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There’s nothing like relaxing with your feet up in your yard. Outdoor furniture allows for relaxing or throwing a party. The options are infinite.
Outdoor furniture can last forever. Patio chairs are made of metal in most cases. So, the frame always holds up for ages. It takes a lot to take one of these frames down.
But the fabric is never as lucky as the frame. Some fabric doesn’t take much to rip. Let’s not forget about rot from being out in different weather conditions.
Oh, and general wear and tear on the fabric.
The good news is that you don’t have to go out and buy all new outdoor furniture. Because we will teach you how to repair outdoor furniture fabric.
You can repair or replace the fabric and it’s not as hard as you think.
What You Should Know Before Starting
Before you start, there are a few important things to keep in mind. These tips will help you along the way to outdoor furniture like new.
Always Use Outdoor Fabric
You might want to use thinner fabric because it’s cheaper. But they can’t hold up to the weather elements and they’re easy to damage.
Outdoor fabric is more heavy-duty. They can take some pressure and stress. Plus, they make outdoor fabrics have weather-proofing treatments.
That way they don’t get ruined or rot from wet weather conditions or rot from mildew. They’re also treated to be fade-resistant from the sun beaming down on it for hours.
Always Use Outdoor Thread
Again, you don’t want to replace the outdoor thread with any other type of thread. You need the real thing to get the job done well.
Outdoor thread is made from tough polyester. It’s thicker and stiffer so it can hold the heavy-duty outdoor fabric together.
It’s also treated with weather-proofing treatments so it can withstand the elements.
Measure Out How Much Fabric You Need
It’s going to save you time and headache if you measure out how much fabric you need before you start. It always helps to have everything you need handy.
To measure, you need to remove the old fabric from the patio furniture so you get an accurate measurement. Add to your measurement to account for seams.
Always measure twice before you cut anything. It’s a golden rule.
Other Options to Repair Outdoor Furniture Fabric
When you have a smaller hole that’s oddly shaped, you can apply an iron-on patch. But it has to be a flat surface.
And the patch has to be a half an inch inch larger than the hole before you attempt to apply it.
When it’s only a small tear along a seam, there’s fabric glue that’ll work well. Spread a little glue in the damaged area and make sure it holds together while the glue dries. It’s as simple as that.
How to Repair Outdoor Furniture Fabric with a Staple Gun
Source: canva.com
- Black marker
- Pencil
- Paper
- Scissors
- Fabric Scissors
- Measuring tape
- Outdoor fabric
- Flathead screwdriver
- Pliers
- Staple gun
1. First, you have to measure the dimensions of the area you’re replacing. Always measure twice for a more accurate measurement. Add three or four inches for wrapping around any edges.
2. Trace the dimensions and shapes with the marker on the old newspaper. Cut out the pattern.
3. Place your new fabric on the ground upside down. Lay the pattern you created on the old newspaper. Make sure you smooth the fabric and old newspaper out.
4. Use a pencil to trace the newspaper on the fabric. If you didn’t add extra inches in step one, now’s your last chance to add them.
5. Now, you can cut your pattern out of the fabric with a pair of fabric scissors.
6. It’s time to remove the old damaged fabric. Place the patio chair upside down as best as you can.
7. Take the flathead screwdriver to loosen and pull the staples up. And use the pliers to finish pulling them out of the fabric and chair.
8. Place the fabric so it’s upside down but underneath the front of the patio chair. Wrap the fabric tightly around the chair. While you’re doing this, you don’t want it to wrinkle up.
9. Use the staple gun and staple the excess fabric on the back or bottom of the chair. As you staple, leave about two inches between each staple. There you have it furniture with a new quality outdoor fabric.
How to Repair an Outdoor Cushion with a Sewing Needle
Source: canva.com
- Black marker
- Pencil
- Zipper
- Measuring tape
- Scissors
- Fabric scissors
- Straight pins
- Sewing needle
- Sewing machine
- Old newspaper
- Outdoor fabric
- Outdoor thread
1. Measure the dimensions of the outdoor patio cushion. You need to measure twice for accurate numbers. Add one or two inches for cover for seams.
2. Trace the dimensions of the cushion on an old newspaper with a marker. Cut out the pattern for both sides.
3. Loosen the seams of the cushion cover with a sewing needle. Remove the cover by running scissors along the seam.
4. Lay the pattern down on your fabric. Trace it with a pencil. Use the fabric scissors to cut the pattern out. If you didn’t add a couple of inches in step one, now is the time to do it.
5. It’s time to sew the patterns together with a repairing your outdoor furniture. Use a zigzag stitch as you sew the seams. Leave one side open so you can add a zipper.
6. Fold the open edges in about a half an inch. Sew the zipper onto the open side.
Conclusion
You can fix small holes with patches. But in most cases, you’ll need to replace the outdoor fabric on your outdoor furniture. But you don’t have to pay a pretty penny at the store or an upholstery shop.
There are tons of DIY tricks to replacing or repairing your outdoor furniture.
