Make a plain wooden chair more comfortable by sewing a padded cover
Hide ugly stains or nicks on your dining room chairs, and make them a bit more comfortable, by making padded slipcovers. Use an easy to clean, machine washable fabric, such as cotton canvas, in case you or any dining guests should spill on to the slipcovers. If you need to wash it, simply take the slip cover off the chair and launder using the delicate cycle. Dry on the line, and use a warm iron to smooth out any wrinkles.
Instructions
1. Measure the height, depth and width of the chair back. Measure the width and depth of the seat of the chair.
2. Cut the upholstery foam to the dimensions of the seat. For example, if your chair's seat is 14 inches wide by 16 inches deep, cut a piece of foam that measures 14 inches by 16 inches.
3. Cut two pieces of the canvas fabric and two pieces of the muslin to match the measurements of the chair seat, plus 2 inches on each side. For example, for a 14-inch by 16-inch seat, cut the fabric so that it measures 16 by 18 inches.
4. Place the right side of one piece of muslin against the right side of one piece of canvas. Pin together, then stitch along three sides, leaving one of the shorter sides open. Repeat with the other pieces of canvas and muslin.
5. Turn the canvas and muslin so that the right sides face out. Sew the open side closed on each piece, and set aside.
6. Cut a strip of the canvas fabric that measures twice the depth of the seat plus the width, plus 1 inch. For a 14 by 16-inch seat, cut a strip of fabric that measures 47 inches. The width of the strip is the length you want the slipcover to be, plus an inch. If you want the slipcover to reach to the floor, measure from the floor to the height of the seat. If you want a slipcover that only covers the seat, measure the height of the seat.
7. Cut one piece of canvas to the height and width of the chair's back, plus 1 inch. If the back of your chair is 14 inches wide by 20 inches high, cut 15 by 21-inch pieces. Cut another piece of fabric that measures the width of the chair's back by the height of the chair back, plus the height you cut the strip of fabric to.
8. Pin the two back pieces together, with the right side of the fabric facing in, along three sides, leaving the bottom open. Sew together, leaving 1/2-inch seam. Turn right side out and set aside.
9. Pin the top edges of the long strip of fabric to three sides of one of the canvas/muslin pieces. Leave the back side open. Pin so that the right sides (the canvas side is the right side of the chair seat) are together. You may need to pin only one section at a time, sewing the strip and the seat together after pinning each side.
10. Tuck the strip of fabric on top of the right side of the chair seat. Take the other and place it right side (canvas side) down on top of the pile of strip and the other chair seat. Pin together along three sides, leaving the back side open. Stitch along the three edges, leaving 1/2-inch seam.
11. Turn the seat right side out. The strip of fabric should fall on three sides like a skirt. Stuff the upholstery foam into the seat.
12. Tuck the open ends of the chair seat under and hand sew the opening closed.
13. Place the front of the chair back on top of the top of the chair seat. Carefully hand stitch the front of the chair back to the back of the chair seat. Make sure you leave an opening so that you can slide the cover over the top of the chair.
Tags: chair seat, right side, chair back, strip fabric, that measures, three sides