You can add a bit of glam to any outdoor setting with this DIY Garden Seat made from an ordinary pot. I did this project in a few hours with a little bit of sewing and a little bit of help from my hubby at his workbench and now we have an additional seat to put in our new gazebo. And as a bonus, I now have the perfect storage container for a couple of blankets to grab during a chilly evening.
Made with a large garden pot, the dimensions ended up being 22" high which includes the fabulous 4 inches of Foamology™ by Fairfield to make the cushion. The seat has a moisture & allergen barrier sewn into the cover with Fairfield's Shield fabric, so we don't have to bring it into the house every night.
Here are the supplies and the instructions for making a Garden Seat with a Foamology™ cushion that will be perfect for your outdoor space and to stash anything you want inside!
Project Type: Sewing & Wood AssemblageTime to Complete: 2-3 Hours
Tools Needed:
Wood Saw
Drill
Bread Knife or Electric Knife
Sewing Machine
Upholstery Stapler
Scissors
Straight Pins
Permanent Marker
Materials:
(2) 2" Foamology™ Soft Support Cushions by Fairfield™
(1) Pkg. Poly-Fil® Cushion Wrap by Fairfield™
(1) Pkg. Shield Moisture & Allergen Barrier Fabric by Fairfield™
18"H x 20"D x 66"C Garden Pot
1/2" Thick Plywood (cut to fit)
3/4" x 3-1/2" Wood (cut to fit)
1-1/2 Yards Fabric for the Cover
5/16" Cording (70" or cut to fit)
Matching Thread
Wood Screws
Step #1 - Make the wooden lid. Cut plywood circle the same size as the rim of the pot. Use wood screws and a drill to secure 3/4" thick wood slats in an "X" to the center of the rim, leaving space between the end of the wood slats the same width as the thickness of the pot, so that the wood cover sits snugly inside the pot.
Step #2 - Trace around wood cover on 2 Foamology™ cushions.
Step #3 - Using a bread knife or an electric knife, cut both cushions along the mark to create 2 circles.
Step #4 - Cut the Poly-fil® Cushion Wrap the same size as the top of the cushion and the same width and length to wrap around the 2 stacked cushions.
Step #5 - Sew ends of the cushion wrap together and fit onto the cushion.
Step #6 - Trace around cushion and add 1" for seam onto the cover fabric. Cut out cover fabric along traced lines, and the cut Shield Moisture & Allergen Barrier Fabric the same measurement. Measure around the sides of the cushion and cut out a strip of the cover fabric according to that measurement, adding 2" for the length, and 7" wide.
Step #7 - Cut 2" wide strips of fabric on the bias to equal the length of the cushion side strip. Pin cording in the center of the strip and sew together with a zipper foot.
Step #8 - Pin the Shield Fabric to the wrong side of the cover fabric with the shiny side in. Pin the cording all the way around the edge and then sew together with a zipper foot.
Step #8 - Join the ends by cutting the cord where the ends meet and overlapping the fabric to conceal the cord.
Step #9 - Pin the strip of cover fabric all the way around the edge of the cushion top, right sides facing.
Step #10 - Pin the strip of cover fabric all the way around the edge of the cushion top, right sides facing. Sew all the layers together with a zipper foot. Trim seam to 1/4".
Step #11 - Sew ends of the strip together where they meet to finish.
Step #12 - Place the cover over the foam cushion, pulling tightly on all sides.
Step #13 - Place wooden cover onto the bottom of the cushion and pull the fabric tightly over the wood. Staple from opposite sides to side, until all the fabric has been stapled all the way around to complete the cushion.
Your Garden Seat is done!
Test to be sure that the pot feels secure to sit on, and add a bag of sand to the bottom if needed for stability. Use the rest of the room to store a blanket, garden tools, or whatever you need to stash.
I'm super excited to use mine for extra seating, and as a handy side table when I'm ready for a little snack and a glass of wine.
