For those who have been waiting for a tutorial on how I made my dining room chair slipcovers, the wait is over. I got the green light from my editor at Cottages and Bungalows to share the tutorial I wrote for them on my blog, since the issue is no longer sold on newsstands. If you would like to order a back issue of the April 2011 magazine, visit Beckett Media’s website.
Here’s the chair before…
1. Prewash fabric in warm water and dry on high heat. Measure top and perimeter of seat. Cut fabric seat pieces to size, leaving a generous inch seam allowance on each side.
2. Cut skirt pieces to six inches wide by twice the length of the chair’s perimeter. For example, if the chair’s perimeter is 72”, cut a piece of fabric to 6” x 144”. It may be necessary to piece several fabric lengths together. To make one long skirt piece, simply place right sides of fabric together and sew. Make a ½” inch hem along bottom edge of skirt.
3. Make custom piping long enough to run around the perimeter of each chair seat. Cut strips of fabric in 2” widths, wrap around cotton cord and sew using a zipper foot.
4. Place fabric right side down on chair. Pin piping to seat fabric right-side-down with all raw edges pointing in the same direction. Remember the slipcover is being assembled inside out. Pin tightly to the seat edge for a snug-fitting slipcover. Cross piping where edges meet. Trim excess fabric, leaving approximately ½”. Sew piping to seat fabric, removing the pins along the way.
5. Place slipcover right-side down onto chair again and pin skirt fabric in place. Start on one side, adding pleats as desired. Make sure all raw edges are facing the same direction while pinning. To create a box pleat, fold fabric over itself left to right. On the left side of that pleat, fold fabric over itself right to left. Pin pleats into place. For most chairs, two pleats each on the front and both sides, plus one pleat on each front corner will work well. Cut skirt to create a split where the chair back meets the seat. Sew a ¼” hem on both sides of the split to prevent fraying. Pin the back section of the skirt into place, creating one box pleat centered on chair back. Hem both sides. Sew skirt into place using a zipper foot.
6. Cut ribbons to four 15” lengths and sew on both sides of each slit. Using sharp scissors cut ribbon ends at an angle and apply a bead of fray blocking glue. Allow glue to dry, trim any loose threads and press if desired.
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Now I think I can actually do that! I love all your slipcovers and even though I've been an avid sewer for many years I don't have the patience for making the sofa covers. So you just put this cover over the existing seat? Looks pretty easy to me! Thanks,
Nancy
I've been waiting for this tutorial. Can't wait to try it.
I too have been waiting on this tutorial! Thanks so much for sharing your talents with us. I've watched your slipcover series but was a little itimidated to start with such an ambitious project so I think this will help calm my fears!
Perfect!! Will be covering my dining room chairs this week.
THANK YOU!!
Janet xox
You sure make it seem easy!…And your finished chair is wonderful!
Oh Miss MS…you make it all seem so easy! I actually have a question about the little lamps on your side table in the first picture. Are they candles with shades or lamps? They are just adorable and if they are still available would you share the source? Thanks! ~Ann
Thanks for your great instructions!
Debbie
Well, that looked pretty easy. Thanks so much for sharing. Love your chairs!
Thank you! This is next on my list
mickey
Awesome!! I am so doing this for my dining chairs. I'm also going to add a honey-bee stamp on the seat since Melissa is greek for "Honey-bee!"
Thank you!
SOOOO love you and your tutorials!!!
These are just beautiful, and they make the chair look stunning! Thanks for this tutorial! Have a wonderful week!
Absolutely love the chair seat cover! Great idea!
SO adorable! Must try! Thank you for taking the time to post the tutorial.
Love those pleats! Great tutorial.
Very timely! I get to start work on a set very similar to yours very soon, and I appreciate the inspiration and instructions!
absolutely gorgeous!
thanks for sharing the how to! really generous of you!
take care,
Rosa
Wonderful tut!!!! And it looks fabulous!! Thanks so much
Hugs
SueAnn
Creating a slipcover for a chair like that seems a hard thing to do. With this tutorial it gives us great idea on how it can be done so easily. Thanks for sharing! Great job!
Sell WoW Account
You are amazing Miss Mustard Seed,thanks for sharing!!
You make it look so easy! I can't wait to try it. Thanks
I swear I searched high and low here for this. THANK YOU for posting this tutorial!
But I still have issues with criss-crossing the piping at the end of the day. Sort of having a brain fart moment on those.
I looked at , at least, 5 stores looking for that issue and never found it!
Ohhh, what a great tutorial! Thank you for posting it. The fabric is gorgeous!
Alexandra
Bookmarked!! Thanks so much! I always admire your work and now maybe I can copy more of it!! Quick question about the chalk paint and wax…I've always used polyurethane to protect my painted pieces, can you use poly with chalk paint or does wax provide the same protection?
Appreciate the tutorial. I love the slip and will give it a try for my dining room chairs. Thanks! Maureen
Thank you so much. I also looked high and low for that issue and could never find it. You have an amazing ability to explain complicated things in a clear, concise way.
I have dining chairs that are all wood. I have made slips for the backs of the chairs, but I'm afraid that seat slips would just slide all around on the slippery wood surface.
Do you have any ideas????
Thank you, thank you, thank you! My friend and I have been waiting for this. Actually, we are quite obsessed with everything you do. I have been following you for a while. Thanks for all the amazing inspiration!
Thanks for sharing that!
It's so delicate and gorgeus…
I love your work!
I have been checking out a few of your article stories and I must say pretty clever stuff. I will definitely bookmark your blog. Thank you very much.
I just book marked your blog on Digg and StumbleUpon.I enjoy reading your posting. thank you very much.
This was interesting to read and the furniture with a nice post.
Found it really descriptive. I found this site on Yahoo, thanks so much.
Anybody who read this article will be feel usefull, I will wait your more articles next time. thanks mate.
FANTASTIC tutorial! I’ve pinned it and I so appreciate you sharing it!
Thanks for this tutorial! I reupholstered my chairs a while back and, although the fabric is washable and waterproof, it’s so hard to keep them clean! I have 3 little kids who spill a lot. I was thinking it’ll be better to have a chair cover that I can remove and wash. It might be easier to keep clean than washable chairs.
I’ll give this tutorial a try.