By Dave and Mary

How to Recover Outdoor Cushion Covers

Easy - Like Making a Simple Pillowcase

Are you wanting to recover outdoor cushion covers? I did. Mine were just faded and I was wanting something fresh and new.

So with a couple yards of outdoor cushion fabric and a short amount of time, I made two new covers by sewing two simple pillow cases that they slipped into.


Collage of porch cushion cover pictures
Only very basic sewing skills required. We love easy.



Video: Recover Outdoor Cushion Covers



Learn how to recover outdoor cushion covers with me. Please pardon my craft room. We are in our new home and I haven't organized that room yet.


Instructions for Covering Outdoor Cushions

  • Measure the length and width of the cushion(s) you want to cover.
  • Add about 3 inches to the width and 3 or more to the height. Purchase twice that amount of outdoor fabric - as you will need both a front and back. I like to start out with it being a generous size and then fit it down.
  • But if you want to be more precise, then measure and add your seam allowances to the width and height. I would add a bit more to the height if you want to finish the closure the way I do. Remember you need both a front and a back piece.



  • Lay cushion on fabric to ensure you have enough allowance all the way around.


  • Lay your cushion over your fabric to ensure you have allowance all the way around. All set?
  • Now set the cushion aside. Lay the front and the back of your measured outdoor fabric right sides together and pin them all the way around.
  • Take your fabric to your sewing machine and sew around 3 sides - keeping one of the narrow ends open.
  • Now you will have an inside out pillow case.



  • Neat pillow case for cushion.


  • Before turning it right side out, slip in your cushion to see how it fits. If it is too large, then adjust your seams so that it fits nicely.
  • Once you are happy with the fit, turn the pillow case right side out. I like to use a straight pin to pull out the corners to make them crisp, but you can wait until the end to do this.
  • Now you are already close to being done!
  • Slide the cushion into the cover. Does it fit nicely? The next step is to locate where the cushion ties are. Either reach inside or feel from the outside.
  • Mark the spot with a pin. Using a seam ripper, take out several stitches so that the cushion ties can be pulled through. Do this for each set of ties. Before you pull the ties through, go on to the next step.
  • This step is optional but probably best to do it. Take the cushion out, turn the cover inside out once again. Take your cover back to the machine and reinforce the spots where you took out the stitches so that your cover does not unravel.



  • Pull the ties through the holes you made.
    Pull ties through the holes



  • Now you can turn it right side out again, get your corners crisp, put in your cushion, pull out the ties and you're ready to sew the opening.



  • Fold the top down neatly and sew across the edge.
    Fold both sides of the top down neatly.



  • For the top opening, simply fold down the top (to the inside) until it encloses the cushion. (Your cushion needs to be inside the case. Just saying!) Pin the fold close to the top of the cushion and sew a straight line across the top. Don't catch your cushion in the stitches. If you don't want to see the seam, hand stitch it closed.



The Finished Cushions Look Nice!

Our new blue outdoor cushion covers

Our new blue cushions look nice! And they were very easy to do.


Now you know how to easily recover outdoor cushion covers. If you have covered your own outdoor cushions, please share a photo with us and tell us how you did it.

Look at Valerie's Recovered Cushions

Valerie watched our video and followed our tutorial to recover cushions on her porch. She shares her pictures with us.


Valerie made these cushion covers by following our tutorial
Beautiful results and we love the stunning fabric she chose



Valerie made these cushion covers by following our tutorial
So happy she shared her recovered porch cushion pictures with us








Mary and Dave, Founders of Front Porch Ideas and More
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Mary and Dave, Founders of Front Porch Ideas and More
Hi! We're Mary and Dave, lifelong DIYers, high school sweethearts, and we both love porches. You've come to the right place for thousands of porch ideas.
--- Our Sponsors ---
Use the PCA Visualizer to design your screen door

Shop for Porch Parts at Vintage Woodworks.

The Porch Store

--- End Sponsors ---


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At no extra cost to you, we earn a commission by referring you to some products on merchant sites. See our disclosure policy.
We, Front Porch Ideas and More, confirm, as stated on our privacy policy, that we do not sell personal information.

All content here is solely for presenting ideas. We recommend consulting with a licensed, experienced contractor before you begin your project.
We make no guarantees of accuracy or completeness of information on our site or any links to other websites contained here.


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