Add Color and Comfort to Your Patio Chairs with DIY Pillows

 

Hi my friends, today I am sharing another guest post by the talented interior designer Merri Cvetan.

 

I do not receive any compensation for this, but just thought that you might enjoy her fun DIY pillows.

As you can see, the colors that she chose would go perfectly with my own outdoor furniture.
No wonder I like it! :)

It’s finally summer! For those of you who live with beautiful weather all year long, you don’t realize what "summer" means to us in the north. Our season is so short that we spend every free minute outdoors. That means patios, decks and porches see lots of entertaining, relaxing and plain old lounging. Taking it easy on the patio requires comfortable furniture. Because an outdoor room is an extension of your home, it should also reflect your style and personality. Like any interior redecorating project, accessories like pillows are a great way to change things up.



 

I love easy, inexpensive DIY projects, and these pillows are so easy that even a beginner sewer can make dozens in a short amount of time.

 

 

 

Where to start? My client has a great wicker set with two chairs, a settee and an ottoman. The cushions are a weather resistant fabric in burnt orange. Although the orange is lovely, she wanted to add some pizzazz, but had no idea of which accent color would pair well with it.  
 

Don’t let color scare you! When you’re at a loss, do what the designers do: look at the color wheel. Blue is a primary color and orange is a secondary color. Colors opposite each other on the color wheel are complementary colors. Voila! Simple as that, complementary colors look great together.

 

 



Since blue and orange are complementary colors, I headed to a resale shop looking for sweaters and shirts in shades of blue and turquoise to repurpose into pillows for my client. I bought a solid-color sweater and two patterned shirts. I also purchased a bag of fiberfill to stuff the pillows, but you could also use ready-made pillow forms.

 

 

 



 

Pillow forms come in standard sizes, so you will need to cut out squares of fabric to fit. If you use fiberfill, the pillows can be any size you choose. Sew a straight seam on all sides, leaving a 4-inch opening. Turn right-side-out, stuff and sew up the opening. It’s sew simple—I told you a beginner could do it!

 

 

 

I decided to take advantage of the button-down cardigan. I cut out the front of the sweater so the buttons and ruffles would be part of the decoration.

 

Don’t stop there! Add even more personality to your pillows. Sew a button to the center like the pros do.

 

Or, cinch the middle with a belt.

 

Once you get started, it will be hard to stop. The design options are limitless. But you can never have too many pillows when relaxing on your patio on a hot summer day! They’ll add a decorative touch to your furniture and provide additional comfort.

 

I hope you enjoyed this guest post!

 

hugs,

Jann



Based in Wisconsin, interior designer Merri Cvetan at MEC Design Studio can’t get enough of the warm weather, and makes the most of it by spending as much time as she can outdoors. Merri is a big fan of "patio time." If you are considering some patio upgrades at your home, you can research furniture and accessories on the Home Depot website

This post was featured at Make it Pretty Monday.  Thank you Kathryn.

 

 

I will be sharing with these fun parties:



The Dedicated House for Make it Pretty Monday