How to Sew a Window Seat Cover

A window seat is an attractive addition to any room decor and offers a comfortable place to sit and relax. Window seats are often cushioned and surrounded by pillows to provide additional comfort for sitting. Whether you are making a brand new window seat or are covering an existing window seat, sewing a window seat cover is a project that requires minimal planning and sewing skills.

Things You'll Need

• Window seat cushion
• Tape measure
• Fabric (amount depends on the size of your window seat -- probably 2 to 3 yards)
• Plain newsprint paper
• Straight edge
• Sewing machine
• Scissors
• Thread
• Pins
• Hand sewing needle

Instructions

1. Measure the width, height and depth of the cushion. Add 1 inch to each dimension and write down the dimensions. If there is more than one cushion and they are different dimensions, measure all cushions. If the window seat cushion is an odd shape, draw a diagram of it on paper and label the dimensions on the diagram.

2. Purchase enough fabric to cover both sides of the window seat cushion as well as the depth of the cushion.

3. Create a pattern for the window seat cushion out of newsprint paper. Make one pattern piece for the top and bottom of the cushion, a pattern piece for the width depth and a pattern piece for the length depth.

4. Fold the fabric in half with the right side facing in and the wrong side facing out. Place the pattern pieces on top of the fabric and pin the pieces in place. Cut around the pattern pieces (cutting two fabric pieces of each of the three pattern pieces).

5. Place the top fabric cushion piece flat on a work surface with the right side facing up. Place the length depth pieces along the top and bottom edges of the top fabric piece with the right sides facing down, making sure the edges are even. Pin these pieces in place and then sew these seams with a one-half inch seam allowance. Repeat with the width depth pieces in the same fashion.

6. Pin the four corners together and sew a width depth edge to a length depth edge using a one-half inch seam allowance. This will create the four corners of the cushion.

7. Turn the cushion cover over so the right side of the top fabric piece faces up and the raw edges of the four depth pieces are facing up. Place the bottom fabric piece on top of the raw edges of the four depth pieces with the right side facing down.

8. Pin the depth pieces to the bottom piece, pinning one length edge and both width edges together. Sew these edges together with a one-half inch seam allowance.

9. Turn the cushion cover to the right side through the length side left unsewn. Fit the cushion into the cushion cover through the open length side and adjust the fit in the corners.

10. Thread the needle with matching thread and hand stitch the open length edge closed with tiny overhand stitches.

11. Place the window seat cushion in place with the hand-sewn edge to the inside of the window seat where it will not be visible.

References

• HGTV: Window Seat Cover