How to refurbish your outdoor furniture cushions easily and for less $$

As the weather gradually warms up but still isn't consistently warm everyday, there are quite a few outdoor projects you can do inside to prepare and be perfectly ready for spring. Projects you don't think about doing until Memorial Day Weekend but wish you would have taken care of earlier.
One of those things is your patio furniture cushions.

Here are a few tips to help you get ready now so when those beautiful days arrive, you'll be ready to sit on your deck or patio, sip some lemonade, listen to the the kids laughing, feel the sun on your face and enjoy it rather than be inside sewing up cushions.

This first link is from a blog called Front porch ideas. It's a pretty great video tutorial on sewing up some super simple new covers for your cushions that you already have that just need a little face lift. Maybe they are a little worn out, faded, ugly color, or ripped a little bit. Don't freak out if you aren't a seamstress, her tutorial is REALLY simple.

This second link is if you are starting from scratch and making a brand new cushion, like I need to. She shows a bunch of pictures and it is a no-sew method. She uses an electric knife to cut her chunk of foam. So smart. She purchased fabric but I also read that buying a nice shower curtain is a great way to get good fabric for a little less money because most outdoor fabric is a little spendy.

Heath hung this old couch that my dad made 40 years ago as a porch swing under our deck last summer. The kids seriously love it. But I never made a cushion for it last year. That's my goal next week.

This third link is not the best method, but if you don't have a sewing machine or are scared to death of using one, then this is an okay alternative. This video is called the no sew canvas drop cloth method. This tutorial is if you already have cushions that you just want to recover. She uses a drop cloth from a home improvement store which is a super inexpensive way to buy fabric for outdoor use.


The last link is from a gal in Texas, a YouTube channel called Shelly's Home Life. This method is best if you already have decent cushions in good condition but maybe just faded a bit or just plain old ugly fabric. She uses Dupli-Color vinyl and fabric paint. Heath has used this exact paint on the interior seat of a Jeep and it held up nicely and looked so good. It seems like a pretty easy and inexpensive option, cans are only $7.59 here in town and the video said they did 8 cushions with less than 2 cans of paint.

The nice fellow at AutoZone said he wasn't too sure how the paint would hold up on patios and decks that are totally exposed to the sun all day. The video tells you to be sure you get the FLEXIBLE FINISH so your cushions don't turn into crunchy blocks. 

There are many advantages to this method like low price, easy to do, and little time investment. The disadvantages are that you need to have cushions in good condition, the colors are limited (these are the colors that are available in Heber City's AutoZone), and if your furniture is always in the sun all summer, it might not last. But it might....

Now you are ready to check one thing off of your spring to-do list and get your patio and other outdoor furniture ready to go early this year! You can enjoy being outside basking in the spring and summer weather rather than just wishing you were.

Brought to you by Heath Harvey @ HeathsHomes.com