How to Make a Pad for a Child's Rocking Chair
A child's rocking chair can be dull and uninviting when the wood is bare. The addition of a fabric pad will make your little one want to sit and rock beside Grandma and Grandpa for hours. Adding a fabric pad is also the perfect way to update a family heirloom without making modifications to the rocker itself. Cotton fabric comes in a variety of prints, including favorite cartoon and toy characters. Choose an appealing print to make your child's rocker comfy and lovable.
Things You'll Need
- Measuring tape
- Muslin fabric
- Straight-edged sewing rule
- Scissors
- Sewing machine
- Stuffing material
- Thread
- Hand needle
- Print fabric
- Pins
Instructions
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Make the Pillow Form
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1
Measure the width and the depth of the chair seat. Add 1/2 inch to each side for seam allowance. This is your total measurement.
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2
Cut two pieces of muslin fabric the size of your total measurement. For a more accurate cut, use a straight-edged sewing rule instead of a tape measure to measure and mark your cutting lines.
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3
Stitch the muslin pieces together. Leave a three-inch opening and backstitch at the opening's edges to keep the thread from loosening.
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4
Clip any curved edges with scissors and trim any corner points.
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5
Turn right side out and stuff with stuffing material until you have achieved the desired pad thickness. Some people who create heirlooms prefer natural stuffing fibers such as cotton, but this may clump under heavy washing. Consider polyester fiberfill.
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6
Turn the edges of the opening inward. Using a hand needle and thread, close the opening with a straight running stitch.
Make Pad Covering
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7
Measure across the width of the pillow form from seam to seam and add 1/2 inch to each side for the seam allowance.
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8
Cut two pieces of printed fabric to these measurements. This is the fabric that will cover the pillow form. Machine baste (sew with a large stitch that will be removed) along one edge of each of the fabric pieces.
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9
Put right sides of the fabric together and sew 1/2 inch from the edges on three sides. Leave basting side open. Backstitch at the ends to keep thread from loosening. Clip any curves and clip any corners.
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10
Turn fabric cover right side out. Insert the pillow form. Remove basting. Turn the basting edge to the inside and pin.
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11
Stitch open edges together using a blindstitch.
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1
Tips & Warnings
Blindstitch by catching the fabric with the needle as close to the seam as possible. Then make small stitches that will be hard to see when the cushion is in use.
To achieve sharp corners, pivot the needle at the corner and make one diagonal stitch across the point of the corner.
For an extra special rocker pad, you can create a patchwork quilt block and use it as a fabric cover top piece. It will add a new generation to the family heirloom.
Since a child's rocker is sure to catch spills, choose fabric with dark colors or busy patterns. A light color will require washing almost daily.
