I am doubly excited today. First, I made a new slipcover for my bench! All by myself! And second, I actually did it before lunch time. I am posting a good 12 hours before I usually get to it =).
A while back my good friend Emily pinned this tutorial for a DIY bench.
I had no desire to build a bench from scratch, but the cover immediately caught my eye. I had been trying to figure out how to re-upholster this old bench I got on Freecycle. It is just the right size for the space we have, and it also serves as extra seating when we have guests for dinner--we just pull it over to the dining room. But, as you can see, it is not especially attractive.
It is actually a coffee table that the previous owner converted into a bench, and they did not do a particularly neat job on the corners. I didn't want to repeat that mistake. So when I saw this cover, it was like an epiphany--it eliminated the bunchy corner problem, AND I could pull it off and wash it as needed. WHY DIDN'T I THINK OF THAT?! No matter, that is why I have Pinterest; so I don't have to think of things myself.
This is the fabric I ordered on Amazon. I love it!
If you scroll down to Step 5 in the bench tutorial, you will find the instructions for sewing the slipcover. I followed them pretty exactly, substituting the measurements for my bench and adding 1/2" on each side to compensate for the seams. My bench was 19 1/2" x 36", so these were the pieces I cut:
Top: 1 piece 20 x 36.5
Long Sides: 2 pieces 36.5 x 8
Short Sides: 2 pieces 20 x 8
(The white edge of the fabric is showing in the picture; I didn't include it in the measurement.)
It was a surprisingly easy project. If you are more proficient/less nervous at sewing, this could easily be done in an hour. After you subtract toddler entertainment/snack breaks, it really didn't take me much longer than that.
Here it is when I fitted it before hemming:
And after hemming:
Ta-Da! This is a super easy way to re-do an existing bench or turn a table into a bench. I can't wait to paint and add some cute hardware to finish this off.
That looks great! I can't believe you found sheets in a matching print too. Way to go.
ReplyDeleteIf I were going to sew that I would only cut out three pieces - I would add the front and back "long sides" to the main piece and just cut out one 36.5 X 34. Just a thought for when you re-do it in 5 years :)