DIY Outdoor Ottoman Cushion

Whoa.

Yesterday I looked at my calendar and couldn't believe the date.

How did we get to the end of August so quickly?

While I've been enjoying the lazy, hazy days of summer, those calendar pages have been turning at record speed.


Fall will be upon us in no time.

So I figured it was high time I wrapped up some of my summer reveals and DIYs before I flooded your feed with pumpkins.

And since it's about 90 degrees here today, it's a good day to discuss patio furniture. Wouldn't you agree?

You may recall that earlier this month, I shared a new look on my cottage style covered porch. A look that started with brand new cushions for some very old furniture.

What you may not recall is that the set had an ottoman. Which is fine, because when I was in the store, neither did I.

It was my very astute husband who reminded me that while the cushions I was jumping up and down about on the check out line were fabulous, they weren't going to match the faded yellow one on the ottoman.

And there wasn't an ottoman cushion for sale in the store.

So. What did this DIY girl do? Well, she made one, of course.

And honestly, it was very easy.

The idea came to me when my husband noticed that while they didn't have anything in the pattern in the correct size, they did have this lounge cushion.

Hmmm. I figured that somehow, some way, I could use the stuffing and fabric to create an ottoman cushion to fit.

I may not be the greatest seamstress, but I when I need to I can get pretty creative. Especially when it comes to home decor fabric projects.

I've patched sofas.

I've added fabric panels to glass cabinets.

I've even skirted wooden tables, a torn upholstered chair....and made a sink skirt that opens and closes on my existing cabinet doors.

I figured I was up to the challenge.

Turns out, once we got it home and measured, I realized that one of the sections was a perfect fit.

I could simply cut that piece free, sew it up and be done.

And I was right.

Here's the full DIY in case you find yourself in a similar predicament.

How To Make An Outdoor Ottoman Cushion From A Cushion

You can make this a sew or no sew project. 

As I said, I started with a standard lounge chair cushion. After some research I found out that most ottomans and most lounge cushions come in relatively standard sizes. 

So chances are you'll find a good fit, too. If not, you can just add or subtract some batting.

To start, I grabbed my seam ripper and removed all the stitches between the two sections I was going to cut apart.


The front seams were simple to open. The backside of the cushion was doubled over, with lots of material and thread, making the ripping a bit more difficult.

However, once it was done, I had a lot of extra fabric to work with, which was helpful.


With the seams gone, it was time to cut.

I grabbed my strong sewing scissors and just cut right through the fabric, the batting and the foam inside.


When I was finished cutting, I had two completely separate sections. One, perfectly sized for my ottoman.


It just needed to be stitched it up.


I folded the excess fabric up around the end of the cushion, like a gift.

And pinned it all into place.

Then I grabbed a needle and some matching thread and sewed it up by hand.

Now, I know that this is where I lose some of you, but honestly, it's just an up and down motion.


However. If you really don't want to sew, you can use a iron on tape to secure your edges. It works well on heavy canvas and Sunbrella.

I would go very slow though, since some outdoor fabrics are made of a plastic like material. Ironing them could cause them to melt. If that's the case, you could use a fabric glue.

They don't require heat.


I think this project took me less than 30 minutes to complete and when it was done, I had a matching ottoman cushion for my wicker furniture.

It didn't require special skills or cost me a ton of money.

Plus, being the waste not want not type, I stitched up the other piece of the cushion and put it out on the porch, as well. 

It's a great extra cushion for anyone sitting on the floor when we play games at this coffee table.


Or use as a backrest, when leaning on armrest of the couch.

To nap.

On one of these last, glorious days of summer. 

Or a chilly day in the fall.

But we don't need to talk about that yet.

😉

Are you a creative DIYer?