How to Make a Chair Cover for a Desk Chair
- 1). Measure the length of your chair seat and add 24 inches. Measure the width of your chair seat and add 24 inches. Cut upholstery fabric to this size.
- 2). Center the fabric face side up on the chair seat. Make a straight cut in from the side aligned with the arm. Your seat may have two places where each arm interrupts the side of the chair seat. Make two cuts if you have two interruptions. Repeat for the second side. If your chair seat has a central back support, make a straight cut in from the back. Each cut should extend past the arm obstruction by an inch. Remove the fabric from the chair.
- 3). At the end of each cut, make a 1/2-inch long 45-degree cut from the end to each side. This will look like a Y. Repeat this for each cut. Fold the fabric along the cut under 1/2 inch and pin. This will form a slot. Hem along each slot using a sewing machine. Test fit your seat cover to the seat. The slots should fit around each arm protrusion and allow you to pull the cover snug toward the underside. Remove the cover.
- 4). Place the cover face side down on the table. Turn the cut ends over 2 inches and pin. Sew a seam 1 3/4 inch from the folded edge on all of the end pieces. Cut 3 feet of cording. Attach a large safety pin to one end of the cord. Place the cover onto the chair and turn the chair upside down.
- 5). Thread the safety pin through each adjacent pocket around the central pole of the chair where the seat cushion rests. Bring the cord ends together and tighten. Tie the cord ends into a bow.
- 6). Cut fabric that is twice the height of the seat back plus 18 inches. Cut the width to the width of the seat back plus 24 inches. Place the chair so that the seat back is on the table. Position the fabric so that 12 inches passes between the chair seat and seat back to the back side of the seat back. Cut slits for any seat back supports the same as you did for the chair seat. Cut a slit at a 45-degree angle from the side to the top corner of the front of the seat back. Repeat for the second side. Remove the cover.
- 7). Cut your back support slit into a Y shape. Fold back 1/2 inch of fabric on each side of the slit to form a slot and pin. Sew a hem around your back support slot or slots. Place the fabric face side down on the table. Turn the side fabric to the back 2 inches and pin. Repeat for the second side. Turn the bottom fabric to the back 2 inches and pin. Sew a hem 1 3/4-inches from the fold on the bottom and side fabrics. Place the cover onto the chair.
- 8). Place the chair upright. Cut six feet of cording. Attach a large safety pin to one end of the cording. Thread the cording through the side pocket, the bottom pockets and the side pocket. Bring your cord ends together and tighten. Tie a bow in the cords.
- 9). Bring the top fabric down over the seat back. Fold the fabric under to fit the contour of the chair back. Pin along the folds. Ease any curves by notching the edge of the fabric. Use tailor's chalk to draw a line around the outside of the pinned folds to mark where the fabric fits. Untie and remove the cover. Iron your folds and sew a hem around your top cover piece. Cut hook-and-loop tape to fit 1/8-inch inside your fold. Sew the loop half of the tape to the cover flap. Locate the tailor chalk marks and cut and sew the hook half of the tape 1/8-inch inside your marks.
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Put the cover back onto the chair. Tie the cords. Tuck the top corners under evenly and press the hook and loop tapes together.
