Clever, arty, thinking out of the box type people!! Step this way, I would appreciate your help!

[MaureenMLove]

I need to cover some foam to make cushions for DH's boat. I figured that since they are going to be on the deck, they'd need to be waterproof. (This is not a cruiser btw, its a fishing boat!)

I've checked out our local fabric/upholter shop and the vinyl they sell there is £20 per metre I need 4 metres!

So, alternatives needed. Any ideas, anyone? I'm thinking along the lines of PVC table clothes or even faux-leather jacket from a charity shop! What d'ya think?

What about those plastic Tarpaulains that you get from the junky shops or car accessory shops. You would have to put some sort of silicone sealant around the seams, but the better quality ones should stand up to a fair amount of use. They are also used as paint dropsheets sometimes.

have you tried looking for offcuts? I got a decent sized piece of spotty vinyl like this, used it for a tablecloth - would have got two or three cushion covers out of it I should think. It cost about £1.

Ikea have loads of good fabric, really cheap too.

Marvellous, bloody marvellous!

Thankyou all of you! Any of the options are good and I'm off to investigate!

Don't forget to seal the seams....stitching them won't make them waterproof (or glue them)

Yes, I need heavy duty glue of some description and I think I'll run a line of silicone around the seams, once they're done.

How's it going, Mo?

TBH, I might be tempted by an 'easy to dry' option as waterproof is hard - or wrap foam in pound shop shower curtain and glue/tape it, and then make a cheap fabric cover to make it more appealing / comfortable?

I tried a shower curtain, but its too flimsy to work with tbh. I've looked for those outdoor table cloths, but I've only found one that's big enough for one and its £25! Too much, for a novice like me to screw up! I think he may be resorting to Option B, which is two faux leather cushion, just for the maiden voyage, at least! Its just for the outside seats, which he reckons may be a bit uncomfortable if he's sitting there fishing all day! The cabin ones are fine. After several washes, they look and smell like new.

I might come up with a plan at 2am, I usually do! For now though, I should concentrate on the fact that we are going away tomorrow pm and I haven't finished the washing yet!

In the shop where I work you can get oilcloth for about £12/£13 a square metre

If you have a Dunhelm Mill near you, their oilcloth is soooooo much cheaper than other places, and I mean it's cheap. I use it for my kitchen table as my dd uses it for her arts and crafts.

I second oilcloth.
Theres a guy who has a stall on our local market and sells the stuff for about £3.99 a metre.

oooh yes 2 ideas there - Dunhelm Mill oilcloth, or dense, neoprene-like foam like garden kneelers instead.

Thankyou lovely ladies. I've been given a small reprive too. we're not going til Friday morning now, so if I get my sh*t together tonight, I can go on a mission tomorrow. Tomorrow, just happens to be market day too! I'll let you know!