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How to Recover Outdoor Pillows and a Mini Patio Makeover #LowesCreator

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When Lowe’s challenged me to give an outdoor spot a mini-makeover, I knew exactly where to turn my attention.

Our small paver patio is where we sit on warm spring days to eat lunch, take a break or sip wine after dark. The winter months wreak havoc on the furniture and the pillows I neglected to bring inside.

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Cleaning the furniture was as easy as a quick sponging with a Mr. Clean magic eraser.

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Then I hosed them down and was done in less than 10 minutes. The pillows weren’t as easily cleaned. I tried to wash them, but they were still a little dingy. So, I headed to Lowe’s to look for new ones.

As I entered Lowe’s with my complimentary gift card in hand, I found myself wandering down the curtain aisle again. (Do you gravitate to this aisle too? With all those colors, patterns, and textures it’s hard for me to stay focused on my shopping list.)

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The magnetic pull down this aisle was undeniable. The pull grew stronger as I drew close to the beautiful Waverly curtain patterns. I thought to myself, “I wish they had an outdoor pillow in this pattern.” And then I realized, heck, why not make my own!

And like that I walked out with the curtain panel and some colorful flowers to brighten our patio.

Materials:

(I’ve included affiliate links for your convenience. I earn a small percentage from a purchase using these links. There is no additional cost to you. You can read more about affiliate links here.)

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  • Pillow forms (old outdoor pillows)
  • Curtain panel (or fabric of your choice)
  • Scissors
  • Thread
  • Pins
  • Sewing machine
  • Zipper foot (optional)

Instructions:

Lay the pillow on top of the curtain (folded in half.) Allow for 2 – 3″ on all sides and cut off the excess.

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Slip the pillow inbetween the curtain layers (wrong sides facing out.) Pin the edges, leaving the one end open.

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Remove the pillow and pin along the open end a few inches from the corners (allowing an opening big enough to stuff the pillow into.)

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Stitch along the pinned edges.

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Test fit the pillow and then trim away the excess fabric from the edges.

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Turn the pillow case right sides out. Poke the corner out. Fold the pillow in half and gently feed it into the case.

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Neatly fold the opening and pin it closed. Stitch along the opening close to the edge. Use a zipper foot to make it easiest to sew along the edge of the pillow.

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Repeat for your second pillow, and you’ll have a cute matching pair of green trellis patterned pillows. (The cute little flower vase found its way into my cart at Lowe’s as well. It was on clearance on the endcap, so take a peek at your local Lowe’s and see if you can find them there.)

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How do the pillows look on the patio? I think they look adorable. And I had just enough fabric left over to cover the little table.

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It’s amazing how a few fresh flowers, fresh fabrics and clean chairs can really chase the winter blues away!

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Remember the ice bucket planter I made the other day?  She looks pretty next to my new recovered pillows.

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That completes this little mini makeover! Remember the before?

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And the ahhhhh after!

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Do you have a little outdoor spot that needs a mini makeover? I challenge you to give it an afternoon facelift! You’ll feel winter’s grip loosening when you are done. If you need some ideas, check out the Lowe’s Creative Ideas digital magazine (it’s FREE!)

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Have a great week y’all!

PHGFancySignDisclosure: I was provided with a Lowe’s gift card to purchase supplies for this post. I was not told what to write. All ideas and words are my own.

13 replies
  1. Kirby Bradshore
    Kirby Bradshore says:

    I love the makeover! You turned a dull place into a brighter, more lively and you put a lot of colors in it. You are an amazing person! I also like how you made the pillow cover. Really put an effort into it, love it so much! Great job!

    Reply
  2. Jenny
    Jenny says:

    I really like the look of zinc planters on the patio. The pillows are fantastic and also look like they are comfortable. But those magic sponges make me nervous, even when I wear plastic gloves.

    Reply
  3. nancy w
    nancy w says:

    Love your project…I didn’t know Lowe’s had curtains! I better go see what else they carry….just a quick note, it’s actually much easier to finish those pillows on the machine if you sew the zipper first. Just remember to leave it open a little so you can turn it right side out.
    I’m completely inspired to make some new pillow covers now!

    ~ Nancy

    Reply
  4. Therese Feeman
    Therese Feeman says:

    The green Waverly pattern looks so great on your freshly cleaned chairs. Love the Magic Sponge on so many things but I wouldn’t have thought to use it on outdoor furniture.. Great idea. And I’m totally with you on feeling the magnetic pull from shall we say certain aisles in my home improvement store.

    Reply
  5. SheilaG @ Plum Doodles
    SheilaG @ Plum Doodles says:

    Your little backyard oasis is so pretty and peaceful looking. The new pillows look very fresh and clean, though the old ones didn’t look bad to me. 🙂 I’ve been on the lookout for a shower curtain to make cushions for our bistro set. I’m guessing if they hold up to water from the shower, they should hold up to a little outdoor weather, too.

    Reply
    • Brittany (aka Pretty Handy Girl)
      Brittany (aka Pretty Handy Girl) says:

      Sheila, I would think shower curtain fabric would hold up better, but my guess is that the thing that makes them “outdoor pillows” is that the filling is totally poly fill and no cotton so they dry out faster and don’t retain water. Just my guess.

      Reply
  6. Elizabeth L
    Elizabeth L says:

    I love this look and I have several pillows I need to do this with. Just wondering though, this isn’t outdoor fabric is it? Are you just planning to bring the pillows and table cloth indoors?

    Reply
    • Brittany (aka Pretty Handy Girl)
      Brittany (aka Pretty Handy Girl) says:

      Elizabeth, I’m going to try it even though it’s not outdoor fabric. It seems that the pillows always look so dingy after a year (or the darn squirrels de-stuff them) that I end up replacing them anyway. So, if these last through half a year I’m happy ;-). By next year I can recover them again or buy new ones. And, I will try to be better about bringing them in at the end of the season, but I’m usually lazy about it.

      Reply

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