How to Sew a Padded Toddler Car Seat Cover
Spills, crumbs and sticky fingerprints will make your toddler's car seat look like it's seen better days. Scrubbing the spots away is a task any mom would choose to avoid, and a toddler car seat cover may be the solution. Since car seats are rigorously tested for accident and fire safety, it is important to use flame-resistant fabrics to make your removable seat cover. To sew a padded toddler seat cover, use batting to add a layer of cushioning to the seat.
Instructions
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Sewing the Cover
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1
Measure the width and length of the car seat to determine how much fabric you will need. Use an old sheet or a roll of brown packing paper to make a pattern of the seat's shape. If the original car seat cover is easily removable, use that as a template to cut your pattern. Add two extra inches to each side for the seam allowance and for stretching the cover over the seat's edges.
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2
Spread your fabric--one layer for the front and one layer for the back--and place the pattern on top. Use a thinner flame-resistant fabric for the back so that the cover does not bunch or bulge in the corners too much.
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3
Pin the pattern in place then cut around the edges. With right sides facing inward, pin around the edges.
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4
Sew the edges all the way around, leaving an opening at either the bottom or on one of its sides. Snip the fabrics at the corners and around the curves without cutting through the stitching. This will ease the fabric at these points.
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5
Turn the toddler car seat cover inside out and press its seams flat. Press the edges to a crease and pin 1 1/4 inches in from the edge all around.
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6
Cut the batting to fit inside of the cover, using two or three layers for added thickness.
Putting It Together
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7
Sew around the edges of the cover, 1 1/4 inches in from the edge. Again, do not sew across the opened side; leave it open to insert the elastic. This stitch will hold the batting in place and create a band to insert the elastic in.
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8
Use a large safety pin--a diaper pin works well--and pin it to one end of the 1/4-inch wide elastic. Insert the safety pin into the space between the edge of the toddler seat cover and the second seam. Feed it all the way through, pushing the pin and adjusting the gather all the way around. Grab the safety pin once it reaches the opening again and then knot or stitch the elastic ends together.
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9
Pin the fabric at the opening to sew it close. Sew two stitches to close the opening--one to close the top stitching 1 1/4-inches in and one very close to the edge.
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10
Mark the positions of the seatbelt strap holes on the upper part of the toddler seat cover and the position of the buckle on its seat. Stitch long, horizontal buttonhole openings at these positions and open them up with a seam ripper or small pair of scissors.
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Unfasten the seatbelt straps and insert them through your new toddler seat cover. Stretch the cover over the back and bottom of the toddler seat and reattach the seatbelt straps.
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Tips & Warnings
Use fire-resistant fabric.
