Home Removal Services Blog

Have you ever shopped for outdoor patio furniture covers and been disappointed at the options available, or shocked at the expense? Then this article is just for you, since we’re going to talk a bit about making your own patio furniture covers. If you are at all handy, or have a relative that sews, making your own covers lets you choose your fabric to perfectly match your theme, and will also save you in the long run by allowing you to make a custom fit set of covers at a fraction of the cost of having them made for you.

Keeping your furniture protected from the elements is an important task if you want to avoid unnecessary damage caused by exposure. Depending on how far south you are, the sun can be extremely hard on your wood or metal furniture as well as its protective coating, whether that is oil, sealer or paint. For many of us who live close to the ocean, salt spray is an additional concern which will prematurely age your furniture, causing it’s lifespan to be shortened, or increasing maintenance time and costs; both of which can be avoided by protecting it before it gets damaged.

Step one to designing and making furniture covers for your patio set is choosing your material. This is probably the most important step, since this is where most of the cost is factored in, and it will also determine the longevity of the covers that you end up with. You might not want to choose the cheapest available material, since non sun-resistant and flimsy material will be broken down by the sun and wind sooner than you might expect. Look into finding materials with special weather resistant qualities, such as SunBrella ?, and your covers will protect your furniture for a lot longer.

The most important thing to keep in mind is proper measurement of your furniture. You know the saying: “measure twice and cut once”. The patio table cover will need to be made from a piece of material that is 8 inches longer and wider than the table top. I stitch over 3/4s of an inch and run a drawstring through the tunnel. It really couldn’t be easy.

Covers for patio chairs are slightly more challenging. These can either be fitted or bag style. Clearly the bag style is the easiest to sew. Simply measure the height and the width of the chair. I stitch two ends of the material together to make a circle. I then cut a round top that can then easily be stitched to the top of the circle.

I generally free hand my patterns. However, if you want some more guidance then there are plenty of patterns to choose from at your local fabric store. Making your own patio furniture covers is fun and easy.

Have you ever looked for outside patio furniture covers? It’s not as easy as it sounds. Every time my kids want to eat outside I feel like I need to wash down our patio table as it generally covered with squirrel prints and bird poop. I just wasn’t comfortable with my family eating off the table before I had a chance to give it a scrub in some soapy water.

Without annual or bi-annual maintenance my patio furniture really can show its age. I have some great patio furniture. It’s the kind that looks a lot more expensive than it really is. I was able to get it for half price at Lowes about five years ago and I have loved it ever since. The other reason I am searching for some new patio furniture covers is that the elements can be unkind to the finish. The furniture has really aged fairly well but it takes some diligent annual maintenance.

Every autumn we have a fall clean up tradition that involves the whole family and a few family friends. We spend the day outside coiling hoses and trimming back perennials, etc. My job (or perhaps I’m the only one prepared to do it) is to shine up the patio furniture so it looks great in the spring. Each year, I lightly sand the table and chairs, re-apply a thing coat of stain and then rub some outside furniture oil into the wood. The patio furniture really looks fresh and new afterwards and I know it can withstand the coming snows. Having some new outdoor patio furniture covers might allow me to re-finish the table and chairs every second year.

The other day I called a few patio furniture shops and remarkably few of them sell covers for the furniture. The covers that were available were either far too expensive for my needs or the wrong size. I didn’t even both to go to the shops. Most of the staff at the patio furniture shop only thought about covering the furniture for the winter. Furthermore, I have spoken to a lot of my friends about buying covers and it would appear they aren’t a must-have item.

Now that I have realized the work these covers are going to save me I want them even more. I don’t need to the covers for the winter as I am OK with using a big tarp to cover everything. This is what I need: 1- The covers need to be water resistant and machine washable, 2- They need to be a neutral but pretty colour. I have my heart set on light yellow but would also consider green; and 3- They need to be inexpensive. In my mind, I should be able to cover 4 chairs and a 4.5 foot square patio table for less than 50 bucks.

Buying outdoor patio furniture covers is not as simple as I first expected it to be. The covers themselves are fairly hard to come by. Finding something in your price range and colour and that fits your furniture can be daunting. On the advice of a friend, I’m going to continue to write articles and post on my blog on outdoor patio furniture covers until I finally find a set to call my own.