A sewing machine can do more for a patio than a trip to the garden center, and these 18 easy sewing projects for the patio show how. Patio sewing means making the soft stuff for outdoor living yourself: seat cushions, throw pillows, curtains, a shade screen, a floor pouf or a caddy that hangs off a chair arm. Most of these use outdoor fabric, drop cloths, oilcloth or even a vinyl tablecloth, so the finished pieces shrug off sun and the odd rainstorm. Store bought cushions run $40 or more each, while a recovered one can come in under $10. Plenty are beginner friendly, with straight seams and simple box corners. The DIY JOY bandana pillow tutorial is in here too, with a no sew option. Find more sewing projects and patterns when the patio is done.
1. DIY Outdoor Curtains
DIY outdoor curtains made from canvas drop cloths come in under $10 a panel. Medium weight 9 by 6 foot drop cloths from a hardware store paint aisle are heavy enough to hang well and stand up outside. Tape off wide bands near the bottom and spray paint them in a few coordinating colors for a striped, custom look, so they tie into the rest of the patio. Hang two full width panels where you need privacy and evening shade, and split a third cloth into two narrower panels that stay open purely for decoration.
Get the full tutorial at Hey There, Home.
2. Outdoor Bench Cushion With Piping
This outdoor bench cushion with piping is a boxed cushion that looks custom but sews up easier than you’d think. The secret fabric is a pair of fabric shower curtains, which are inexpensive, durable and stand up to moisture. Cut 3 inch upholstery foam to size with an electric carving knife, wrap it in batting, then cut fabric for all six sides. Piping trim goes into the top and bottom seams with a zipper foot, and sew in Velcro on the back so the cover comes off for washing. Outdoor fabric works too.
Get the full tutorial at Pretty Handy Girl.
3. DIY Outdoor Nautical Pillows
These DIY outdoor nautical pillows recover old outdoor pillows instead of tossing them. Wash the old pillow, measure it and cut one front piece of outdoor fabric 1 inch larger than the pillow both ways, plus two overlapping back pieces for an envelope closure. For the anchor, trace a free template onto paper backed fusible web, iron it to contrasting fabric, cut it out and fuse it to the front before stitching around the edge. If you start fresh, buy pillow forms made for outdoors, since standard inserts get moldy and smelly fast.
Get the full tutorial at The Polka Dot Chair.
4. How to Make Bandana Pillows
Bandana pillows are a quick patio refresh, and the cotton holds up to being tossed outside and through the wash. Lay two 20 inch bandanas right sides together and chalk a quarter inch seam line on every side. Sew three sides and leave about 8 inches open on the last, backstitching at both ends. Turn it right side out, poke the corners with a chopstick and stuff with an 18 inch insert or fiberfill, then blind stitch the gap. No machine? Fabric glue along the same lines, clipped with clothespins, works just as well.
Get the full tutorial at DIY JOY.
5. Easy French Mattress Covers
French mattress style cushion covers have that tailored, rolled seam you see on high end outdoor furniture. Mark the top and bottom plates on the fabric with a soapstone pencil and a straight edge, lining up the stripes so both plates repeat the same way. For the boxing strips, add 1 3/4 inches to the finished width to allow for the mattress style seams. Cut synthetic outdoor fabric with a hot knife on top of a metal ruler, which seals the edges against fraying. The cushion is filled with fiberfill wrapped in a pillow protector.
Get the full tutorial at DIY Joy.
6. Make Your Own Outdoor Cushions
Make your own outdoor cushions to turn hard wooden benches into a real lounge spot. Measure the width and depth of each seat and use 4 inch outdoor cushion filling. Add 1 inch to the width and depth for the top and bottom panels, which gives a half inch seam allowance all around. The side panel is one long strip: add up all four sides, add 1 inch, and make it the foam height plus 1 inch. Round the corners of the big panels slightly, sew the strip into a loop and set a zipper into one end of the bottom panel.
Get the full tutorial at A Beautiful Mess.
7. Outdoor Bolster Pillow
An outdoor bolster pillow finishes an outdoor sofa, and this one adds pom pom trim and a zipper so the cover comes off. Common bolsters run 6, 10 or 12 inches across and 20 to 30 inches long; this one is 8 by 24 inches, which takes half a yard of fabric, 1 1/3 yards of pom pom trim and a 22 inch zipper. Cut two 9 inch circles for the ends (that allows a half inch seam). Make a removable insert from muslin and polyfill using the same steps, minus the zipper and trim.
Get the full tutorial at Melly Sews.
8. Easy Outdoor Pillows
Easy outdoor pillows made from a flannel backed vinyl tablecloth cost under $1 each. One dollar store tablecloth made four 18 inch pillows. Cut two squares per pillow, 1 inch larger than the pillow form (19 inches for an 18 inch form), and sew three sides right sides together with a half inch seam. Turn, insert the form and close the last side. The first one took about 30 minutes; the rest took 15 each. No more soggy cushions or spot clean only covers, since vinyl wipes right off after a rainstorm.
Get the full tutorial at The Everyday Home.
9. DIY Rag Rug Pouf
A DIY rag rug pouf turns dollar store rag rugs into a Moroccan style floor cushion for under $10. Glue a lining fabric to the back of each rug with a fabric adhesive first, which stops fraying and keeps the pouf sturdy, then stitch the rugs together into a round shape. Stuff it with anything soft you have: old towels, fabric scraps, recycled plastic bags or polyfill. The mix of colors in rag rugs gives it an instant boho look, and it works as a footrest or extra seat when friends come over.
Get the full tutorial at DIY Joy.
10. Re-Cover Patio Cushions
To re-cover patio cushions, skip the $40 per chair replacements and make covers that wash and dry fast. A yard and a half of print fabric goes on the visible side, while inexpensive black fabric from the bargain bin covers the back, which brought the cost to about $8 per chair. Lay the fabric wrong side out over the cushion, pinch it along the edge and pin the pinch all the way around. Lift it off, stitch along the pins and slip it back on. Then fold and pin the four corners to shape them.
Get the full tutorial at Thrifty and Chic.
11. Quilted Chair Cushions
Quilted chair cushions turn charm squares into the softest seat at the table. Four cushions take two charm packs (64 five inch squares) plus about 1 1/8 yards of inexpensive fabric for the inner layers. Pre-wash and iron everything, read the steps through first and sew with quarter inch seams unless told otherwise. A die cutting machine makes cutting dozens of 5 inch squares fast, though a rotary cutter and ruler work too. The patchwork is quilted and stuffed for a plump, tufted look, with ties to hold each cushion on the chair.
Get the full tutorial at Sew Sweetness.
12. DIY Outdoor Chair Caddy
A DIY outdoor chair caddy is a double sided pocket sleeve that hangs over a chair arm to hold a book, a journal, a tablet or crochet. Cut two pieces of fabric 28 by 12 inches and two pieces 12 by 12. Sew a double fold hem on one edge of each square to make the pockets, then pin a pocket to the front of each long panel and stitch around the sides. Upholstery fabric keeps it sturdy; with quilting cotton, slip stabilizer between the layers. It rolls up to take along, and fits lawn chairs, beach chairs and office chairs.
Get the full tutorial at Crafty Chica.
13. Happy Oilcloth Pillows for Patio Living
Oilcloth pillows are made for patio living, since the shiny, water resistant surface wipes clean and the edges don’t ravel, so there is no seam finishing. Most oilcloth is 47 inches wide, enough for at least two fronts and backs. Each pillow mixes three prints and is reversible, with an envelope back that overlaps generously and ties with a bow, so the insert slips out when it gets wet. The ruffles are a doubled layer, pleated rather than gathered, so they fan out nicely and look good from both sides. Choose an insert made for outdoors.
Get the full tutorial at Sew4Home.
14. Outdoor Chair Cushions with Pom Ties
Outdoor chair cushions with pom ties are one piece, folding at the center to form the seat and back, which keeps the sewing simple enough for a beginner. These finish at about 18 inches wide by 19 inches deep at the seat and 22 inches high at the back, not counting the piping. Measure your own chair and adjust using those numbers as a guide. Outdoor fabric in a cheerful print pairing does the decorating, and bright pom poms on the ends of the ties bounce in the breeze.
Get the full tutorial at Sew4Home.
15. Simple Tie On DIY Outdoor Chair Cushion
A simple tie on DIY chair cushion fixes a pretty chair with a seat as flat as a pancake, without reupholstering it. There’s no pattern, and it takes an hour or two with basic sewing skills. Trace the seat to size the cushion, sew the cover with ties stitched into the back corners, then stuff it for a soft but not bulky pad that ties right onto the chair. It suits antique iron chairs, kitchen chairs and porch chairs, and a vintage novelty print turns it into a conversation piece.
Get the full tutorial at DIY Candy.
16. Hanging Outdoor Shade Screen
A hanging outdoor shade screen tames the corner of the patio that gets blasted by the sun. It’s an outdoor curtain with a center panel of pet screen, which filters light and blocks the worst glare without hiding the view. The panel finishes at about 86 by 53 inches to make the most of 54 inch home decor fabric; measure from the overhang to the floor and subtract about 6 inches for the rod. Metal grommets and shower curtain hooks hang it so it slides open and closed as the sun moves.
Get the full tutorial at Sew4Home.
17. Simple Round Cushion For Patio Chairs
A simple round cushion for patio chairs takes a yard of fabric and polyfill. Find a round object the size of your seat (a 14 inch tray worked here) and trace two circles on the wrong side of the fabric. Cut one strip 3 by 43.5 inches for the side and two 2 by 24 inch strips for ties. Fold each tie edge to the middle, fold again, press and sew. Pin the side strip around one circle, stitch its ends together, trim and sew with a quarter inch seam, then add the second circle, stuff and close.
Get the full tutorial at Create Craft Love.
18. DIY Umbrella Cover
A DIY umbrella cover makes a big folding patio umbrella easy to carry to ball games, the beach or the park. You need a 20 by 60 inch piece of canvas, 10 inches of elastic, a 2 inch piece of Velcro, a yard of canvas strap for the handle and a drawstring cord. First make a tie to hold the umbrella closed: sew one half of the Velcro to an end of the elastic. Then sew the canvas into a long tube with a drawstring top and the strap as a carrying handle. The same bag works for a folding chair.
Get the full tutorial at Small Fry & Co.
