How to Make an Organza Chair Cover

Back Cover

• 1

  Place a large piece of pattern paper or butcher's paper on the floor. Lay your chair back on the paper. Position the chair with the back flat against the paper. Trace around the outside of the chair back.

• 2

  Measure the thickness of the chair back with a measuring tape. Add a border around the traced shape on the paper that is as thick as the chair back plus 1 inch. For example, if the chair back is 1 inch thick, add a 2-inch-thick border around the traced chair back. The extra inch allows for a ½-inch seam. Cut the shape out of the paper, including the added border, to create a pattern.

• 3

  Place the pattern on a piece of organza. Use straight pins to attach the pattern to the fabric. Cut around the outside of the pattern, and remove the straight pins.

• 4

  Put the pattern on a second piece of organza. Attach the two together with straight pins again. Cut out a second piece of organza using the pattern. Remove the straight pins.

• 5

  Fold the bottom edge of both pieces of fabric over ¼ inch. Use straight pins to secure the folded edge. Sew along the straight pins with a sewing machine using a straight stitch. Remove the straight pins.

• 6

  Place the two pieces of organza on top of one another. Place straight pins along the top and both sides of the fabric, ½ inch from the edge, to secure the two pieces together.

• 7

  Sew along the straight pins on both sides and the top of the fabric. Leave the bottom edge unsewn. Remove the straight pins.

• 8

  Turn the organza chair cover right side out by pushing the top through the bottom. Place the completed cover on the chair.

Seat Cover

• 9

  Place a piece of butcher paper or pattern paper on top of the chair's seat. Trace the shape of the seat onto the paper. Cut the traced shape out of the butcher paper to create a pattern. Place the pattern on top of your organza. Trace the pattern onto the organza, adding ½ inch on all sides. Cut the seat out.

• 10

  Cut out four more pieces of organza to create the skirt. The length of the organza should be equal to the measurements of the chair's seat plus ½ inch. Make the width of the organza 5 ½ inches. Cut a ½-inch slit on each end of the four pieces, running the width of the organza, creating two slits in each skirt piece. Place each slit 1 inch in from the 5 ½-inch edge and 1 inch up from the longer edge. Apply sewing adhesive around the edges of the slips to prevent fraying.

• 11

  Fold the long sides of each piece of skirt organza over ¼ inch. Make the fold on the side opposite the slits and pin them using straight pins. Fold over both shorter sides of each piece of skirt organza ¼ inch, and pin them down with straight pins. Sew along the straight pins using a straight stitch on your sewing machine to create a ¼-inch hem on three sides of each piece. Remove the pins.

• 12

  Place your seat organza face up on your work space. Place the skirt pieces on top of the seat organza. Turn them face down, and align the unhemmed edges of the skirt organza with the edges of the seat organza. Secure the skirt pieces using straight pins, placing the pins ¼ inch in from the edge. Sew along the straight pins using a straight stitch. Remove the straight pins.

• 13

  Place the seat cover on the chair seat, with the four skirt pieces hanging down on either side. Cut four pieces of 1-by-12-inch ribbon in a color that matches or complements the organza. Feed the ribbon through the slits in the skirt. Feed them through the inside of the skirt to the outside, wrapping the ribbon behind the legs. Tie the loose ends of the ribbon into a bow on the outside of the skirt, to hold it to the chair.