How to Recover a Metal Swing Cushion

Remove the old cushion from the metal swing, and turn it over. The covering fabric most likely will be stapled to the bottom board and, thus, will have a paper, cardboard or plastic sheet covering the entire bottom to hide the edges of the fabric. Use a screwdriver to remove the staples or whatever fasteners are keeping the fabric and cover sheet on the board. If it's glued, try to remove the cover sheet without tearing it; if you tear it, you can replace it.

Remove any staples that hold the fabric to the bottom board. If it's glued, tear it away from the board. Separate the cushion components. You will have the cover sheet, the bottom board, the foam or fiberfill cushion and the upholstery fabric. Inspect the cushion for mold or mildew. Replace it with a new one if you see evidence of this.

Smooth out and flatten the old upholstery fabric. Use a seam ripper to remove any darts that may be present. Separate the side panel of the cushion fabric if there is one. This is now your pattern.

Pin the pattern pieces to your new upholstery fabric. Your new fabric should be appropriate for outdoor use. Position the pattern on the new fabric, taking any print or stripe patterns into account so that the finished cushion looks the way you want it. Mark any darts with tailor’s chalk. Cut out the new fabric pieces and remove the pins.

Sew any darts along the marked lines. If your cushion has a side panel, place the fabric piece's right sides together and sew them with the same seam allowance that the old fabric had.

Center the cushion on the wrong side of the new cushion cover. Adjust the corners, if there are any, so that the foam or fiberfill sits correctly. Place the bottom board on top of the cushion.

Begin in the middle of a long side of the cushion and wrap an edge of the fabric over the edge of the board. Tack it in place with a staple. Repeat on the opposite side, drawing the fabric taut but not too tight across the cushion. Repeat in the middle of the two shorter sides as well. Turn the cushion over and inspect it for fabric position and tautness. Readjust the staples if needed.

Turn the cushion back over and begin next to one of the staples on a long side. Staple the fabric every 2 or 3 inches, and work your way around the cushion to secure all the fabric to the board.

Cover the edges of the fabric with the cover sheet if you have one. Use the old one as a pattern and cut a new one out of a plastic sheet If you need a new cover sheet. You can find plastic sheets at craft stores. Center the cover sheet over the stapled fabric edges and staple into place.