I have a secret to share with you today.
I don’t share this secret with any ol’ Joe because, well, there are certain things that a blogger only shares with her beloved readers. Dirty little secret things.
Why, you may ask, would I only share my secret with you? My answer to you is that I want you to be the ones who will take this idea away and make your own special creation.
I want you to create something pretty for your home that your guests will see and admire and exclaim over, and then???
Then you will be able to tell them that not only have you created the prettiest little French Country bench for your outdoor space,
but that your sweet ruffled beauty is no common garden bench.
She is So. Much. More. Because this is a bench that hides a dirty little secret.
Sure, she looks all pretty and flirty sitting in your outdoor space, and she is comfy to sit on with her padded top, but the best thing of all about this sweet French gal is this.
She is a coverup for your grungy old cooler. Yup!
Now you can pull out that fancy tablecloth, lay out your best china, and artfully arrange some beautifully prepared food for an al fresco experience on the porch, with no thought of an unsightly cooler to detract from it all.
Are you feeling me? Maybe? Maybe not. No, not everyone is as concerned about the look of the party as they are about the party itself. That’s why the hubs and I are a good team. I can make it pretty and he’ll make sure everyone has a good time.
Either way, you’ve got to admit this is a pretty clever disguise for an old cooler 🙂
Isn’t this fun?
If you like what you see here don’t forget to Pin it!
Here are some quick steps to create a cooler cover:
Pre-wash a dropcloth. Lay a piece of light cardboard on the floor and turn your cooler upside down on top of it. Trace around the lid to create a pattern. Lay the pattern down on a light piece of foam padding (mine was 1″ thick) and trace around it. Cut foam from pattern (an electric carving knife cuts through the foam like butter). Cut two pieces of fabric 5/8″ larger than the cardboard pattern to allow for seam allowance. Sew the foam inside the two pieces of fabric, leaving raw edges out. For the skirt: Measure the circumference of the top of the cooler. Cut a strip of material twice this measurement by the desired length of skirt you want your cooler to have. Allow for hem unless you want to have a raw edge. Baste along one long edge of the ruffle and gather. Sew the ruffle to the top, raw edges out. Finally, place pins around the bottom of the ruffle at the exact length you want your cover to be and hem.
In case you need a little more guidance my dropcloth tablecloth tutorial HERE should be of help, and please, feel free to ask any questions.
Also, if you’re thinking about hosting an al fresco party, here are some IDEAS I’ve been pinning for a time when the evenings begin to cool.
Last but not least, if you haven’t filled out my reader survey for a chance to win the $100 Amazon gift card you have just a few more days until the survey comes to an end. Fill out the survey below and make sure to leave a comment here telling me you did!
Blessings dear friends,
I’ve been known to link up to the following great parties!!!
Sunday:
SundaysAtHome, TheDIYShowoff, LifeOnLakeshoreDrive, SilverPenniesSundays, RusticAndRefined, Spiritual Sundays
Monday:
IShouldBeMoppingTheFloor, TheDedicatedHouse, Dwellings, ProjectInspired, InspireMeMonday, BetweenNapsOnThePorch, CelebrateYourStory, What Joy is Mine/Monday Musings, Darling Downs Diaries, The Art of Homemaking, MomentsOfHope, Glimpses, SittingAmongFriends
Tuesday:
TalkOfTheTown, HomeStoriesAtoZ, AStrollThruLife, CoastalCharm, CedarHillFarmhouse, TuesdaysAtOurHome, TheWinthropChronicles, Rich Faith Rising Unite Linky, Testimony Tuesday,Cheerleaders of Faith,Tell His Story
Wednesday:
SavvySouthernStyle, A Wise Woman Builds Her Home, Woman to Woman Word Filled Wednesdays, Coffee for Your Heart, MessyMarriage, ThreeWordWednesday, WriterWednesday
Thursday:
ShareYourStyle, ImpartingGrace, EmbracingChange, HaveADailyCupOfMrsOlson, MyRepurposedLife, ADelightsomeLife, KatherinesCorner, Thought Provoking Thursday, SincerelyPaulas, ThoughtfulThursday, Tune-inThursday
Friday:
FrenchCountryCottage, TheCharmOfHome, TheDedicatedHouseAnythingBlueFriday, ShabbyliciousFriday, Sweet Inspiration, Faith’nFriends, Missional Women Faith Filled Fridays, Dance With Jesus FreshMarketFriday
Saturday:
FunkyJunkInteriors, OneMoreTimeEvents, SaturdaySparks, TheInspirationGallery, Make My Saturday Sweet
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I love your blog and filled out the survey. Great blog and I look forward to reading it and getting new ideas.
Thank you for taking the survey Linda. I appreciate so much!
Clever idea! Though I have to say I would never even think about it! Your back yard looks beautiful. It’s so hot down here right now, I’m having to water all my pots twice a day to keep them alive. Please share some more pics of your yard and plants!
Thanks Becky. It’s hot here too but not as bad as y’all have had it further to the west. Lots of 80-90’s with high humidity but thundershowers most afternoon so we don’t have to water as much as you do. I will share more flower pics in the future as my garden matures. Assuming I can keep things alive!
I was hoping it was a way to hide the BBQ. Steve refuses to go with a big propane BBQ preferring a trusty old Weber. And now he has a smoker. I am thinking that I might at least make some cute covers for them.
You could definitely make some cute covers Carol. You’ll have to make sure Steve keeps those babies cleaned up after he grills and smokes so you don’t have a mess all the time. Did you see our Seahawk cover in my patio post? Not French Country but the color matches my pillows!
Q: how do you keep the painters tarps from getting the weathered look and sometimes mildew?
A. I bring my cooler into the screened porch when we aren’t using it. It stays mildew free there. However, painter’s tarps bleach quite easily if there were to be forgotten outside in the rain. 🙂
Wow, you had me there for a while, i couldn’t figure out what you were hiding and it was a big surprise. Very smart, i love it and thanks.
Haha! Thank you Marlene. I’m glad I surprised you 🙂
Fun Blog! Great job at hiding in plain site! The sewing machine is NOT my friend, but I do try! Thinking about using drop cloth to recover 2 dining room chairs. Can U spot clean it? Good survey.
Thanks so much Barb. You could absolutely use drop cloth covers for the dining room chairs. I have the drop cloth tablecloth on my dining room table and I can’t say that it is super easy to spot clean. However, I did make a drop cloth dog bed cover and I used Scotch Guard on it. That has worked VERY well! It certainly wouldn’t hurt to give it a try though because the price of the fabric is so inexpensive.
I was surprised to see a cooler under there! Awesome slipcover for your cooler, love the idea! It could be used at a table for more seating, if needed. Will have to make one for our big rugged cooler too. Love it!
Filled out the survey, hope that helps.
You are right! It could be used as a small table pulled up to my outdoor love seat. Thank you for taking the time to take my survey. 🙂
Thank you for such a clever idea ! Happy week to you !
Thank Sandra 🙂
Love this idea! Great job! I filled out the survey- Thank you for investing your time with your blog.
Ahhh, thanks so much Ginny and thank YOU for taking the time to help me by filling out the survey.
You sneaky, crafty girl you! Love it, and how nice that it makes extra seating on your screened porch. Clever.
Ahhh, Sharon, I have all kinds of sneaky surprises up my sleeve. LOL! Thanks friend.
This is a fantastic idea and I loved reading every word. So well written, playful and fun. Pinning and sharing.
Ahhh, thank you Leanna. Writing is as much fun as decorating pretty spaces 🙂
Your dirty little secret is absolutely perfect Patti! Who would have guessed? Thanks for sharing it with SYC.
hugs,
Jann
It was fun to write that article Jann!
Hi Patti!
what a fantastic idea! I would love for you to share it to my link party that starts every Tuesday called #iDIYedthat.
Hope to see you there! You can link up at repurposeandupcycle.com
Thank you Lindsey. I’ll be checking out your party!
Patti, you’re really something. Only you could take an ugly old cooler and make it look like a beautiful piece of your furniture! Well, wait. . . I guess I turned a styrofoam cooler into an ottoman, so maybe we’re birds of a feather!
Thanks so much for joining the Grace at Home party. I’m featuring you this week!
Oh we are definitely birds of a feather Richella! Thank you for the feature dear friend.
Patti,
This is such a cute idea!!! Of course I pinned it! 🙂 I laughed out loud when I saw The Reveal… it was great!!! Been thinking about making slips for our dining room chairs here in the trailer and I have been using drop cloths for several years now… I like the ruffle up edging! Think I’ll incorporate that.
Have a blessed weekend,
Barb 🙂
Happy to give you a little giggle Barb! Aren’t drop cloths the BEST? I may be getting a little drop cloth crazy over here. Have fun making the slip covers. Can’t wait to see them.