DIY Outdoor Bench Makeover

TRANSFORM ANY OUTDATED PIECE OF FURNITURE INTO BEAUTIFUL OUTDOOR FURNITURE WITH CUSTOM CUSHIONS

If I had a dollar for every time I picked up a piece of furniture from the side of the road, well let’s just say my husband would be happier if I came home with just the dollar ? It is amazing the treasures that people throw away & this DIY outdoor bench makeover in our outdoor series is brought to you by another curbside pickup!

If you have been following along you know we are kneedeep in our outdoor series! We have been taking on lots of fun outdoor DIY projects that increase our home’s curb appeal. Now that the front yard is buttoned up its time to move onto the backyard, starting with the patio. Project #1 on the list: DIY Outdoor Bench Makeover!

~Check out our patio design board here~

~THIS POST IS PART OF A PAID PARTNERSHIP WITH SUREBONDER, HOWEVER LIKE ALWAYS THESE THOUGHTS & OPINIONS ARE 100% MY OWN! TAKE A PEEK AT OUR PRIVACY & DISCLOSURE POLICY~

Lets take a look at my curbside pickup:

Pretty right?! Yes, the fabric cushions are ripped & the wood finals need to be replaced but do you see the potential? My plans are to paint the entire bench a dark, vibrant color & make a new outdoor cushion using my SureBonder Trigger Fire Staple Gun! We have a lot to do so let’s get started,

Supplies:

• Sample Size Paint
• Sander
• SureBonder Trigger Fire Staple Gun
• Fabric
• 1″ Foam
• Plywood

The process:

I started by trying to remove the fabric cushions from the bench, but it took me 30 minutes to remove one & if you saw our Instagram stories you know it was just too hot for all that, so I moved onto plan B.

Buying a new piece of plywood & ripping down to size was much easier than messing around with the two other cushions.

After I fit the new bench seat I got to sanding. The impatient me wants to always skip sanding, but this is a super important step because we don’t want out new paint to chip off or go on unevenly.

Once the sanding was complete I used my jigsaw to cut off the old finals. It looks like someone thought they were a snack ?

Replacing the finals was super easy. I picked up some wooden ones that were actually a little bit fancier from Lowes. Then I used a screw to start my hole & simply twisted on the new finals.

After the new finals were in place it was time to get painting! I debated between 4 sample paints I already had & ended up deciding the darkest one would be best for the outdoor patio vibe I am going for.

DIY Outdoor Cushion

Now onto the fun part, making the custom cushion! I used this same easy process when I made the cushion for our builtin bench project & it is still holding up great 2 years later.

This method is completely no-sew & you only need 4 supplies! Start by ripping a thin sheet of plywood for your base, this piece was only $8 & I have extra for another project. The base should be the same length & width as your bench seat minus 2 inches from the length.

Lay the foam of the length of your board & cut it to fit. I just used scissors to slice through the foam.

Next I used my SureBonder Trigger Fire staple gun to secure each side & hold the foam in place.

Then, flip the board with the foam over & layout your fabric underneath. I chose this simple linen type outdoor fabric so that it would go with all my different throw pillows.

Start by stapling in the sides of the board first, keeping the fabric taught as you make your way around the board.

I fold the edges just like I am wrapping a present. Secure the fabric with your staple gun as you go. Normally this is a lot of work pressing down really hard on the board for each staple but the Trigger Fire gun was so easy to use & did the work for me.

Ta-Da

Ahhh so much better! This little bench is perfect for my backyard patio & looks amazing. Can you believe someone was going to throw this beauty away? All it needed was a little TLC, fabric, & paint. Plus my easy DIY outdoor cushion method made this project a breeze. Let me know what y’all think about my upholstery method & guess which outdoor project we are tackling next!

Outdoor Project Series:

• Patio Design Board
• Edging In Landscape The Lazy Girl Way
• $15 Planter Box
• Outdoor Bench Makeover
• $3 Outdoor Lanterns
• $150 Outdoor Dining Table & Bench
• DIY Concrete Planter

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