How to Make Slipcovers for Chair Cushions

Gather basic sewing supplies

Give new life to older furniture by replacing worn and tattered chair cushions. Shop for coordinating fabric to add crispness or vibrancy to your living space. Even budding tailors can deconstruct an old cushion and then reconstruct it into a work of beauty. Tackle this project in an afternoon with minor expense and some basic sewing supplies. When it's all finished, prop your feet up, admire your creative spirit, and relax in the comfort of your labor.

Things You'll Need

• Seam ripper
• Scissors
• Upholstery fabric
• Straight pins
• Hook and loop tape
• Thread to match fabric
• Sewing machine

Instructions

How to Slipcover a Chair Cushion

1. 

   Rip the seams apart.

   Rip open the stitches from the cushion seams with the seam ripper. Separate each piece and use as a pattern for cutting the new decorator fabric.

2. 

   Layout fabric pieces, pin, and cut.

   Lay fabric right side down. This is the side that will be on the outside of the cushion. Lay the fabric pattern pieces onto the new fabric, pinning in place with straight pins. Cut around all pieces. Unpin the patterns from your new fabric.

3. 

   Sew together sections.

   Thread your sewing machine with matching thread. Sew the fabric pieces together with wrong sides out, using the sewing machine. Leave an opening large enough to flip inside out and insert the cushion.

4. 

   Insert the foam insert into the fabric sleeve and fasten closed.

   Insert cushions into the fabric pillow cases. If the cushion is small enough to throw in the washing machine, whip stitch the opening closed. If it is three inches thick or more, sew hook and loop tape onto one end of the cushion for closure. Experienced sewers may opt to put in a zipper.

5. Spray the cushions thoroughly with fabric waterproofing spray. This repels water from the cushions, protecting them and prolonging their life.

Tips & Warnings

• Purchase enough fabric to do the job. Don't risk not having enough and not being able to find more of the same fabric. Factor in the width of the fabric when deciding how much to buy. "Vista Upholstery" suggests you double-check the fabric width. Most decorator fabrics come in 54-inch widths, but can be wider or narrower. Check clearance fabrics for marked down steals. If only the cushion is worn and you can't find fabric to match the rest of the chair, select a print or solid that will coordinate. Try a striped cushion with a print chair, or a solid cushion with a patterned chair.

• Don't make the opening too small to fit the cushion into the fabric sleeve. Watch for straight pins as you sew. Hide hook and loop tape or zippers at the back of the chair. Upholstery fabrics will last longer than cotton or other thin fabrics, says "RepairHome."

References

• RepairHome: How to Reupholster Furniture
• Vista Upholstery: Cutting and Sewing Basics; Sonoma, CA.

Resources

• Wise4Living: Information on Slipcovers
• Kid Smart Living: Slip Cover Projects