DIY Outdoor Sofa
I cannot even remember where I came across this gorgeous outdoor sofa for the first time. But I knew when I saw it, Tim was going to have another project!
I have been looking at similar outdoor furniture but the sticker shock was too much!
Do people really pay those prices?!
I am all for paying for quality but if I can figure away to save me money, I am all for giving it a go! In my experience DIY is often the best bang for your buck!
When Tim gets a bee in his bonnet to build something, he is laser focused on getting it done. He put this sofa together over the course of a day and a half!
For a total cost of around $50.00 in lumber supplies. We already had white paint.
The cushions on the other hand. An entire other story!
Who would think it would be so difficult to find 24 by 24 by 6 inch cushions in June? The beginning of patio season for goodness sake! There were literally none to be found locally, and I was not about to pay $650 for a set ordered on-line.
The whole idea of this project was to save money!
My idea was to purchase custom sized foam from an on-line source at a much more reasonable $60 each. Discount fabric from Fabricland and I would be good to go!
But the frugal side in me was determined to find an even better price!
After a bit of research we purchased a 6 inch thick twin foam mattress from a local furniture store. As luck would have it the regular price was $99, but we got their on a scratch and save day and ended up spending only $89! And it was also bonus day so we got 2 free queen size pillows!
The mattress is firm enough to hold its shape really well, yet soft enough to be really comfortable. It has turned out to be a perfect spot to relax and put your feet up!
I really want to have 3 individual cushions covered in navy fabric with white piping.
My mother with the killer sewing skills decided to cruise on over the England and Ireland, followed by a lesiurely 12 day cruise back. She would be gone for 6 weeks. Her departure coincided with the completion of the bench.
I tend to be a bit really inpatient and needed a solution ASAP! Sewing them myself was not an option. I am entirely without any skills when it comes to needle and thread.
As a temporary solution we decided to cut the foam to make one solid cushion the entire length and width of the bench. The existing red cover complete with zipper and white piping wasn’t all that horrible, we decided to live with that this summer! We simply folded it underneath the back side.
My mom will be pleased to know she has a winter project waiting for her!
So all in, we have ourselves a gorgeous, incredibly strong and sturdy outdoor sofa for just under $150.00!
and…….
……….Tripper has a better vantage point to watch the birds and squirrels in the park behind our yard!
The plans for this DIY outdoor sofa can be found here at Ana-White.com! Â It is from the Weathery collection. Â The original plan includes finials on the corners, but I haven’t decided if I want to add those or not!
You can see other Ana White projects we have done here and here!
love this! would love if you shared over at Friday Favorites Thursday night or over the weekend! I think my {first} husband is going to have a project too! laura
Thank you Laura! Of course I will share. Looking forward to it!
I love it. Is your hubby available to do another one? LOL. Will you be sharing your build plans?
Thanks Erlene!! You will have to wait in line….I have a long list of DIY’s for hubby 🙂 There is a link to the plans in the post, but here is a shortcut! http://ana-white.com/2011/04/weatherly-sofa
It looks wonderful and so cheery! A wonderful spot to enjoy the outdoors. 🙂
Thank you Tracy! With the summer season so short, we try to spend as much time outdoors as we can 🙂
You are so lucky to have someone who can build things like this for you! My husband is willing but, God bless him, isn’t able. 🙂
I am indeed blessed, and sometimes I have to check myself that I don’t try to push him beyond his limits!!
For years I have wanted to build my own outdoor sofa and always hit the road block of the high cost of the foam. And here you have solved that with a $99 foam mattress -my frugal side is beyond thrilled you found this! How did you cut it down from the 38″ wide to the 24″ for your sofa? What tools did you use and was it hard? Is it still holding up to the outdoor use? Has it been rained on or have you been able to cover it or bring it in every time it rains? Thanks ~ Kari
Hi Kari! Thanks for stopping by. I was super excited to find the mattress as well. We used an electric knife (the kind you may have in your kitchen to cut meat!) that cut through the foam like butter. Just be sure to keep a steady hand and go slow to keep a straight edge! I do bring the mattress in when it calls for rain. My plan is to have my mom sew a new cover next year from outdoor fabric which is more weather resistant.
An electric knife this almost sounds too good to be true! I was looking at cushion prices for a bench and porch swing and yikes you are spending at least $60 Cdn a piece for something not as thick so think I will order a mattress and e-knife instead! I will have some material left over from that to make a few chair cushions too – yay!
Hey this might just be because I am not super blog savvy but on a number of blogs I read when you comment you can check a box below the comment you are posting it to be notified when a new comment is posted – either a reply from the author or other readers. I don’t see that function on your page – is that me being blind or is that a feature you control on the back end and could turn on so I get an email when you reply? It is so nice to read Cdn blogs from like minded people I don’t want to miss your replies – thanks!
You are correct Kari! It should have a box to check to receive replies to comments! I am looking into it. Thanks for the heads up. Would love to know how your project turns out!