Hello Sewing Friends! Today I'm sharing tips to make a DIY Replacement Fire Pit cover. I live in Florida and the elements are so harsh here that outdoor furniture covers never hold up for very long. This fire pit has been sitting outside for about a year and a half and the cover has disintegrated. It's time for a new one.

When Fabric Wholesale Direct reached out to me to about a collaboration I knew just what I wanted to make with some of their amazing outdoor canvas. Today I'm going to show you how I made my new DIY Fire Pit cover and hopefully you can use these same techniques and steps to make your own replacement cover.

Want to win a $50 gift card to Fabric Wholesale Direct? Just leave a comment at the end of this post to be entered in the giveaway. (Spam comments will be deleted.) For additional chances to win, find the corresponding post on Instagram and follow the instructions there. The winner will be announced May 12, 2025.

How to make a DIY Fire Pit Cover

If your existing fire pit cover is still intact you can cut it apart and use the pieces as a pattern to make a new one pretty easily by just adding a little extra seam allowance to each piece. Mine old cover was just in such bad shape I couldn't do that. I'm going to take you through the process of measuring your fire pit and making a cover that fits.

Choosing the Fabric for a DIY Fire Pit Cover

First, start out by finding the right fabric for the job. Look for a heavy duty water resistant fabric. This Ottertex Waterproof Outdoor Canvas from Fabric Wholesale Direct is really high quality and a great price. It is very thick, doesn't fray at the edges, and comes in over 25 colors. You can see how the back side has been coated with a PVC backing. FWD also has a great selection of Outdoor Fabric to choose from if you are looking for prints or stripes as well as other waterproof fabric substrates.

Over all I ended up using about 1.5 yards of fabric. But it's best to do some preliminary measurements and plan out your cuts before ordering your yardage.

Measuring the Fire Pit

My fire pit is square so the measurements were pretty straight forward. 32" x 32" on the top and 14 " tall. If you have a circular fire pit you would measure the diameter and use that number to find the circumference or simply use a flexible measuring tape to wrap around and find the circumference.

Examine the Existing Fire Pit Cover

I looked carefully at the existing cover and found that it was only 31 x 31 at the top (actually too small to fit well) and 17 inches tall (much taller than the actual height). Also, my pit as a metal grate on the top that sticks up about 4-5 inches. The previous cover didn't seem to take this into account so I didn't either. The old cover had a casing with a drawstring at the bottom that allows you to cinch the bottom around and under the legs. I thought this was a good idea so I planned to do the same and make mine finish at 17". The drawstring and cord lock was still in good shape so I reused it for the new cover.

Planning the Fabric Cuts

For the top I took the actual measurement and added a 1/2" for a little extra room and 1" for seam allowances. I planned on using a 1/2" seam allowance for everything.

32" + 1/2" + 1" = 33 1/2"

• Cut 1 Square 33 1/2" x 33 1/2"

For the sides I wanted them to be finished at 17" like the old cover so I added a 1/2" for the top seam and 1" for the bottom casing. This fabric doesn't fray so folding the hem up once is enough.

17" + 1/2" + 1"= 18 1/2" for the side panel width.

To get the side panel length I decided to make one long panel and sew it around the sides of the square.

To do this, take the desired finished measurement of one side of the square and multiply it by 4. Then add 1" for the final seam. Measure the useable width of fabric (59") to figure out how many width of fabric cuts you need. Then add 1" for every division to the smallest cut to cover seam allowance when joining them together. The numbers below do not match my numbers on the picture above. My first 33 1/2 measurement already had included seam allowance factored in and it ended up being too many seam allowances added. My side panel ended up being way too long. I'll show you how I fixed it at the end.

32 1/2 x 4 = 130" + 1" = 131"

59" + 59" + 13" = 131"

13" + 2" = 15"

• Cut 2 rectangles 59 x 18 1/2"
• Cut 1 Rectangle 15 x 18 1/2"

OR

You could also make 4 separate panels, and in hindsight that may have been easier and more accurate. If you do this just cut the length to equal the length of one side of the square.

• Cut 4 Rectangles at 33 1/2" inches x 18 1/2"

For the Handle. My original fire pit cover did not have a handle but my grill cover does and I like to be able to hang it up by the handle when I'm using the grill so I decided to add a handle right in the center of the top panel of my fire pit cover.

• Cut 1 rectangle 4" x 9" for the handle

Cutting Large Pieces of Fabric

This canvas is 59 inches wide which is much bigger than the fabric I usually work with. Instead of using my rotary cutter and mat, like I use for most sewing projects, I folded the fabric in half matching the selvage edges and laid it directly on my table (a tile floor works too, shown in this Sew a Silky Pillowcase post).

Start by making sure the cut edge is perpendicular to the selvage edge by using the edges of the table (or tile grout) as a reference. Square it up if necessary before you cut your panels.

Use a ruler to mark the width of the cut from 2 points and then draw a line to connect the points. Cut right on the line through both layers.Continue this technique until you have all your pieces cut. Make sure you cut off the selvage edge too.

If your fabric is wrinkled from shipping, you can press the pieces using an Iron set to medium heat. Just remember to press only from the fabric side. A shot of steam is helpful too.

Sewing Instructions

This fabric is pretty stiff but it was easy to sew through with an average needle. However, I suggest sewing on scraps before you start the project to make sure your machine can handle it with the needle you have. Set the stitch length to 3.5 - 4.0 mm. It is best to use a walking foot if you have one. As you sew, lift the weight of the fabric from underneath the help allow the machine pull the fabric through more easily. In these instructions, the fabric side is the 'right side", the PVC side is the 'wrong side'. All seam allowances are 1/2" unless otherwise noted.

Make the Handle

1. Take the handle piece and fold each long side toward the center about 3/4" and press. Remember to only let your iron touch the fabric side.

2. Fold it in half lengthwise matching the folded edges.

3. Topstitch along each side about 1/8" away from the edge.

Sew the Handle to the Square Panel

4. Find the center of the square panel by folding it into quarters.

5. Place the handle in the center and pin it in place about 1 1/2 " away from each end.

6. Take the panel to the machine. Fold the end of the handle under about 1" and topstitch 1/8" and 1" away from the end. Repeat for the opposite end.

Make the Side Panel

7. Sew together the side panel strips to make one big side panel. Alternatively, if you are using 4 panels the length of each side of the square panel, skip these steps and jump right into sewing the side panels to the top individually (step 9).

8. Fold the seam allowance to one side and topstitch about 1/8'' along the seam if desired. I thought this might help the seam lay flat and look better but it's not necessary for function.

Sew the Side Panel to the Square Panel

9. Take the Square Panel and lay it on the table with the right side facing up. Line up the long edge of the side panel with one side of the square panel with right sides together.

10. Start sewing 1/2" away from the corner backstitching at the beginning. Stop sewing when you get to 1/2" away from the square's corner. If you are using 4 equal panels, sew each side panel to the top separately leaving 1/2" unsewn at each corner. You will see how each panel stitching meets in the corner. See the photo in step 12 and jump to step 13.

11. Keep the needle down and lift the presser foot. Rotate the square and shift the side panel to line up with the new side. The fabric will be tight against your needle and the raw edges won't line up just right for the first few inches. You could make a small clip in the side panel seam allowance at the corner to help but I didn't do that. Put the presser foot down and continue sewing. Adjust the fabric as you go to line up the raw edges.

12. Continue to sew around each corner until you get back to the beginning. Stop sewing 1/2" before the end and backstitch. You should now have a fully sewn corner. All that is left is to sew the 2 ends of the side panel together.

13. My initial calculations were off so I had excess fabric that extended past the corner. To fix this I folded the top panel fabric at a 45 degree angle and matched the side panel pieces together. I drew a line where the seam would be on one panel, matched the side panels and cut off the excess fabric.

14. Stitch the two side panels together along the drawn line stopping about 5" from the bottom edge and backstitching. If you are using 4 equal panels, sew each side panel together leaving about 5" unsewn at the bottom of one corner.

15. Finger press the seam open and continue the fold past the stitches down to the bottom of the panel. I accidentally hemmed the bottom first before sewing the panel on so I had to unpick the hem for this part.

16. Starting at the bottom edge, sew up one side and down the other to hem the opening.

Hem the Side Panels or Create a Casing

17. Fold up the bottom edge of the side panel about 1" - 1/2". Press the edge or drag your fingernail across the fold to help hold the crease. Use Binding Clips to hold the fold in place. This fabric won't fray so no need to fold it over twice. Sew the hem about 1/8" from the raw edge on the inside.

18. If you are adding a drawstring, thread it through the opening in the hem using a bodkin. Just tie a knot in the end of the string and attach the bodkin to it.

19. Thread it through the casing pinching and pulling as you go. It takes a little time to work it all the way around the cover.

20. When you get to the other side pull out the string so that it's even. use a lighter to melt the ends to keep them from fraying. Thread them into the cord lock with the button pushed down.

Now turn the DIY Fire Pit cover right side out and push out the corners. Go try on your new cover!!

And there you have it! This DIY Fire Pit Cover looks soooo much better than the old fire pit cover.

Don't forget to comment below to win a $50 gift card to Fabric Wholesale Direct? Just leave a comment at the end of this post to be entered in the giveaway. (Spam comments will be deleted.) For additional chances to win, find the corresponding post on Instagram and follow the instructions there. The winner will be announced May 12, 2025.

I have some leftover fabric and I'm excited to use it for a bunch of other projects. I'm thinking DIY Camping Chair cover, Toiletry bags or Zipper pouches for Father's day, a backpack, Little travel pouch, or even a new beach bag. maybe even a Pickleball Paddle Cover. All would be great sewn up in this water resistant canvas!

Happy Sewing!