Wicker Chair Cushions

Taking Care Of Your Wicker Chair Cushions

Have a plain wicker chair that needs spruced up - or perhaps an older piece that has given many years of faithful service, but is looking worn? An inexpensive option is to accessorize your chair - with one of many beautiful wicker chair cushions that are available from many dealers and outlets.

Wicker Chair Cushions: Ensure A Proper Fit

If your wicker chair cushions are to be useful, they must fit properly on the chair, and since chairs come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, you will need to measure your chair first before purchasing the cushions. You will need to get measurements on the following parts of your chair:

Back - the height of the back (the part you lean against), as well as its width (across). The back dimensions are very important if you want a cushion for the back (often back cushions are held on to the back by the use of ties, or strings, which attach the wicker chair cushions to the poles or knobs found there).

Seat - the length and width of the seat of the chair. If you want your wicker chair cushions for the seat, you will also need to specify a thickness for it (I personally think that the thicker the cushion the better, but you will need to choose what's right for you).

Wicker Chair Cushions: Location, Location, Location

Before you rush out and get that cushion, consider: were is the chair located (or where will it be located)? Will the chair be used primarily indoors or outdoors? If your chair will be used indoors, you will have many more choices of styles and fabrics available; if your chair will be used out-of-doors, you will need to make sure that the fabrics and fill of your wicker chair cushion will be water and sun-proof, as well as fade-resistant (both moisture and sun can cause fabrics to fade). The fill should also be waterproof, and wicker chair cushions for outside should be mold-resistant, as well.

Wicker Chair Cushions: Fabric Impressions Are Lasting Impressions

The most visible part of your wicker chair cushions is the fabric. This is what people will see first when they look at your chair. You can use this to your advantage, to draw the eye away from other parts of an otherwise worn chair. The fabric on wicker chair cushions designed to be used outside should be bright, colorful and suggest an 'outdoor' theme (plant or flower motifs are good choices). For indoor furniture, the fabric print can be more subdued and relaxed. In general, wicker chair cushions made out of a synthetic material will be more durable than those made out of silk or cotton, and are sometimes cheaper as well.

Wicker Chair Cushions: It's What's Inside That Counts

If the fabric used on your cushion is what is seen, the 'inside' is what is FELT. Felt, that is, when you lean against it or sit on it. The insides are referred to at the fill - and the fill can be either of a man-made or natural substance. The fill must be able to 'bounce back' after being sit on or leaned against repeatedly. It should be moisture, mildew and flame-resistant, and should allow body heat to escape easily, or your cushion will become uncomfortable to sit on for extended periods.

Wicker Chair Cushions: Fancy Extras - Expendable Expense or Essential Equipment?

You can add fancy 'extras' to your cushions - buttons, cords, ties, all sorts of do-hickeys. Are they really essential? In most cases no, and they can add to the cost. However, some folk really like them to be on their wicker chair cushions, so the choice is really up to you. Be aware, however, that if you want your wicker chair cushions for the seat of your chair, then sitting on a button could be painful!

Wicker Chair Cushions: A Simple DIY Project

Finally, if you are really looking to save some money, you can purchase books that will show you how to take sheets, pillowcases and other fabric items from the home and transform them into wicker chair cushions. But take care to use the right kind of fabric, in good condition, and the proper fill. These make great sewing projects, but not all are able to do this kind of work, so for them the pre-made ('off the rack') and custom-made versions are best.