This wrought iron patio set was collecting dust and rust while sitting in my Mom’s basement. She gave it to me and said, “See what you can do with it.” It didn’t take me long to decide to paint it and make some cute cushions for the chairs. With a little elbow grease, I was able to give it a new look!
Here’s what I did.
I sanded all of the peeling white paint from the set and wiped it down. I used Rust-Oleum 2X Ultra Cover Paint + Primer in Kona Brown Gloss finish. It gave me even coverage and did not run off. I only needed two cans because I had some left from a previous project. I bought them from Jo-Ann and was able to get a percentage off on both!
While the set was drying, I started to work on the cushions. I made a template of the seat by tracing the shape onto drafting paper. I bought a 2 pack of high-density foam measuring 15 x 17 x 2 in, two 14-inch zippers, and 1 and 1/2 yards of outdoor canvas all from Jo-Ann. The 1 yard of cotton fabric to cover the foam is from Wal-Mart. The cool part about making your own cushions, besides having a custom fit, is that you don’t need a pattern to make them. The shape of the foam is your pattern.
Save your pattern piece for future cushions.
2-inch deep, high-density foam will give you a “good seat”. As Grandma Taylor used to say!
I measured all sides of the foam, used the template for the main seat and added a 5/8 seam allowance to all pattern pieces. The remaining fabric should be preserved to make four, 16-inch length ties for the back of the cushions.
I traced the seat template onto the foam and used an electric carving knife to cut the rounded edge. I learned this trick from working at Jo-Ann years ago! It gives a nice smooth finish and minimal waste.
Once all my pieces were cut, I was ready to sew.
You will repeat the same method of sewing together your cushion cover with the exception of adding a zipper and ties to the outdoor canvas layer.
You’ll leave the short side open and slipstitch the cotton cover closed. Once your zipper and ties are attached, insert the covered foam. On a side note – I finished all edges of the canvas fabric with my serger because it ravels easily.
As you can probably tell, I’ve made plenty of cushions in my time. I made my first set, years ago, for my great-grandma’s kitchen chairs with matching curtains, placemats and a floral arrangement! I don’t know what happened to that set and all its accessories, but I know that she appreciated it! I remember my mom keeping her busy while I secretly made a template of one of her chairs and measured her windows. When I presented everything to her, she was so surprised and impressed with the density of the cushions. They gave her a “little boost” when she sat at the table!
I love the rich, chocolate brown color! The contrasting turquoise matches my potted plants and is a nice compliment. Outdoor canvas is a durable fabric that will last some years. When it wears and you want to make new cushions, you should be able to re-use the zipper since it’s covered by the overlapping fabric. Keep it sustainable!