How to Make a Cover for a Padded Straight Back Chair

If your dining room is stocked with straight back chairs that need a little pick-me-up, try a simple trick for giving old chairs a face-lift: make slipcovers for them. With only beginner-level sewing skills you can create slipcovers that will hide any flaws in the wood or padding as they provide a new pop of color. Make several different colors and change them every season to keep giving your old furniture fresh new looks.

Measuring tape
Fabric
Scissors
Straight pins
Sewing machine
Thread

Instructions

- 1
  Measure the chair back at its widest point; add 1 inch and call this measurement A. Measure the height of the back from the top to the seat; add 1 inch and call this measurement B.
- 2
  Cut two pieces of fabric that measure A wide by B long.
- 3
  Position the fabric pieces together with the right sides facing one another. Pin around the edges to hold them together using straight pins.
- 4
  Use your sewing machine to sew a straight seam up one side, across the top and down the other side of your chair cover. Position your seam 1/2 inch in from the outside edge of the fabric, then go back over the edge with a zigzag stitch to make it extra sturdy.
- 5
  Fold the bottom edge of the slipcover toward the wrong side of the fabric by 1/4 inch, then 1/4 inch again. Sew a straight stitch around the folded edge to create a hem.
- 6
  Turn the cover right side out so it resembles a pillow case. Slide it down over the back of your chair to cover it.

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