only need to do this on one end per strip. The other end will be attached to the cushion and doesn’t need to be finished off. Then, determine where your strips will go. I just added mine exactly where they were on the previous cushion. But, if you don’t have existing cushions, go look at your chair and see where you can tie the cushion on. The bottom ties should sit right above where the fold of the cushion will be. Then, take one of your fabric rectangle pieces and pin your ties right to the sides.
(If you’re starting from scratch and your chair is like mine, the chair back is taller then the seat is long…….so be sure to measure your chair and determine how tall you want the back section to be, compared to the seat. My seat cushion is divided so that the top section is 20 inches tall and seat portion is 17 inches……just to give you an idea.) Be sure to pin the unfinished ends right along the edge of the fabric……and then sew in place, using a 3/8 inch seam allowance. Then, place your other rectangle piece right on top (with sides together) and match up all the sides and corners. And then sew around the entire thing, using a 1/2 inch seam allowance……….but leave a large opening along the bottom. Turn right side out and lightly iron flat. And I say lightly because you don’t want hard crisp lines because this has to curve nicely around the foam. If you’re using your old cushions, cut the old ties off……. ……and slide right into the new covers.
Adjust until it fits nicely inside. Then, fold the edges of the opening towards the inside, a 1/2 inch. And then hand-stitch the opening closed. Now, determine where the old center fold was (where the cushion folds in half) by feeling with your fingers….. …..and then mark with chalk or pins. (If you are starting from scratch, just mark where you want your cushion to fold. If your chair is like mine, the chair back is taller then the seat is long…….so be sure to measure your chair and determine how tall you want the back section to be, compared to the seat. My seat cushion is divided so that the top section is 20 inches and seat portion is 17 inches……just to give you an idea.) At the sides, I pleated the fabric inwards to help with the fold of the cushion. It’s fine if you skip this but after it’s folded in half on your chair, it will poke out a bit. So, pleating it inwards about a 1/2 inch will help eliminate that. Pin the pleat in place.