My husband nicknamed me the DIY (Do-It-Yourself) Queen this morning. It’s true, I’ve got a habit of taking on all types of projects on a purely “learn as you go” system. From finishing my garage, putting down a new wood floor and building furniture to crocheting blankets, creating recipes and everything in between, I’ve been known to tackle a wide variety of DIY projects. I blame Grandma Luthy. I’ve heard stories and have many things crafted by her able hands. She was the kind of woman that simply made what she wanted if it weren’t available for one reason or another. My motivation isn’t as admirable as hers; my primary motivation is simply that I’m cheap. I don’t like spending money, especially on things that I know I could do myself for a fraction of the cost. Today’s share - patio furniture covers.

I have two chairs and 60″ swing that needed done. But I was sick looking around at replacement cushions. It was easily going to cost a couple hundred dollars just for replacements. Knowing their purpose, abuse and lack of use I just can’t justify that. So I googled outdoor fabric and found a discount website. I was still dismayed to see that some of the fabrics ran an average of $12 per yard, but still $50-70 is a great deal over 4-5 times that much. Then I found their clearance section and I found some durable and heavier fabric for only $2 per yard. Score! Okay, it’s straight from the early 90’s and not what I’d choose if I were going purely on what I liked, but it was okay, and I’m learning so I ordered $20 worth. It arrived yesterday afternoon.

I cut out the old batting and used plain tissue paper (from the gift wrap bag) to trace out a basic pattern. The hardest part was sewing the closing seams after the padding was in place as I don’t have a heavy duty machine, but I made it work!

And here are the results:

I’m pretty happy with my $20 purchase. Now that I’ve done it I’d even consider paying more in the future for a pattern I really like! But for now, I’m happy knowing that’s another 5 years away. *smile*

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