Give dining room chairs an instant boost with a colorful or classy fabric cover for the back of the chair. There is no need for extensive sewing skills to make a simple chair back cover to slip over the back of the chair. Find a fabric in a color or print that complements your other dining room decor and sew fashionable covers for the backs of your dining room chairs.
Instructions
1. Place the end of the tape measure at the left edge of the chair back at the widest point and wrap the tape measure around the entire chair back until you come back around to the starting point. Write this measurement down. Measure the height and the depth of the chair back together and write this measurement down. Add 1 inch to each total for seam allowances.
2. Cut a piece of fabric that equals the total of your two measurements.
3. Lay out the fabric with the wrong side facing up. Fold up one long edge of the fabric 1/4 inch and press the fold. Press the long edge up another 1/4 inch and press this fold. Pin the folded edge with straight pins to hold it securely.
4. Stitch along the folded edge, sewing 1/8-inch away from the fold to hem the fabric. Remove the straight pins.
5. Cut a length of ribbon that is 1 inch longer than the long edge of the fabric. Place the ribbon along the right side of the hemmed edge of the fabric, folding under the ends of the ribbon 1/2 inch. Pin the ribbon right over the stitching and then stitch the ribbon in place along the long edge of the fabric. Remove the pins.
6. Fold the fabric in half crosswise and match up the two short sides of fabric with right sides facing each other. Pin the short sides together with straight pins and pin the remaining raw edge together also. This leaves the hemmed edge unpinned.
7. Stitch the short side with a 1/2-inch seam allowance. Turn the corner and stitch the raw edge together also. Remove the straight pins. You now have an envelope of fabric.
8. Turn the chair back cover right side out. Pull out the corners to make them crisp and pointed. Iron the fabric, if necessary.
9. Slip the chair back cover over the back of the dining room chair.
Tags: chair back, edge fabric, long edge, straight pins, back cover, chair back cover