Project #6: Make/Sew Outdoor Cushions

When it comes to outdoor furniture, the difference between relaxing and total comfort comes down to a nice cushion. When I started looking for cushions for my new outdoor furniture, I was disappointed by the selection. Some were too pricey. Some were too flimsy. Sizing seemed to be a problem, too. My custom-built chair, for instance, took a 24"x24" seat cushion. I couldn't find that size anywhere in local stores (or even online!).

Most cushions in stores were quite colorful, but just not what I envisioned for my neutral back porch. I'm trying to stick to a chocolate and tan color scheme so that I can easily throw in splashes of color on a whim, without breaking the bank.

• Here's our Cabot semi-transparent deck stain, in Cordovan Brown:
• Here's our rug from Home Depot:
  
• Here's a swatch (Rhino outdoor, khaki) of our curtains from http://www.fabric.com/:
  
• And I had already picked my inspiration "color" fabric for the time being. No introducing more colors or patterns than these (at least for now)! Here's the two coordinating fabrics (Richloom Coventry Spa and Covestripe Spa) we'll use--very sparingly--for throw pillows, from http://www.fabric.com/:
  

So you can see that patterned retail cushions were overwhelmingly TOO colorful for this purpose. (Maybe I'm just too picky or pre-planned?) And then some cushions had longevity concerns--do people really replace their cushions every year or two?!? Why would I spend that much money every year or two?

Well, being the project-craver that I am, I decided to make my own. After all, if you can't find exactly what you're looking for, just do it yourself. I ordered more Rhino khaki fabric, and started looking for foam. Foam is notorious for rotting, mildewing, and holding water--not what you want to hear when you're making outdoor cushions. So I opted to go with Nu-Foam, which is totally stain and mildew proof. The manufacturer recommends using this foam for boat cushions. I was sold. Luckily, my local cloth stores sold the foam by the yard. I was looking for 4" foam, but they only had 2" by the yard, so I purchased two slabs, cut them with an electric knife (a slightly laborious job), and glued them together. I also bought some extra thick batting to wrap the foam in to give it a little extra "cush." Nu-Foam is rather stiff, but seems to hold its shape well, so it just needed a tad extra help.

Next I set out to design my cushion. I didn't have a pattern. Instead, I sketched out what I was looking for: a square cushion with a zippered back so that I could remove, clean, or repair the cover (or contents) as needed. First, I made several yards of piping, using cording and 1-1/2" strips of fabric. Then, I cut one strip of fabric 22" long and 5" tall. I cut this in half length-wise and installed a 22" utility zipper. Next, I cut an 80" long and 5" tall piece that would wrap around the remaining sizes of the cushion and overlap (with ends folded under) the back zipper panel on each end (just to give it a finished look). Then I cut two large squares that were 25"x25" each. Finally, I sewed all the pieces together (5/8" seam allowance): top to sides (right sides together), with piping sandwiched in between, and then bottom to sides (right sides together), with piping sandwiched in between.

I was really pleased with the resulting cushions. They are exactly what I wanted. Though not quite as "cushy" as I would have ultimately liked, I know that these materials will last a long time and hold up to the weather that they will encounter while residing on my back porch.

These cushions went together quite well. Lining up the two squares is crucial, though, so that your cushion doesn't look slightly-twisted (a la an Oreo cookie)! Be sure to pin! I found ready-made 22"x22" square Nu-Foam cushions at the cloth store, which will make future electric knife episodes non existent. Plus, it will be cheaper, because I can use a coupon on each of these cushions, or buy them as they come on sale. I purchased my zippers on sale, and even got a great discount at Fabric.com when ordering my outdoor weather-proof fabric (plus free shipping on orders over $35). So all in all, I believe you could make each cushion for about $25 if you really stick to your guns and watch your spending. If that sounds steep, let me assure you that it paled in comparison to some cushions I perused at designer stores. And, I'd much rather pay a little more now to get a cushion that will last a while, with proper care. It took me one night to design my "pattern" and cut the fabric, and another night to sew two cushions! I'll call it a two-nighter.

What tricks and tips have you learned while making outdoor cushions? Can you recommend other materials that have worked well? How do you preserve your cushions so that you don't have to replace them every year? I'd love to hear/see your cushion stories!

Jennifer

Project #3: Hang a Screen Door

I have to admit, I'm ambitious. Thanks to Brandon at my neighborhood Home Depot, who spent over two hours walking me through how to do this project and gathering all my supplies for me, I walked out of the store thinking I could build a house (not to mention hang a measely screen door)!

Let's back up a moment...

Last year, we discovered water leaking in our back door. The back door opens up onto a deck. Previously, we had our grill and patio furniture up there, as well as a summer patio garden (where it was out of reach of local deer and squirrels). But to be honest, we rarely used the space.

In looking at solutions to our leaking problem, we considered building a small 4'x4' overhang or installing a canvas overhang. But when the wind blew the rain, we knew we'd still experience leaking around the bottom of the door. We'd always wanted a screened in back porch, so we got estimates, and bit the bullet. But we did it on a budget. You see, we didn't want to wipe our savings clean to build this new screened-in room, so we opted to start by building just the roof. It was the cheapest option, and allowed us to finish the painting ceiling, door, electrical, and screens in our own time, when the budget allowed.

Construction ensued in the fall, and I (we) couldn't be more pleased with the results. From the outside, it looked completely finished, with soffits, (matching) painted siding, and (matching) shingles. On the inside, it was roughed in, but water was no longer hitting the back door and leaking in, so we couldn't be happier. The bonus was that I was able to move the old furniture to the patio below, purchase an indoor/outdoor carpet to put down, and the deck became our new playroom during the day. We spend hours outside each day playing in the fresh air and breeze. It's wonderful, and worth every penny.

In the early spring, we had the deck stained and trim painted. We had planned to do it ourselves, but looking back, it took a professional three weeks to do a pristine job (just as we would have done it), and so it was worth every penny to contract that work out. In late spring, we paid an electrician to install two flood lights off the corners of the room, wire the ceiling for a ceiling fan, and fix the light switch to accommodate all the new functionality. I moved an old light fixture to the back porch, in the spot where an original floodlight had resided.

And then it was time to begin screening things in. We are constantly sitting and playing on our back porch, so keeping the little one from running down the open staircase was a challenge. Srike that. It was making me a nervous wreck. So I opted to put up a screen door.

I started with a somewhat warped door opening, which apparently isn't that uncommon in building. So I had to rough-in my door frame. Armed with measurements, shims, scrap wood, and a level, I blocked in around the existing opening and made a square, level frame for the new door. Check out all the added blocks below!

That was the hardest part. I purchased a white vinyl (read that "NO PAINTING REQUIRED!") screen door for a reasonable $70, with coupon, from my local home improvement store. It came with spring-loaded hinges and some standard, simple door hardware. I opted to add a brushed nickel sliding flat lock and a brushed nickel stationary door knob, which match existing hardware on the back door and were much sturdier (and likely to uphold well to the constant tugging of a toddler). Voila!

At this point, I'm waiting for the pressure treated wood to cure. In a couple of months, I'll prime and paint it, and no one will know how "off" the door opening used to be!

I'm rating this moderately difficult because (1) it required more than one person (believe me, with all the hammering and leveling, I needed a second set of hands--hats off to my wonderful dad!), and (2) it took a little bit of knowledge about building, leveling, and cutting.

Costs? This one set me back about $125, which doesn't include scrap wood I had lying around, and the few nails and screws I already had on hand. Not bad for some peace of mind while my little one plays on the deck.

Now, on to screening in the rest of the back porch!