13 Simple Ways to Attach Cushions to Patio Furniture

Patio furniture is never complete without cushions. In addition to making your lounging experience more comfy and relaxing, cushions can also spice up the look of your patio.

The problem starts when these cushions keep falling off and you spend your “chill” time just picking them up over and over again. And unfortunately, not all cushions come with built-in ties to help keep them in place.

Whatever the reason preventing your cushions from staying in place, you’re left with a much less comfortable outdoor seating situation and a cluttered, messy appearance.

Luckily, there are more than a couple of ways you can fix this issue.

Today, we’re sharing a detailed guide on how to attach cushions to patio furniture. Let’s get started!

How to Attach Cushions to Patio Furniture

Many things can prevent your cushions from staying put on your patio furniture.

For example, you may be living in a windy area so the cushions constantly get blown away. Or, your cushions may simply be too old and thin that they’re always sliding off.

Additionally, your cushions or patio furniture may be made of a slip-friendly material. Not to mention, you may have kids running around who “play” with the cushions by knocking them off.

The following methods are all easy and effective in securing outdoor cushions in place. Be sure to carefully go through each one to determine the most suitable solution to your cushion dilemma!

1. Use Velcro

One of the most common ways to attach cushions to patio furniture is to use Velcro — well, Velcro strips to be precise.

This material is strong and durable, no wonder it’s used in fastening mechanisms on all sorts of items from shoes to tents.

It’s a cost-effective method to secure your cushions to your patio furniture. It’s also easy to complete as a DIY project, but keep in mind that it’s not ideal for expensive or high-quality cushions because you’ll either sew on the fabric or apply a sticky strip on it.

Here’s what you need to do:

• Grab some Velcro and cut it into two strips about 4 to 6 inches long. This should be enough to give the cushions enough holding power and prevent unwanted movement.
  TIP: One or two strips of Velcro will most likely secure regular-sized cushions without hiccups. If you’re working with wide cushions, you may need to add extra Velcro strips.
• Use a needle and some thread to attach the Velcro strips to the underside of the cushion.
• At the site corresponding to the cushions on the patio furniture, use a needle and some thread to sew Velcro tape.
• Position the cushions with the Velcro over the patio furniture, allowing the Velcro to form a tight closure.

If you don’t have much experience in sewing, don’t worry — you can still use the Velcro method.

You just need to buy a roll of Velcro stick-on. Then, cut the number of strips you want to use, keeping the length of each one between 4 to 6 inches.

After that, simply peel off the protective layer to reveal the sticky backside of the Velcro. Then,  secure one side of the Velcro to the bottom of the cushion and attach the other side of the Velcro to the spot corresponding to the cushion on the patio furniture.

Finally, position the cushions with the Velcro over the patio furniture, allowing the Velcro to form a tight closure.

This Velcro method can also be adapted to securing your outdoor rug to a deck.

2. Add Cushion Ties

Looking for a hassle-free way to keep your cushions from coming off your outdoor furniture? Then you should consider cushion ties.

As the name suggests, this method lets you tie a cushion to the piece of furniture you want it to stay on. Here, you can choose one of the following options:

• Buy cushion covers that already feature built-in ties on their sides and back. 

This way, when you place the cushions in the desired spot on the patio furniture, you can directly use the ties to fasten the cushions to the base, arms, or legs of your furniture.

• Add ties to your tie-less cushions if you don’t want to buy new ones. You can simply do this by cutting a small hole into the underside of the cushion and then looping a piece of cord or fabric tie through said hole.

After that, use the new tie attachment to secure the cushions to the outdoor furniture.

3. Insert Non-Slip Pads

If you don’t feel like going all DIY on your cushions, you can opt for non-slip pads. This is probably the fastest and easiest solution to prevent your cushions from slipping or getting knocked down all the time.

Insert a non-slip pad between the cushion and the base of the patio furniture. These pads are typically made out of silicone and felt, which offer a strong grip without using Velcro or glue.

If you end up with pads that are too large for your cushions, don’t hesitate to trim them with scissors if you don’t want them to be visible.

4. Insert Non-Slip Fabric

Similar to a non-slip pad, you can insert a piece of non-slip fabric between the cushions and the furniture to provide extra grip.

If you’re worried about the fit, just buy a large sheet of non-slip fabric and cut it into several pieces with scissors to fit under your cushions without showing.

5. Place Rubber Pads

For this next method, you just need to get your hands on some rubber pads. You can buy them or look for spare ones around your house in the form of rubber mats or furniture grippers.

Rubber is a naturally non-slip material, so it can provide traction to keep your cushions in place. Specialized rubber pads are even better because they usually feature adhesive backs, which means more grip.

Either way, rubber pads are easy to lay down and remove, so you don’t have to be a DIY guru to get the job done. They’re also generally inexpensive, so you won’t be putting a dent in your wallet if you decide to use them.

One or two rubber pads on the underside of each cushion should be enough to stop its movement.

6. Use a Rubber Sheet

If you can’t get your hands on rubber pads, you can use a large rubber sheet and cut it into smaller pieces to fit underneath the cushions. The exact size will depend on the size of the cushions as the rubber pieces should be smaller.

7. Loop Zip Ties

Zip ties come in very handy when it comes to securing cushions to patio furniture.

Start by gathering a few pieces of zip ties. If possible, choose zip ties that match the color of the furniture to give you a seamless blend.

Then, use scissors to cut a small hole into the underside of the cushion.

After that, loop one of the zip ties through the hole. Next, use the new tie attachment to secure the cushions to the outdoor furniture by normally fastening it to the arms, legs, or base.

8. Add Weights

If your outdoor cushions are always sliding off or getting knocked down by the wind, adding some weights can make them heavy enough to resist such movement.

You can place small, discreet weights on the corners of your cushions to weigh them down. You can hide these weights behind pillows or leave them sitting directly on top of the cushions.

You can also conceal them inside the cushions by simply unzipping them, inserting the weights, and zipping them back again. This is the best way to leave your patio appearance unobstructed.

Some folks opt for rocks to weigh down their cushions. You can do this as well if you want, but keep in mind that rocks are more challenging to hide with their irregular shapes.

9. Wrap with Bungee Cords

If you have some bungee cords lying around the house, you can use those to stop your outdoor cushion from moving.

All you need to do is simply wrap a bungee cord around the top of the cushion then bring it down and fasten its ends to the base or legs of the patio furniture. You can hide the bungee rope using a few pillows.

Be sure to wrap the bungee cord tightly to keep the cushion from slipping out of its grip.

10. Tie with a Rope

This method is super basic and pretty similar to using a bungee cord. Plus, you probably won’t need to spend any money to get it done.

Simply grab some rope and wrap it around the top of the cushion then bring it down and fasten its ends to the base or legs of the patio furniture. You can hide the rope using a few pillows to conceal the unflattering look.

11. Use Curtain Clips

Another trick you can use to attach cushions to patio furniture is to install curtain clips. These attachments come with one side that you loop or hook into the cushion and another side that you clip to the furniture.

Curtain clips are easy to use, with a gripping strength that depends on their size and the quality of their material.

12. Install Hook and Eye closures

You can see “hook and eye” closures on a wide range of clothes from pants to dresses. These very closures can help you secure cushions to patio furniture if you just have basic sewing knowledge.

All you need to do is use a needle and some thread to sew one part of the closure to the cushion and sew the other part to the corresponding piece of furniture.

13. Lay Down a Weighted Cover

Last but not least, you can resort to laying a weighted cover on top of your cushions when it’s especially windy outdoors. This should protect the cushions from flying off, and if there’s rain, it’ll also keep them dry.

Instead of a weighted cover, you can use a regular cover and weigh it down with some rocks.

How to Secure Outdoor Cushions to Wicker Furniture

You can use any of the methods explained above to secure outdoor cushions to wicker furniture.

That said, some solutions can be more effective than others. These include:

• Using Velcro
• Using non-slip pads, fabric, and rubber
• Using cushions ties
• Using zip ties
• Using clips 

Final Takeaway

Attaching cushions not only provides added comfort, but can also help overcome issues of short patio furniture.

As you see, there are many solutions you can try if you’re wondering how to attach cushions to patio furniture. The best method comes down to your DIY skills, budget, and how much you prefer function over appearance.

Happy Lounging!