Create an outdoor sanctuary in your backyard with this relaxing daybed!
Outdoor daybed
Materials:
- 4 palettes or skids
- One gallon outdoor paint (with primer built in) and paintbrush
- One outdoor grade foam mattress (you can get a custom one from foamite.com)
- Two yards or 110” wide outdoor fabric (and thread)
- 5 yards or 1” elastic
Instructions:
Start by painting the palettes.
You can either line them up so they are 48”x80”, or 40”x96”, depending on what size you want. Stack a second layer on top.
To make slip-cover, lay fabric flat, and place mattress on top, centered (you’ll have to trim two edges to have the same distance all around, about 10”)
With chalk, draw a line that extends the width of the foam to the edge of the fabric. Repeat with the length. You will have four squares at the corner of the fabric. Cut these out (fabric will be shaped in a fat cross). Stitch cut sides (inside of the the corners together).
Sew a 2” pocket all around, leaving a 4” opening to thread the elastic through.
Thread elastic in, and sew end together.
Place fitted cover on mattress.
Place on skid, and finish off with toss cushions (outdoor grade if you plan on leaving them outside).
Canopy
Materials:
- 8 8’ bamboo poles
- 6 yards 110” fabric
- twine
Instructions:
Plant four bamboo poles firmly in the ground, and the four corners of the daybed
Tie a length of string about 1 yard long 2” down from the top of each pole
Have someone hold one pole 2” down from two of the upright poles, and secure in place with twine, wrapping around and diagonally as tight as you can.
Repeat around all poles so that you are creating a square from which to hang the fabric.
If the structure needs to be re-enforced, use two more bamboo poles at each end of the structure, securing them in place with twine so that they form an X (they are acting as cross bracing.
Drape fabric over canopy.
Courtesy Virginie Martocq
@virginiemartocq