Before you tear into your patio chair cushion reupholstery project, select a fabric meant for outdoor use. If you don’t get the perfect fabric, the pillow will fade quickly and also come apart at the seams from weathering. Don’t let all your hard work go to waste by picking the wrong fabric. Boxed and welted cushions aren’t that hard to sew, as long as you use the old cushion cover as your pattern.

Wash and dry the fabric before you cut it. This preshrinks it and makes it simpler to utilize. Set it apart.

Insert the seam ripper between the seams of the old cushion to eliminate the threads. Run the seam ripper up the seam to decrease the threads. Repeat this for all of the fabric seams. Do not cut through the fabric — you may use the old cushion bits as the pattern for your new pillow. Remove the pillow and set it apart.

Remove the dangling threads together the seams of the pillow pieces. Place the person pieces, which contain a top, bottom and four sides on the ironing board to iron each bit. You want the fabric to lay as flat as you can.

Lay the pillow pieces in your new upholstery fabric. Pin them in place with quilting or sewing pins.

Cut the new cushion panels from the brand new upholstery fabric following the layout of the previous pieces.

Measure the seam allowance on the previous bits so you know the seam allowance needed for the brand new cushion panels.

Cut bias strips for the welting, if the pillow had welting, broader than the upholstery or welting string.

Fold the bias strips above the welting cord and sew as close to the cord as possible. Avoid sewing the string itself. Use a zipper foot to make this simpler. Ensure that the incorrect sides sandwich the string. You may sew on the ideal side of the fabric.

Sew the ends of the four side panels together in three corners, leaving the fourth corner detached.

Attach the side boxing panels — straight sides together — into the bottom and top panels using sewing pins, sandwiching the welting cord between the seams where they join the top and bottom panels. The welting cord helps prevent extra wear and tear. Leaving one end open for inserting the pillow.

Sew along the seam allowance measured from Measure 5 to attach the bottom and top pieces to the panels, but leave one side open to insert the cushion. Remove the pins as you sew.

Insert the pillow through the open side. Hand stitch the opening shut.