How to Make Monogrammed Slipcovers for Outdoor Chaise Lounge Chairs

How to make two types of outdoor slipcovers for outdoor chair cushions or any porch or patio chair using ready made terrycloth beach or bath towels. The first way requires no sewing to cover outdoor chairs. The second slipcover requires some sewing.

Post Updated: 7/2/2020

If the chair cushions on your outdoor chairs are old, ugly, faded, ripped or you just want your outdoor chairs to look or feel better on a hot summer day then don’t throw them away… re-cover them.

How to Make Outdoor Lounge Chair Slipcovers

Cushions BEFORE

To make slipcovers for these old chaise cushions I used fluffy white bath sheet towels that I bought for $6 a piece at a Ollie’s Discount Store. Walmart and Target sell large white towels that are affordable.

Before I started making the slipcovers for the cushions, I added some length to them since they were too short for the chairs.

To do this, I cut an old bed pillow in two, length-wise.  I then had to cut each half of the pillow to fit the bottom of each cushion making them the same length as the chairs.  I then pinned the pillow to the chaise cushion and using my sewing machine sewed them together. Not pretty, but I knew the slipcover would hide this addition.

Cushions AFTER with Monogrammed Towel Slipcovers

supplies needed:

• Beach towels or large bath sheets: Each chaise required two and a half towels.  You could also use terry cloth fabric yardage from the fabric store
• Thread
• Sewing machine
• Scissors
• Pencil

The towel cover is made up of 3 pieces – top, underside, and a flap.  It is basically a long pillow case with a flap.

This photo will give you a better idea on how I constructed the towel slipcovers. The cover looks like a long pillow case with a flap.  If you look closely you can see the seam where I had to add another towel to the end of the top and bottom towels to add length.  Once the flap is over the front all the way it hides this seam.

1. Wash the towels in hot water for shrinkage and to get rid of extra lint.

2. Place the chaise cushion on one towel to make a pattern.

3.  Optional: If your towel is long enough you can skip this step: The towels I bought were shorter than the chaise, so after I cut the long side off, I then used that excess section of towel to sew to the top to add the length I needed.  I made sure I placed where this seam would be at the top opening of the slipcover so the flap would hide it.

4. Once I had the correct length, I cut the second towel the same way I did for the top piece to use for the underside of the cover.

5. Once they were both cut out and the same length,  place the right sides of the top and underside pieces together and pin and sew the two sides and bottom together.

The slipcover looked like a sleeping bag at this point.

6. Turn right side out.

7. Straighten and smooth corners and press if needed.

Add Slipcover Flap

1. To make the flap section for the cover, cut the 3rd towel in half width-wise.

Optional:  Have had each flap section of the towel monogrammed by a local monogram shop. Google to find one in your area.   The monogram is 4 1/2″ high.  Cost was $14.00.

2. This monogrammed piece is for the “flap” section of the slipcover. Measure and cut this piece to fit the open “back” edge of the cover.  Since I had to cut the towel to fit – I had to hem each side of this flap piece. This flap will hide the seam I had to make since my towels were not as long as the cushions.

3. Sew the right side of the flap to the right side of the underside section of the slipcover.

Chaise Lounges With New Towel Covers

Simple, spa-like, easy to remove and washable outdoor chair slipcovers.

Flip the flap over the top of the cushion.

When they get dirty, I can simply remove them to wash.