How to Make a Box Cushion for a Swing

Box cushions are a great sewing skill to learn because they are so versatile. You can use a box cushion for a swing like this, a chair, a bench, or even as a stadium cushion. Once you know the basic principles for making a box cushion, you can adapt those skills to make a cushion of any size!

For our project we re-covered an old cushion, so we chose to reuse the existing foam. If you’re starting from scratch and you need foam, we recommend using CushionRite^® Standard, an antimicrobial polyurethane foam, wrapped in batting. To see how to pattern new foam, you can refer to our "How to Make Cockpit Cushions" blog and video tutorial (#200618XHT).

We chose a striped P/Kaufmann Outdoor fabric for our swing cushion. Stripes are great for a box cushion because they provide a built-in guideline for how to line up the panels when sewing. If you’re using a solid or irregular pattern fabric, don’t worry. Instructions are given in the video on making match-up marks to keep your plates evenly aligned when sewing. At Sailrite^®, we have a wide selection of outdoor upholstery fabrics perfect for cushions. No matter your style, color palette or budget, we have a fabric that's right for you.

In this video you will learn how to pattern the fabric, make piping, create a zipper plaque and assemble the cushion. And be sure to check out the rest of our DIY Porch Makeover series! Just search "Porch Makeover" on our website to find the collection of blogs and how-tos!