(Image credit: Ashley Poskin) Are those chevron print seat cushions just not doing it for you anymore? Before purchasing a new set and forking over a large wad of cash (seriously, even cushions at the big box stores are pricey!), check out this handy DIY for drawstring seat covers. They're easy to remove and wash, and can be changed out as many times as you like throughout the seasons. (Image credit: Ashley Poskin) Now, there is a bit of sewing involved but it's nothing fancy so don't be intimidated. Just get yourself behind a machine and push that pedal! Let me try to calm you with this personal anecdote: growing up I heard the phrase "If I can't hot glue it, I don't do it" from my mother any time a craft project was underway. I've expanded my repertoire with a few other tools beyond the glue gun, but it's safe to say I've always had a healthy fear of sewing machines and still try to avoid them if I can help it. But since there's going to be a whole lot of yanking and pulling on the drawstring, we need a good, strong stitch, courtesy of Le Sewing Machine.
The cushions I covered were of a pretty average size, but seemed a bit thicker than usual because they are old as dirt and still had springs inside. In any case, be sure to measure out your cushions before purchasing your fabric using the guidelines below. Outdoor fabric can be pricey, but craft stores regularly run half-off sales throughout the warmer seasons. Keep an eye out for deals- otherwise the DIY doesn't end up saving you $$$. The fabric pictured on my chairs was purchased from Jo-Ann Fabric and is called "SNS Charlotte". 1-1 1/2 yards of outdoor fabric per cushion (see below) Medium to large safety pin Pencil or fabric marker 1. Before purchasing your fabric, measure your cushions. First, measure the height of your cushion, then add four inches to account for the drawstring. Double the adjusted height measurements, and add the total on to the length and width measurements. For example: The height of my cushion was 5", add the 4" drawstring allowance for a total of 9", double this adjusted measurement for a total of 18" add to the length and width, making my new LxW measurements 35" x 37" instead of 17" x 19".
The fabric I wanted was 52" wide, so I was good to go! 2. Since we are working with a drawstring, we have the freedom to not have to be super precise, which is often the most intimidating aspect of sewing. Lay your cushion out on the fabric (fabric should be print side down) as close to the center as you can get, and measure around each side before tracing or cutting. Be sure you have enough room to allow for your adjusted height measurement. In my case this was 9". If you have at least that much fabric surrounding your cushion on all sides, take a pencil and trace your cushion. From the traced line, measure out X" (adjusted height, not doubled. In my case this was 9") around the entire traced line and draw a new line. This line will be the same shape as your traced shape, just X" (adjusted height) larger. Cut out your fabric along the adjusted height line. 3. Measure in 2" from the adjusted height outer edge and mark with your pencil. Continue to measure and mark around the entire outer edge of the fabric.
4. Fold your fabric over on the new 2" line and press flat with a hot iron. 5. Using the outdoor thread, sew a stitch around the edge of your fabric. Try to keep the outer edge of your presser foot right on the raw edge of your fabric as you sew around. Sewing around curves can be tricky, just be sure to leave enough of an allowance to pull your drawstring though. You should have approximately a 1 1/4" wide channel for your drawstring. 6. With your fabric laying flat, print side down, place your drawstring around the outer edge. Add 12" additional inches and cut your drawstring. 7. On what will be the back side of your cushion, cut a 1" slit through one side of the drawstring channel. Be sure not to cut through both sides of the fabric, or the edges. 8. Tie each end of your drawstring in a double knot and run a medium to large size safety pin through one of the knots. Close the safety pin and begin to feed it through the slit and around the drawstring channel.
Work the safety pin around in 4"-5" lengths, pulling the fabric taut as you go. 9. Pull the drawstring around so that your fabric lays flat again. Place it print side down and lay your old cushion on the original traced line. 10. Pull on the drawstrings so the fabric comes up around the cushion and secure the cover by tying the strings in place. If you want a really tight fit, have someone help hold the cushion while you tug on the strings. 11. Tuck the excess string under the fabric and place your cushions back on your furniture. Make any other adjustments to the areas where the fabric gathers, and enjoy! Notes: I tried making one cushion a few inches larger (photo above on left) than my measurements, just to see if it would be worthwhile to cover more of the underside, or allow more fabric to gather around the edges and was not impressed with the results. Stick to your measurements, use just the adjusted height measurements and you'll be very happy with the outcome.
Don't go out and buy a pad of paper -- anything you have around the house will do, like a paper bag -- as long as it's large enough for your pattern or shape. If it's an older garden piece, this probably won't be the chair set's second or even third incarnation. When you reupholster an old chair, it's like peeling off layers of history. It also gives you an idea of... Take your "pattern" to a fabric store to measure out how much material you'll need to recover the patio chair pads. After tracing the shape of your chair pad onto paper, use scissors to cut it out. Extra fabric will be needed to cover the chair seat with the new fabric. You can either add about three inches all around onto your pattern before you cut it, or include a few inches when you layout the pattern on the new fabric. Either way works, just so long as you remember to include a few extra inches of material all around. Fold it up, put it in your purse or pocket, and take it with you to the fabric store.
Indoor/outdoor fabric comes in various styles, textures and prints. If you have a color scheme in mind, excellent. If not, you may want to look at other pieces of outdoor furniture or accessories to get an idea for colors or motifs. If you're starting from scratch, consider favorite colors, color of furniture, color of walls and house. If you're into neutrals indoors and have been toying with the idea of trying something different, outdoors is the perfect place to experiment with bolder, brighter colors. Or, if you feel safe with your neutrals -- beige,... Just a few tools and supplies are all you need to replace a chair cover. Ready to reupholster your outdoor garden chair cushions? Here's what you need: Good fabric scissorsStaple gunSmall-nosed pliers to remove staplesFabric glue, which you might want to use to glue fabric to chair pad before you start stapling, just to keep it down and attached.Small bowl or dish to safely contain old staples, which should be thrown away after your project is done.
A good idea: pour the bowl of old staples into a bag, tie it up and put it at the bottom of your trash can. Trace pattern on wrong side of fabric. Lay out fabric smoothly, wrong side up, on a table or flat surface. Place pattern over fabric, preferably in a corner of the fabric, so that you can cut other pieces and use as much of the fabric as possible. In other words, don't lay the pattern in the middle of the fabric and start cutting -- it's wasteful. As mentioned before, if you didn't add a few inches to the pattern when tracing the chair pad, do so now, making sure you add the same amount all around. This is so that the fabric will... Removing rusty staples -- a fun task, for sure. What's more fun -- pulling mussels from a shell or removing rusty staples from an old patio chair pad? If you picked rusty staples, then you're in for a thrilling task! If you have a special staple removal tool, then use that. If you don't, then try a flat-head screwdriver or a pair of pliers.
Discard them in the small bowl or dish suggested in an earlier step. When you're done removing all the staples, pour them in a plastic or paper bag and place it at the bottom of your trash. Try pliers to remove the staples if a screwdriver doesn't do the trick. Use pliers to remove old staples if you don't have a staple remover. A flat-head screwdriver also works if you slip it under the nail and push up from underneath the old staple. They also work for those stubborn staples that won't budge with a screwdriver of staple remover. As you can see, the previous chair cover was made using a vinyl outdoor tablecloth -- a cheap and easy way to recover a chair pad. Staple the fabric to the back of the chair pad. A newly recovered pad is ready for your garden chair. A fresh new reupholstered chair pad to show off in your garden. The no-sew reupholstered chair pad is ready! Just place it on your wrought iron or metal patio chair and it's ready for someone to sit on it.