Do you have and unused trampoline? The best way to use an old trampoline mat.

I cannot think of a better way to use an old trampoline mat than this chaise lounge repair project!

My neighbor gave us her trampoline when her kids outgrew it, and then my kids used the heck out of it, until it broke and bent.  As we were taking it apart to dispose of it, it occurred to me that the old trampoline mat, is basically the same fabric used in outdoor sling patio furniture(but maybe even stronger). I had these two lounge chairs sitting on the side of my house for years.  I rescued them from my neighbors trailer, bound for the dump. I intended to buy fabric to replace the slings at some point, but never got around to it, due to the usual budget issues…projects like this always fall below the line, if you know what I mean.

I kept the trampoline mat for a while longer, and eventually repaired the first chaise lounger.  I only did one at that point because I was skeptical about how long it would last, and if I’d even like it.  Well, two years later, and the first chaise lounge is still holding up like a champ.  I thought the black trampoline mat might be too hot in the summer sun but somehow it isn’t .  I can sit directly on the sling and in the heat of the afternoon and it’s totally comfortable. The chair on the left was first chaise lounge I repaired two years ago. The chaise on the right is the chair I just repaired.  You can still see wrinkles in the sling because the trampoline mat sat in a heap for so long, but that will quickly flatten out in the afternoon sun. The first chair looked the same way at first.

The chair I just finished got a fresh coat of Rustoleum oil based paint and it looks lovely. I’ll paint the other furniture soon.

Enough back story…here’s how I replaced the sling seats with trampoline mat.
This was the condition of the chair after sitting on the side of my house for years. It was totally buried by plants.

The sling fabric was completely brittle and broken.I removed the caps to access the old sling fabric and spline.

This is a closeup of the fabric and spline in the track.

The spline as it’s removed from the chair.

I brought the old mesh fabric into my workroom and measured and recorded the finished dimensions

This project does not require a double hem.  Simply cut your trampoline mat 2″ larger to allow for a 1″ hem on all sides.  The finished dimensions on my chair seat was 20″ x 49″, so I cut it 22″ x 51″.

I pinned my trampoline mat to make sewing a little easier.
I sewed two lines of stitching on all sides for extra stability.

TIP: You must use a good 100% polyester thread for this or else it won’t hold up in the elements.  You can get SUNstop thread on amazon for a reasonable price and I believe JOANN might have it as well. 

Slide the spline into the rod pocket you created with your stitching.  Then re-install the newly created trampoline mat slings into your chairs. They go back in the same way they came out.  If your slings are tight you may need a helping hand.  If they are too tight then you can remove or just loosen the screws on the spline tracks to make it easier to slide the spline back in.  This is a pretty simple project.  It’s the same process whether you use trampoline mat or buy fabric made for outdoor sling chairs.  But, if you have an old trampoline destined for the dump, this is the perfect win-win solution for those worn out lounge chairs.

I included below a couple links to the products I used and a fabric that would be appropriate for outdoor lounge furniture .

1. phifertex black fabric by the yard   2.sunstop polyester thread   3. upholstery scissors

Also…a video of me with a couple tips to make your job easier.