Use a drop cloth to make a cushions for your patio set or bistro set. I use some indigo dye to create this unique and trendy look.
All I used was dye, a drop cloth and sewing machine to make these fun seat cushions. The full transformation will go live soon but I wanted to make sure I gave you every detail of the seat cushions because they’re such a big part of the look.
What you need for your drop cloth seat cushion
- Drop cloth
- Indigo dye
- sewing machine
9 x 12 AllJacquard Indigo Tie Dye
Brother CS6000i Feature-Rich Sewing
The very first thing you need to do is wash your drop cloth. These canvas drop clothes can change all sorts of sizes in the wash so make sure you do this first or else your cushions will be real funky when you wash them later!
Start by measuring the seat of your chair. If you using the same bistro set as me, you will want to cut two rectangles at 15.5″x16.5″ (per chair). Then you will cut 2 3″x15.5″ strips and 2 3″x16.6″ strips for the sides of the cushion.
I also cut off 4 little strips about 5″ long to tie the cushion to my chair.
An optional step I wish I would have taken was serging each of these edges. When I washed them again after the dyeing process I had a big fringe mess I could have avoided.
Next you will sew each of your 3″ strips to the corresponding sides of on of the large rectangles. I used a simple straight stitch.
With your strips sewn to one of the rectangles, sandwich the two little strips you cut on each side of on of the short sides of your other rectangle. This sounds so confusing so hopefully the pictures will help!
Sew all but one side of the strips to the other rectangle. I sewed a little bit of the 4th side but leave enough room to stuff the cushion. This right here is why I wish I would have serged the edges. After you wash it this will fray quite a bit.
Now you get to dye! If you buy the kit I linked above, just follow the directions. All you will need is warm water and a 5 gallon bucket. Be sure to stir gently and because this project is little, I suggest dyeing a few shirts or maybe even your sheets while you’re doing it so you don’t waste the vat of dye!
After you have rinsed and washed your cushions, you can stuff them. I like to use unused pillows for my fill but if you don’t have any laying around you can buy polyfill from Walmart or any craft store!
I folded the edges in (notice the fray? This would have been way easier if I had serged!) and pinned them.
I sewed along these pinned edges as close to the edge as I could possibly go. My sewing machine is not super heavy duty and this is pretty thick canvas so I needed to go slowly. I suspect you will too.
Then you’re done! Now you just need to tie them on your chairs!
Stay tuned for the full makeover of this cute little bistro set that I picked up from IKEA about a year ago. I think it has been completely transformed and I can’t wait for you to see.
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