Cute Ruffled Chair Slipcover ~ How To

Hey you guys!  One slipcover "how to" down, one to go.  Here is that cute little ruffled chair slipcover I posted about.  I used a brown chenille upholstery fabric on this little chair, but for this "how to" I used a white sheet.  Forgot to take pictures the first time around!  Whoopsy!

  It was, is, pretty easy to do.  Ruffles are very forgiving!  So here goes....


First measure the seat of your chair.  Measure the length and add two inches then measure the width and add two inches.  Cut a square of fabric to that size.  So if your chair seat is 25" x 18", you'll cut a fabric square of 27" x 20" get it? I always lay the fabric square on the chair after cutting it and trim it if need be at that point.  For example, the little chair I covered is wider in the front than it is in the back, so I just trimmed the fabric square down in the back while on the chair, using the chair as a guide.

Then for the ruffles.  Measure from the edge of the seat down to the floor, add an extra two inches. (I"ll call that measurement the width of the fabric needed for the ruffles"

To estimate the length you need for your ruffles.  As a rule of thumb i usually make sure I have 3 times the length of what ever I'm sewing ruffles for.  So if the sides and front of your chair total, let's just say... 50" then cut enough strips of fabric to equal 3 time that, which would be 150" .  So if the width of your fabric is, say, 54" you would need to cut three strips.  Make sense?  If you end up with your ruffles too short, no problem, just cut another strip of fabric and add to them.   Cut your fabric.  Then sew the pieces together so you have one long piece.  Hem one side of the strip length wise, then start sewing your ruffles.

Sewing your ruffles.  Pinch, fold, sew, Pinch fold sew, Pinch, fold, sew,  repeat, repeat, repeat, ....

Then pin your ruffles to the fabric you cut for the seat.  I always do this on the chair.  Put the seat fabric "pretty side" up on the chair and the ruffles "pretty side" down on top of it, and pin around the edge.  Like this,

Do the front and sides like this but NOT the back.

Once it's all pinned together, take it off and sew.

So that's the seat almost done, now for the top.

Measure the width of the chair back and add two inches.  Then measure from the top of the chair back all the way down to the top of the seat, and add two inches.

Cut two pieces of fabric that size.

Sew those two pieces together on both sides and the top.  Then put your ruffled "seat cover" piece back on the chair "pretty side" UP, and lay the "back cover" on top.  Make sure you turn the back cover inside out after you've sewn it so the pretty side is out (shouldn't see any sewing) before you lay it on the chair.

So at this point you should have the front of the "chair back" cover sewn to the seat cover and the back of the "chair back" cover should be open, like this

Then the last part!  Cut a strip of fabric to make the ruffles for the back of the chair.  Do it the same way as above.   Pin the ruffles to the back of the "chair back" cover the same way you did the seat and sew.  If you do this on the chair like I do, just lay the chair down so the back is facing up and lay your ruffles "pretty side" down.

Then it should.... fingers crossed.... look like this!

Don't laugh at my wrinkles!! I didn't iron the sheet first.  I was just doing this for the "how to" but now that it's done, I think it's cute too!  Maybe I'll go iron it now. : )

If you have an old sheet, practice with that!!! It's WAY LESS SCARY then trying with your nice new pretty and maybe pricey fabric!!!  Places like Ross, and Marshall's have sheet sets for $16  bucks!  Not bad at all, and you may like it so much, you just keep the sheet slipcover!!  I mean, dang! $16 bucks for a slipcover! That's pretty alright in my book.

Ok so tell it to me straight!! Did this "how to" help at all or did I just make it seem WAY more complicated than it actually is?!

Smiles!

Sammy,

~Renew Redo~