Upcycled Cabana Chair

SUPPLIES & TOOLS:

• Outdoor Chair
• Chair Cushions (For Back and Seat of Chair)
• Outdoor Canvas (For Cushions and Shade)
• Sewing Machine
• Sewing Notions
• Polyester Outdoor Thread
• Rotary Cutter & Cutting Board
• Ruler
• Iron & Ironing Board
• Marking Pen or Pencil


• FOR PICTURED CHAIR:
  • 3/4" X 1 1/2" X 8' Pine Boards (3)
  • 1" X 1/4" Plywood Strips
  • 1/4" Dowel Rods (2, length determined in "Shade Construction)
  • Clamps
  • Wood Glue
  • Drill & Drill Bits
  • Screwdriver or Appropriate Drill Bits (for Screws)
  • 1 1/2" Outdoor Wood Screws (14)
  • 2" Outdoor Wood Screws (2)
  • Tape Measure
  • Sander/Sandpaper
  • Saw
  • Stain
  • Rags
  • Disposable Gloves

DIRECTIONS:
NOTE:
Recover chair cushions with outdoor canvas envelope back slipcovers. Measure cushions.
Use 1/2" SA.
W = width, H = height, D = depth.

CUT CANVAS AS THE FOLLOWING:

1. top (center directional fabric) - W + 1" X D + 1"
2. bottom - two pieces at W + 1" X 2/3 of D + 1 1/2"
3. sides - two pieces at W + 1" X H + 1", and final two pieces at D + 1" X H + 1".

SEWING & CONSTRUCTION:

1. Sew RST sides into loop. Alternate W sides with D sides.
2. Sew short ends starting and stopping 1/2" from corners. Press seams open.
3. RST sides to top. Match corners.
4. Sew one top W to side W strip from side seam to side seam.
5. Repeat for opposite side.
6. Repeat for adjacent sides. Press seams to sides.
7. Sew hem on one W edge of bottom panel.
8. Fold over 1/2" then again 1/2".
9. Topstitch close to fold. Repeat.
10. Place both bottom panels RSU overlapping hemmed edges so finished D is 1" larger than cushion D. Baste 1/4" from edges at overlap.
11. RST bottom to sides same as top to sides. Clip corners. Zig zag edges to prevent fray.
12. TRSO through bottom opening. Push out corners with chopstick or dowel. Press seams.
13. Insert cushion through bottom overlap opening.
14. Measure to determine cuts for vertical supports for cabana shade top. Finished H of top approximately 53" from the floor. Determine two locations for attaching each support, both below the armrest.
15. Pre-drill all screw holes. Use outdoor screws.
16. Prior to attaching supports to the chair, laminated parts were connected (see below) and holes for canvas shade were drilled.
17. Also, all boards were sanded then stained (Cherry stain) to match original chair.

PICTURED CHAIR:

1. 3/4" X 1 1/2" X 4' pine board supports were attached to the sides of the legs of the chair, the 1 1/2" side toward the legs of the chair. The lower sections of supports were widened, by layers of wood, to connect to the legs of the chair below the arms of the chair.
2. Layers of 1" W, 1/4" plywood and 3/4" X 1 1/2" pine board were laminated with wood glue to the support leg and further secured with two outdoor wood screws from the laminated wood side.
3. The bottom edge of the vertical supports set 5" up from the floor.
4. The back edge of the front supports set flush with the back edge of the front legs.
5. The back edge of the back supports followed the angle of the back of the chair.
6. All the supports were screwed to the chair with 2, 1 1/2" screws, one 2" under the armrests and one 2" up from the bottom edge of the supports.
7. All 1 1/2" screws were started from the inside of the chair legs into the supports except the top screws in the back supports.
8. Due to the angle of the back, the top screws need to be longer (2") and inserted from the outside of the vertical support leg into the leg of the chair.
9. Drill 1/4" holes 3/4" down from the top and centered side to side of each support leg. These will be used to attach the shade.
10. Sand all wood to remove any sharp edges and apply stain.

SHADE CONSTRUCTION:

1. Front- measure between the outside edges of front supports, measure close to arms of chair for the most accurate measurement = W
2. Side- measure between the outside edges of the side supports, measure close to the top of the supports for the most accurate measurement (will be wider than by the arms Due to the back angle of the chair) = D
3. Fold canvas RST, fold at front edge of shade.
4. Cut W + 2 1/2" X D + 1/2" on fold.
5. Sew 1/2" SA on sides.
6. Sew 1/2" SA on back starting and stopping 1 1/4" from each corner, leaving a 6" opening in the center. Clip corners. TRSO. Push out corners.
7. Fold in center and 3/4" side openings to match seam. Press. Topstitch 3/4" from both sides (channels for dowel rods). Topstitch close to the edge of the front and back between the channel seams. Add another Topstitch along the front and back 1/4" from the first.

CUT STRIPS FOR SHADE TIES:

1. 4 pieces at 2" X 24". Fold both short ends in 1/2".
2. Fold both long sides in 1/2" (to center) then in half again. Press.
3. Sew close to all edges. Repeat.
4. Attach ties to shade. Mark 1/2" in from the back and the front on each side of shade. Fold a tie in half.
5. Place the folded edge of the tie over the outer edge of the shade, tails of tie toward the center of the shade. Line up the outer edge of the tie with the 1/2" mark on the shade.
6. Attach by sewing directly over the side Topstitch, 3/4" in from the side. Backstitch. Repeat.
7. Cut two 1/4" dowels to insert in 3/4" channels created on sides of shade. Slide dowels in through opening at back of channel on shade.
8. Attach shade to support legs.
9. Place the shade over the top of the supports. The dowel sides of the shade will wrap to the outsides of the supports. Grab one tie on the underside of the shade and push through the hole of the support leg, from the inside of the leg to the outside. Repeat.
10. Take the top end of the tie and overhand knot with the end of the tie that was threaded through the support. Repeat.
11. Wrap the ends of ties around to the inside of the supports and double knot to secure. Alternate method: tie the tails in a bow on the outside of the support.

JOANN HACKS:

• Zip ties may be used instead of screws. Locations could be the same as in the directions for screws. Holes would need to go through all layers of wood.
• Disassemble the cabana top for storage. Remove the shade ties from the supports and roll the shade around the dowels to store. To remove the shade support legs, remove the eight screws from the supports.