How to Make Barstool Covers

Are your bar stool seat cushions looking dirty or dingy? Have you changed your décor and now you need your bar stools to match? Maybe you just bought bar stools at a yard sale and they don't match a thing. I have your solution!

Things You'll Need

• Fabric to match your décor, big enough to cover your stool
• Thread to match your fabric
• Sewing needle or sewing machine
• Elastic, enough to go around your barstools, one each
• One large safety pin
• Scissors
• Fiberfill stuffing, optional

Instructions

1. Lay your fabric flat on the floor or on a table, with the good side down. Turn your barstool upside down on top of the fabric. Trace around the top of the barstool with a pencil or with chalk.

   Remove the barstool and set it aside. Cut around your drawn circle but add enough for the sides of the seat, plus an inch and a half for the hem.

2. Working from the good side of the fabric, turn under a half inch, then turn under one inch to make a frazzle free finished edge. Pin this to hold it in place. This should look something like a flat fabric shower cap, with a hem around the edges.

   Wrap your elastic around the barstool, just under the ledge to fit under the seat. It should be snug, but not too tight.

3. Handsew or machine stitch around the hem, leaving about 2 inches of the hem open. Attach a large safety pin through the end of the elastic, and thread it through the hem until you can get it out the other side. Pin the ends together and try it on the barstool seat again to be sure it fits. Stitch the ends of the elastic together. Sew the opening in the hem shut.

   Slip the finished cover onto the seat of your barstool. The reason I do these with elastic is so that's it's easy to take them off and throw them in the laundry. Take caution not to use hot water or a hot dryer if your fabric may shrink.

4. If your barstool has a padded seat you are finished with the project. If, however you have a wooden barstool and you wish to add some cushion, keep reading.

   To add cush to your seats, you have options. You can use plastic trash bags that can be thrown away and replaced easily if they get dirty, or you can use fabric cushions with the white fluffy stuffing inside.

   For the plastic bag cushion, take one bag and stuff it with several other bags. Do not tie it shut, just fold the handles under, and place it evenly on top of your stool. Stretch the fabric cover over the bag filled bag and the top of the stool.

   For fabric cushions, use any fabric to make little round pockets, like you would to make a pillow. Make sure your cushion size fits the top of the barstool you're covering. Sew this pillow almost closed and then stuff this pillow with fiberfill loose pack stuffing. (A hint for the current times; The stuffing removed from one old bed pillow, fluffed, should be enough to stuff at least four barstools. A couple of old stuffed animals should contain enough stuffing to cover at least four barstools). Sew the opening shut that you used to stuff the pillows. Place these under the barstool covers you made, on top of the stools.

Tips & Warnings

• Patterned fabric looks nice longer than solid colored fabric.

• If the stool cover is too tight, don't panic, just pick out the last few stitches and loosen the elastic.

• If it's too loose, just open the last few stitches and tighten up the elastic until it's better.

• If you began with a fabric that may shrink, be sure not to wash in hot water or dry in a hot dryer.