Easy-to-Make Holiday Chair Covers

MATERIALS

Newspaper
Marker
Scissors
Fabric
Sewing Machine
Fabric glue
Safety pins
Ribbon
Holiday iron-on appliqués

Look for fabric featuring a design that is reminiscent of the season. Fabric glue and holiday iron-on appliqués are available at many fabric and craft stores, but if you have trouble finding them, you can also order them from an online store. Just do an internet search for them and you’ll get results for many sites that sell them.

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Spread the newspaper flat out on the ground. Place the chair on top of the newspaper and trace the outline of the back of the chair.
   
   
2. Using your scissors, you’re going to cut one inch outside the line you just traced. You might find it easier to trace another line one inch outside the original to help you with cutting. This will give you a template to use to cut your fabric so it will neatly fit your chair back.
   
   If the chair back is thick or upholstered, add more than an inch outside the line you traced. If you're worried about having enough fabric, cut out two newspaper templates, staple them together and make sure they fit over the chair back.
   
   
3. Lay out two pieces of fabric flat on your work surface. Place the newspaper template on top of them and pin all three together using safety pins. Cut the fabric along the template.
   
   
4. Take your two pieces of fabric and place them back-to-back, right sides together. That means the sides of the fabric that you want to show should be facing inwards (towards each other) at this point. Using a sewing machine, sew the edges of the cover together, leaving the bottom open.
   
   
5. Create a hem on the bottom of the chair cover by folding the edges over and gluing them in place.
   
   
6. Trim the seams to between a 1/2” and 1/4”. Pull the current inside of the cover out, so the proper side of the fabric is facing outward.
   
   
7. Iron on the holiday themed appliqués where you would like them on the chair cover.
   
   
8. Glue or sew four pieces of ribbon at the bottom corner of the chair cover where the seat meets the back of the chair. You’re going to attach two pieces of ribbon on the bottom corners of both sides of the chair cover.
   
   
9. Slide the chair cover over the back of your chair. Tie the ribbons together on either side of the chair to get a tighter fit.

Not Just For Holidays

These chair covers are a great way to showcase the season. And since they’re so easy to make, why not create new ones for every party and holiday? You can find fabrics with different designs suitable for every occasion, as well as other iron-on appliqués.

Here’s a fun idea: for a birthday party or other low-key get-together, stitch or iron everyone’s name on the chair covers. It makes a nice replacement for nametags.

And creating these chair covers is good if you need to use many different styles of chairs to have enough seats at a party. All of your chairs will appear to be the same style. Any way you decide to use the chair covers, they’re a festive way to add to the celebration.