Truth be told, this may be my first and last build project. I think some people are made for word-working and I thought I would give it a shot to see if I was one of those people. I’m not so sure I am. Now that it is done, it looks super pretty and I am overall very pleased with it. I got so burned out on it though that I had a hard time finishing it. My first go around, I liked it so much I thought I might build another. I even bought 6 more cushions so we could have two matching outdoor sofas. After a few weeks, we had some people over and the dang thing broke! I was devastated. I worked so hard on making it and it lasted a few weeks! My husband tried to assure me that it wasn’t me, it was the initial design. Although super cute, it seems the design was made more for looks than actual use. Maybe our household is just harder on things with our wild kiddos… but dang! I figured out that there were only 4 screws holding up the entire seat where all the weigh goes. Shaun helped me adapt the design again (first adaption was to accommodate the cushions I liked) so it will hold weight without breaking. We also added some additional wood to make the thing more sturdy and to also to keep the cushions from sliding around.
Here is the instructional video.
Here are the instructions.
Here are my adaptions if you want to use the same cushions. Cushion Seat Dimensions: 6.5 inches thick x 22 wide x 24 deep
Basically, I made it deeper and shorter so the thicker cushions would fit snug. Replace the numbers below on your instructions with the new numbers. My finished sofa used 15 – 2 x 4 x 8 cedar planks. We added planks all around the bottom cushions to keep them from sliding and to the arms where the seat holds the weight.
- 72″ replaced by 66″
- 25.2″ replaced by 28.5″
- 28.5″ replaced by 31.5″
Last but not least, here is the stain I used. I actually really liked this part! I have never seen a stain in a spray paint can but it was the easiest thing in the world. I just sprayed it on and wiped it off.
Please let me know if you have any questions! I’d be happy to help. I spent a LOT of time working on the measurements. Let me know if you make any other alterations. I’d love to see it!
PS: the patio will be done next summer I promise!
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