Need to recover outdoor swing

The seat cover and even the top of my swing are coming apart. Is it possible to just buy replacement covers? I need to fix it as cheap as possible so I was thinking I could try and recover it myself but that could be something more than I want to tackle. Ideas?

Can you post a photo of your swing so we can see what is involved? There are many different types of outdoor swings.

Paige,

I needed to recover my cushions last year. They were hideous after almost 10 years of outside exposure.

I found some great fabric at one of the thrift stores. I used the old cushions as patterns and to refill my new cushion sleeves. I always had a problem with those velcro strips making the cushions uneven from sliding around. I made strips and added some buttons to the cushions so I could attach them to the swing itself.

Photos show the old and the new.

Edited to add: I forgot to mention that I used 2 kinds of coordinating fabric so that they would be reversible.

This message was edited Feb 21, 2007 12:27 PM

Oh Janet, this is too big a project for me if you did it! lol I can sew a straight line and that's about it. Mine is a hanging swing with one big cushion the size of 2 cushion squares and it has a canopy on the top. I'll get a pic later. First I'll have to go outside and clean up the mess around it! That's already on my afternoon schedule anyways tho.

For outdoor stuff I've used those vinyl table cloths. They work great.

X

That was nothing BUT straight lines. I cut the two cushions in half. The straps were nothing more than folded material long enough to go from the bottom of the cushion, in the "fold" of the swing, to the top. My machine sews button holes, but they would have been easy enough to sew. I used BIG buttons because I didn't want to take any chances on them coming off the loops. It really was easy Paige. Much easier than I thought it would be. Took me one morning to do. I went to the trouble of ironing some fusing material to the fabric, though I didn't really need to do that. I'd gotten it at a ridiculously cheap price when Joann's closed down a store here. It was the only thing I could think of to use it for, though I just KNEW I had to have it at the time I bought it. (story of my life, donchaknow!)

You can do it. I'm not sure about the canopy though. I've seen them before and would love to have one. You could probably use the old canopy as a pattern to make a new one.

My swing is bigger than I remembered. I need to take it off and look at it but I think the back must have a piece that slides down over the bar and ties it down. It's mainly the bottom part that has split from the sun, and the same with the canopy. It has buttons on it tho. I guess I could take those off tho.

A vinyl tablecloth would probably work great for the canopy! If I got one of the thicker ones it would hang down. I'll start searching for one of those now! I don't want vinyl seats tho. Yuck in the summer!

Here's a pic.

Oh Paige,

I'm green with envy! That is exactly the kind of swing I want for my yard. Since Rita blew through here and took out 2 trees, there isn't much shade left in the yard. Something like that would be perfect!

That cushion doesn't look that hard to make at all. I'm telling you Paige. You could do it!

Janet

I've used those fleece backed vinyl tablecloths for swing canopies and cushions like Xera mentioned.
If you see a pattern you like, get a couple of the large ones. Another thought is to use the vinyl table cloth for one side of the cushion and a colour coordinated canvas for the other side. Then you have the option of a water resistant side or a softer side to the cushion. You just flip up which ever side you need.

Excellent idea GM.

I hear ya on the no shade! It's up against the house in the only area that gets any shade at all. I would actually like it angled different but the way the wind comes thru catches the canopy and turns it over.

Fleece backed, that's it. I was trying to remember what the soft side was made of. That's a really good idea too about different sides. We have a small pool that we put up in summer and waterproof would come in handy.

Now I just have to find some bargains on material and tablecloths. Wally World is the best place to start. I'd love to make it some fun color!

I have a swing similiar to yours. When my seats wear out, I am going to have my hus. screw a piece of cut plywood to fit and then buy some outdoor cushions. As for the top, get some sailcloth from a local fabric store, use the one on it for a pattern and sew some velcro to hold it in place. LIZ

Mine is without a canopy today! A storm blew in last night but it was today that the winds ripped it off. gggrrr It's come off before and we were able to screw it back on but I don't know about this time. It was about to take sail into the neighborhood when my son spotted it and I rescued it. Now's a good time to measure it tho.

I found a lot of $1/yard material at Wal-Mart but not sure what kind I need. They also sell the fleece-backed vinyl like the table clothes are made of for $4/yd.

LC2, why are you going to put plywood down on yours? I'm confused. The swing itself is ok (except the top) it's just the material on it that deteriorated.

Mine has a sort of woven seat and when it starts unraveling will just cut a piece of plywood to fit and my hus. will screw it on and will get cushions for it.