I admit it, I don’t like to throw things away. Knowing the predisposition for hording in my family I have also had to adjust my purchasing habits and try not to buy too many things either. The second hand shops help – once I began to think of them as lending libraries rather than stores – but there are lots of things that can’t be donated. See: the umbrella shade cover from a broken patio umbrella that was in my shed for two years after a neighbor gave it to me. Good news! I also have some broken patio chairs that were repaired once with scrap upholstery fabric. Word to the wise: scrap upholstery fabric is not for outdoors. So – chair repair 2.0.

Just like all upholstery projects – the trick is to take it apart slowly and use the pieces as patterns for the new one. This project, of course, was significantly easier than an upholstered chair or couch. In these chairs the rails had rubber “bones” in them that slide out easily and can be slid in a new piece of fabric. This is what keeps the fabric from coming out. Easy peasy once I had the right fabric. Even the measuring and sewing was simple as the fabric had such a clear grain line I just followed that – no marking or pinning.

I’ve made other things with broken umbrella toppings:

A cover for my BBQ.
A cover for my son’s backpack.

These two were very simple, just sew a little channel and insert an elastic. I had previously bought waterproof fabric for covering my own backpack ($$$!!!) – this one works just as well and it lighter weight. So, the next time your umbrella breaks – take off the fabric before you throw away (or dismantle and recycle – it’s metal!) the frame. You just never know when you might need it.

…try new things, fix stuff, get your hands dirty, read about everything and live life the most that you possibly can while still being as kind as possible – to people and to the world around you.