I was asked if I would have a go at making a chaise lounge for a friend but did not think it was something I would be able to do. I can not build to plans or even follow plans, I can only make it up as I go along. 

Because this was something I had never done before I used all recycled materials.  The idea behind this was that if the project flopped it would not have lost any money. But the results were so great that it now has pride of place in my front room window. I don’t have the full step by step instructions  because this was supposed to be just a test run.  But hopefully, this will give you an idea how to make it. 

Like all projects you make up as you go along things can go wrong, and for me it was, I did not add enough support straps under the cushion. And after a few years of the kids jumping all over it, the straps started to give in. So I took the chaise lounge apart again to repair it and took so photos to show you how I made it. 

How to make a Chaise lounge from recycled materials

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Making the base

The base box was made from recycled wood that was glued together in a rectangle shape. For extra support, I added some cross beams, but I did have to remove the top one because you could feel it through the cushion once you sat on the chaise.  If you are using two layers of wood as I did you will need to glue them together and add support hinges. 

The legs were off an old table, I repurposed the tabletop to make this cool personalised wine barrel table.  I just cut them shorter with a handsaw and sanded them down and stained and varnished them.  

It did not matter about all the damage to the legs because it would not be visible once put together.  The legs were glued as well as screwed into the base.

Making the arch of the Chaise Lounge

The arch was the hardest part of building this chaise.  I used this image as a guide.(Not my image). You need to cut two shapes in a shape similar to the one in the image. You can use 10 mm plywood for the arches. My supports between the arches were 20mm thick, cut from scrap wood.  These are not visible so no need to waste good wood.  I attached the supports to the arch using a pocket hole jig and pocket hole screws.

To attach my arch to the base.  My arch was made out of 10 mm plywood so I used a router to remove a 10mm section from the top outside of the base so that the arch could be screwed into the base. 

In the image above the arch support is level with the base now.  This image already has a thin layer of foam under the white sheet.  You can cover the foam with an old sheet to hold the foam in place.  This will also give your finish a smoother look once the fabric is added. 

Covering the arch

I used a recycled foam mattress to cover the arch (minus the cat) and added a layer of wadding to smooth it out. To hold the foam in place you can cover the foam with an old sheet. 

Once the foam has been stapled into the position you want, you can smooth it out with you hand.

Adding support to the seat

As you can see from the image above, this was the support strapping I added when I first made the chaise. But there was not enough support for such a large open area.

To add more support I needed to add more strapping . The new strapping was weaved across the base to support the mattress. This is where I made my mistake which led to me having to strip it down again and add more support. 

If you are going to try and make you own chaise lounge I would highly recommend buying a Webbing Stretcher.  It made it so easy to pull the strapping tight while you staple it into place. Once the trapping has been stapled into position, you will need to fold over the end and staple the strapping again. This will give the strapping extra support and will also stop the stapping from fraying.

Before I added my final fabric I added this foam to the top front edges of the base.  It came off another couch that I stripped down and it is attached to the edges to soften the corners of the wood. (I think). The hard foam was attached using upholstery tacks.

Just as added strength I added nail tacks to hold the webbing in place.

This is a view of what is under my fabric, foam for edges, foam mattress, sheet and final fabric. 

Covering the chaise

The base and the arch were covered on fabric and stapled in place, no sewing required. I made the back support for the chaise using the top of an old desk. To get the shape I wanted I drew the shape using a pencil first, then cut it out with a jigsaw. I then used the shape of the arch as a template to cut the fabric.

The back and front panels can now be sewed together to fit over the back. You can add a thin layer of foam under the fabric on the back arch.  The back was not sewed all the way down the top side because I still had to attach it to the arch.  Once the back is screwed into the arch the fabric from the back will be stapled around the arch.  To tidy up the base you can add some sheeting.  Thrift stores are great for sheeting and cheap as chips

Making the seat cushion

For the cushion, you need foam that is fairly firm. I used an old mattress which was too soft on its own.  To make the mattress firmer I added a few layers of wadding. Before you cover the mattress it will be easier to cover it with a sheet to keep the wadding in place.

To make you cushion cut your fabric to the size of the cushion and sew all the seams together. I tried to get a bit to fancy by adding some piping to the cushion which was a nightmare.  It took me longer to make the cushion cover than to make the whole chaise lounge.

Making the piping

To make the piping you need to cut you fabric into strips of 20 mm wide.  Join them until you get the length that you need. Using rope or piping cord sew the rope inside the fabric like the image below. You sew the piping between the two seams of the cushion.

Making the arch padding

This is the padding that will hide all the staples and fabric ends at the front and back of the arch.  You need to cut some thin plywood to the shape of the arch.

Add a thin layer of foam to the arch and cover with fabric and line with piping.

To attach the padded arch I used these back tacking strips attached to the back and hammered it into the front and back of the chaise.

Attaching the last panel

The panel under the arch is the last one to be added. Now you can tuck in all the excess fabric from the back and sides so they can be hidden under this panel.  To keep the seams tidy and to stop them from pulling down, you can use a strip of cardboard and staple it to the underneath of the arch. To attach the sides you can use the tacking strips shown above.  Wrapped the fabric in the tack and hammered it into the wood.

Pad the feet

To prevent the legs from snagging or damaging your floors or carpets. You can add some self-adhesive felt.  To close up the bottom of the chaise you can use weed mat stapled to the bottom.

I know it will not be easy for everyone to make this, I just wanted to show that it could be done with basic woodworking skills.

My house does not have the best light so the photos do not do the fabric justice.

If you want to try and make a mini version first they make great beds for your lazy cats.

More great projects

Barn Quilt made from scrap wood. 

How to make a patio cooler

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