I finally finished the patio cushions!

Last summer my boyfriend’s mom bought us a vintage patio set. The set was in beautiful condition because apparently someone had stored the furniture inside. The cushions were original. Probably 50 years old. After one season outside they completely came apart. My boyfriend’s mom is visiting this weekend so I wanted to make sure I had the patio looking nice and the cushions re-done before she arrived. Here is the before picture sans cushions:

To get started, I found an easy to follow tutorial via A Beautiful Mess, a craft and lifestyle blog I recently discovered. I purchased all of the supplies from Hancock Fabrics. I measured the dimensions I would need for the bottom and back cushions and settled on 3″ thickness. I bought:

Because each foam cushion cost $50 even at 40% off I did not want to spend a lot of money on fabric. I chose a teal colored outdoor fabric from the everyday deals section at Hancock Fabrics for $9/yard. Each cushion required 3 2/3 yards or about $24 worth of fabric per cushion.

The actual construction of the cushion covers came together more easily than I had anticipated. That might be because I had a little helper. My boyfriend had been wanting to learn how to sew (as if he doesn’t have enough hobbies — now he’s gotta get all up in my shit?) so I figured this would be a good opportunity to teach him the trade. He proved quite useful for the kind of stuff I’m usually miserable at, such as mathematics and measuring.

After the main panels were cut we remembered to round the corners.

Then you simply attach your long side panel piece to the main fabric piece.

After that you are ready to stitch it together.

Add a zipper the width of one end and then stitch your other large panel to the remaining edges of your side panel. And voila! You have yourself some DIY patio cushions.

For the two armchairs I purchased reversible dining cushions from Wal-Mart for $40 a piece. I figured I would have spent that much, if not more, on the materials if I were to make my own and at that point I just wanted to get to the part where I enjoy my patio again. The rug was purchased at a local home decor warehouse for $50. I also bought the pillows for about $30 total. I treated all of the cushions and pillows with Neverwet from Rustoleum. I’m crossing my fingers that my new cushions make it past one season this time. I spent a pretty penny on the materials and accent decor. I’d love to hear your ideas on a more economical way to do this, if there is one.

Anyway, I’m super excited to show my boyfriend’s mom the patio tomorrow. Hopefully I’ve inspired you to tackle any home ec projects you’ve had on your to-do list for awhile!