Before and After
Retailers and manufacturers may want society to
always buy new things or replacements, but there are times it just isn’t
feasible or cost effective. Not to mention the waste created.
I have a glass top table and four chairs made for
outdoor use. The chair cushions that came with the set weren’t very exciting to
begin with, so it was already in the back of my mind to do something with them.
This past winter I didn’t get them put away fast enough. Tools and other
materials required for a major electrical repair ended up on my patio set,
which resulted in some dirt and rust stains on a couple of my cushions. When
spring arrived, I did clean the cushions. I just couldn’t get all of the stains
out.
I started searching for new cushions. My chairs need
deep seat cushions which tend to start at $30 apiece and go up from there. The
cushions I liked the most were $50+ apiece. I couldn’t justify spending that
much money on a patio set that was purchased for $100 (including the cushions).
Fortunately, there weren’t any tears in the fabric
of the original cushions. Craft paint became my cushion savior. I opted for a
basic acrylic paint in a color called “Apple Tart”, instead. It does make the
fabric a bit stiff, but I chose it partly to keep the cost down. Fabric paints
are more expensive, and they rarely come in larger bottles. I used 2 ½ bottles,
in a 16 oz. size, of the green paint. It was thinned with a bit of water before
being applied to the cushions with a large sponge brush and was applied on all
sides first. Even though I planned to keep the piping brown, I didn’t worry
about getting the green paint on it. After a few years outside, the color had
faded. I also wanted a darker brown than the original. On the first 3 cushions,
I didn’t do any masking next to the piping while painting it, which did mean
some touch ups. I decided to take the extra time with the last cushion. As a
time saver it’s probably a bust. On the other hand, I didn’t feel like I had to
be super careful only to have to cover mistakes anyway.
The vertical design down the center of the cushions
is on the front side only. It’s a Moroccan tile pattern that’s easy to find on
the internet. I scaled it to 4” wide by 4 ¼” tall before printing it. I made 1
and ½ of the template. I did an initial measurement to find the center of the
cushions. Starting at the top, the ½ template was placed in the center and
traced with a dark brown Sharpie. Then the full template was lined up with it
and traced. Just keep moving the template down one full repeat until the design
reaches the bottom edge of the seat cushion. To keep the design centered, use a
pencil to mark the cushion with occasional tick marks from top to bottom. If
you’re filling in the design with paint, no one will see them. Depending on the
design and its size, it’s easiest to paint it with a brush called an angular
shader. The paints I used in the center were metallic sapphire blue and emerald
green.
I opted to do a top coat of iridescent glaze on the
cushions to take a bit of the rough feel off the acrylic paint. Plus I like the
bit of added sparkle. The glaze color is called “Gold Satin Opal”, made by
Valspar. (The product may not be available anymore. I got my last bottle off
the “oops” paint shelf with a clearance price more than a year ago. However,
there may a similar product that comes in a can. I haven’t investigated it yet.)
Since I didn’t want the metallic colors in the center design muted, they were
done after the glaze was applied.
By this point some may be wondering why this project
is being posted now. I didn’t get the opportunity to start working with my
cushions until summer arrived. (Curtains for my gazebo were made during the
spring.) Like many projects it took me longer than I planned. I’m just now
finishing up the last cushion. (Plenty of other things have been done in between.) Since I live in Texas, there will be a bit of
time this fall to enjoy my handiwork before the cushions need to be put away.
My recommendation for anyone considering a makeover is to do it during the
winter. When the outdoor living merchandise starts showing up in stores again,
you won’t feel the need to replace those chair cushions that are now uniquely
yours.
The
Project Queen
My supplies
The templates
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