Tie Cotton Swabs Together for This Outdoor Seating Update

Alicia W
by Alicia W
6 Materials
$35
1 Day
Medium
I love the soft look of watercolor, don't you? These chair cushions are NOT watercolor; they are just faded and moldy - yuk! They needed to be recovered and given a new life. Watch the video below to see how I did it with cotton swabs!

BEFORE:
I purchased a white, king, flat bed sheet from Walmart for this project. Watch the video below to see how I brought these seats back to life!
Begin by removing the old covers from the cushions. You will use the old covers as a template for the new covers.
After you've washed (without fabric softener) and dried your fabric (bedsheet), lay it out double sided and place the old cushion cover on top.
Using chalk, trace the outside edge of the old cushion cover on one half. Cut that half out.
To assure an even shape, fold the cut half over and trace and cut out the remainder of the fabric (bed sheet).
For the paint, I used tube watercolor instead of cakes. Tubes will give you a consistent color overall.
Add a small amount into a container.
Add three times as much fabric medium and mix together.
Add water and mix again. The more water you add, the lighter the color.
For my project, instead of a paint brush, I used cotton swabs.
For a bigger impact, I rubber banded approximately 20 swabs together. I used this bundle for my main color.
I made two smaller bundles for my two accent colors.
Cover your surface with an old towel and then placed two layers of paper toweling over the old towel.
Place your fabric (bed sheet), single sided, on top of the toweling.


(I didn't use plastic because it doesn't absorb the water, thereby making the fabric very wet which causes the colors to run into each other more than I wanted them to.)
Dip the bunches of cotton swabs into the watercolor and apply it to the fabric.
The longer you allow the cotton swabs to be in contact with the fabric, the more paint will be applied to the fabric resulting in a larger area of color.
I also used individual cotton swabs for small spots of color.
When you've completed your design (it's very hard to stop :), hang your fabric to dry.
When the fabric is dry, lay a cloth over the fabric and press it with a hot iron. This will seal the color onto the fabric. Check out the amazing result in the video below!


AFTER:
Isn't that gorgeous? And it's so quick and easy. Everyone in my family loves our outdoor seating now. It feels so fresh and new, but the revamp cost almost nothing!
Suggested materials:
  • Watercolor paints in a tube   (ACMoore)
  • Fabric Medium   (JoAnn Fabric)
  • Flat Bed Sheet in white   (Walmart)
See all materials
Frequently asked questions
Have a question about this project?
3 of 5 questions
  • Heather Witt Heather Witt on Jun 08, 2019

    Do you use anything to seal or waterproof the bed sheet after this? I’m thinking about doing this but I’m afraid if it gets wet it will get ruined... my porch is covered but it may get damp if it’s very windy. Thank you for sharing this! Cushions are ridiculously expensive (or maybe I am just cheap 😂😅)

  • Beverley Beverley on Jul 10, 2019

    When I pressed after I was shown a series of movies ??? I would love to see the outcome. Can you post a picture?

  • Ruth Ann Moreland Ruth Ann Moreland on Jul 21, 2019

    What kind of zipper did you use? You didn’t address that.

Comments
Join the conversation
2 of 6 comments
Next