Deck Cushions
Easy, yet gratifying, balcony upgrade.
I woke up one payday weekend just like any other: thinking about Joann’s. I don’t like to buy fabric without a project in mind, so on the drive there and into the store, I was thinking about what projects I could possible buy fabric for without going overboard. While I was at the store I swear I changed my mind so many times until I decided that I was going to make something not just for me, but for my boyfriend and cats as well. I decided to make some cushions for balcony chairs that I promptly ordered online.
Originally, I was going to buy some foam and batting from Joann’s until consulting with Erin and deciding on something way more cost-effective. I bought some clearance home décor fabric and some zippers from Joann’s and then just recovered some $5 Walmart outdoor cushions. I bought 2 yards of fabric, which was way more than I needed, and some matching 14” zippers.
Erin very kindly Facetimed me throughout the whole process, and from cutting to finish, I was done in less than an hour.
Erin’s Tips:
Because we had the cushions, just fold the fabric in half and use a friction pen or chalk to trace the shape of the cushion. Press down on the cushion slightly and line the pen perpendicular to the edge of the cushion. This way, you are getting a built-in seam allowance. Then you can use that cut out to trace the other one, or just use the cushion again.
If your cushions are not square, mark the side that the zipper is going to go on.
Sew the zipper first. After you sew both sides of the zipper, open it so that you can turn the cover later.
Then you can just sew the rest of the sides. Once that’s done, I just turned the cover right side out and put the cushions in.
Just like that, I had custom cushions for my chairs for only about $20, which is insane when you compare it to the cost of store bought.
