You may not realize it, but it is probably a lot easier that you thought to make your own outdoor patio furniture covers. If you are the crafty type, there are a few advantages to making your own – 1) a custom fit cover can be quite a bit cheaper, 2) you can choose whatever color and pattern you would like so you have a completely individual set for your backyard.

Keeping your furniture protected from the elements is an important task if you want to avoid unnecessary damage caused by exposure. Depending on how far south you are, the sun can be extremely hard on your wood or metal furniture as well as its protective coating, whether that is oil, sealer or paint. For many of us who live close to the ocean, salt spray is an additional concern which will prematurely age your furniture, causing it’s lifespan to be shortened, or increasing maintenance time and costs; both of which can be avoided by protecting it before it gets damaged.

The first step to making your own covers is material selection. There are more factors to consider than color or pattern alone. The price point of the material is going to be dependent on the quality. There are some specially formulated materials which are more weather resistant than others, which will obviously be more expensive than a generic fabric. This is not necessarily always the case, so it is important that the material you choose is worth the cost, both in terms of protective value, as well as esthetic appeal.

The goal in making your own patio furniture covers is creating a well fitting set of covers customized to your particular furniture. You must be careful to take proper measurements at this stage, as this is the most important part of creating a tailored cover. One of the simplest table covers that you can easily make is simply a piece of material cut 16 inches larger than the table (8 inches larger on all four sides), and then folded over one inch to make a wide hem. Run a cord through this hem to use as a drawstring, and your table top cover will fit perfectly.

Creating a custom fitting cover for your chair is as simple as creating essentially a cube with one side shorter than the other. The back will be a rectangle measuring the same as the back of the chair, and the front will measure the same as the front of the chair, either as high as the seat, or the top of the arms if your chair has arms. The sides are slightly trickier, since they are not rectangles, but rather they are cut with one side as high as the arms or seat at the front, and the other side cut to the height of the chair back. Make sure that all your pieces have a seam allowance, and a bit of extra size so they will slip easily over the chair once constructed. As with table covers, you can add a hem with a drawstring at the bottom if you chair covers need extra securing.

This should get you started on the right path to making your own outdoor patio furniture covers. As you can see, it’s not much harder than creating a pattern which will suit your furniture, and adding a little extra seam allowance. Once you’ve decided to make your own, you’ll probably be pleasantly surprised at how easy it is, as well as how much choice you now have for color and pattern options.