DIY Outdoor Furniture: Ana White Sectional Plans

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Many years ago I posted on my previous blog about the DIY Outdoor Furniture my husband built for our patio. Although he custom made the sectional for our dimensions at the old house, the versatility of the piece with its moving pieces ended up working great on our front porch after the move. Sadly, I let the front porch become pretty run down over the years and recently featured a refresh to give life to the porch using simple DIY decor. You can see all about the before and after here.

One of the projects during the refresh was the update of the DIY Outdoor Furniture Sectional. Using just a few cans of spray paint, I darkened the color of the sectional and achieved the deep brown espresso color I had always wanted for the sofa. I used this spray paint and am happy with the coverage and slight sheen the product has (yes, I know I missed an inside leg with the spray paint!)

DIY Outdoor Furniture Plans:

So, how did my hubby make this? Well, we used two sets of plans. The first is from the original creator of the plan, Ana White, and can be found here.

Next, we decided to create it using the modifications from this blogger,  36th Avenue for a more budget friendly option.

The Process:

Ok, so this is my husband’s perspective and not mine because I was not involved in the building whatsoever. However, I will give my thoughts on the cushions below because that was all me. Overall the parts went together well but there was some confusion about the measurements at times. It took several days to complete the building, priming, and painting…so don’t begin to attempt this unless you have the time to spend. While it was a fairly easy project in terms of building furniture I don’t feel this is a quick and easy beginner project. I guess I am gonna go out on a limb here and say if I had tried to take this project on it would likely not have turned out. If you have some experience and are confident using the tools needed, then go for it. Just make sure you set aside plenty of time for this project.

Outdoor Cushions:

Many years ago when this sectional was first built I made the cushions and I did not recommend it. I have since found a much easier and faster way to recover them. That being said, I still think that if you can find a deal on cushions it is probably well worth the time and money to buy the outdoor cushions. I found that the foam, trying to waterproof the piece, fabric, and labor were just not providing the cost savings. My first set of cushions were made out of drop cloth and while it worked well for a couple years, the fabric wore down in the weather quickly and ripped over time. So, what did I do differently the next time around? I got thinking about the amount of work it took to sew each individual cushion. In an effort to streamline the process I decided to put 3-4 foam pieces inside each new cushion cover. By doing this I was able to only sew 4 covers total. It saved tons of time and money. However, it does mean that the furniture can not be moved into different configurations because the cushions can not be separated.

Supplies/Tutorial:

1. 1. For my cushions I already had the foam. I purchased it from Joanns during a sale to save money. Had I been making these larger bench cushions I wouldn’t have cut my pieces all apart and that would also have saved even more time.
   2. Fabric- I purchased tablecloths from Target for this project. They were large, durable, held up to washing, and for the amount of fabric they were affordable. I believe they were on sale or clearance when I purchased them but I do not remember the exact price I paid.
   3. Tutorial for bench cushion. I used this one and found it to work perfectly. I omitted the piping this time around because I wanted something quick. However, even if trying to save time, make sure you finish the seams on the inside of the cushion so they do not unravel when you wash the covers. This was the step I had to fix during my refresh project. I also made the mistake of buying adhesive backed velcro when I first redid these cushions. You will want to purchase sew on velcro like this instead.

4. Add ties to your cushions. This step is critical in my part of the world. We deal with high winds and if these are not secured, they can end up in another neighborhood! You can see how the ties look from the back of the piece.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This particular set of cushions has held up great. I think I am on year 3 or 4 with these covers and although I store them inside during winter, overall they have held up to the weather and washings. During the refresh I added pillows that add so much comfort to this DIY outdoor sectional. We have been enjoying lots more summer afternoons and evenings out here and I love having a nice little seating area outside my home. I will post the tutorial on covering the footstools soon. Until next time, Happy Sewing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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