Updated on January 28th, 2023
If you want comfort outdoors you could buy these lovely Pottery Barn, striped pillows for $29 each. Or, you could make your own using a repurposed vinyl tablecloth such as this one from Target’s Whim line by Cynthia Rowley for only $3.95 in stores.
We used a Martha (Stewart, that is) idea: Use shower curtains and old vinyl tablecloths to make outdoor pillows. We tried it and it worked great.
Here is how you do it:
- Cut two squares to the desired size from a shower curtain or tablecloth, adding about half an inch to each side for the seam.
- Place the right sides of two pieces of fabric together and pin the edges straight.
- Sew around the edges. Make sure to leave a small opening for the stuffing.
- Turn your fabric right side out and stuff with stuffing.
- Gently fold together the open hole and use a needle and thread to stitch the hole shut.
Tip: Re-use the stuffing from an old throw pillow or one from a thrift store. Re-using thrift store pillows is a cheap and easy way to find stuffing and even a template for your pillows (indoors or out).
Also, if using vinyl, you could probably skip a step and sew your pillow leaving the seams on the outside. That means, when you place the fabric together you leave the right sides on the outside and just sew.