Wednesday 10 October 2012

How to Make a Chair Cover for a Shabby Old Desk Chair


Hi everyone.  Got a quick makeover to share with you today.  My daughter's desk chair was tired and shabby but not in a good shabby way.  I've been looking for a new chair to replace it.  The chair needed to have wheels so it was easy to move around, it needed to have gas lift so you could adjust the height and it needed to have no arms so it could be pushed completely under the desk.  I couldn't find anything nice that met the criteria.  Have you noticed how ugly office chairs are?  The shabby chair we had did meet our needs, so it was time for a makeover.



This is the chair on the left.  It was from Freedom Furniture a few years ago.  You can now only get it in black which doesn't suit my daughter's room at all.  The white faux leather had become very dirty and marked, but the chair itself was fine.  Solution - Chair Cover.


The cover is similar to a director's chair cover but the sides are only short so they don't get stuck in the wheels.

How To
Cut pieces of fabric to the dimensions of the chair front, back and seat and sew together.  Then sew the side seams to join the front and back together.  Cut 4 pieces of fabric for the chair skirt.  Sew one across the back piece and hem.  Then sew the other three together to form one piece and sew it along the bottom three sides of the seat fabric, leaving it open at the back so you can slide the cover over the chair.  Hem and you're done.


Of course my daughter decided to sketch up a design for a scatter cushion to go on the chair.


So armed with the drawing, I made the pillow too.



Here's a little tip - Whenever I sew something I write down all the measurements and the steps I took in my little pattern book.  That way, if I need to make another cover in the future I can do so really easily without all the measuring and working out how to do it.


I used the leftover fabric I had when I made her bed skirt here,  so the chair cover cost me nothing and I saved $100 as I didn't have to buy a new chair (or that's how I like to think of it).  The spotty fabric and pom pom trim for the pillow were from Spotlight.


So by making a simple chair cover I've been able to decorate her room in the style she wanted without it costing a fortune.  

Sharing at Scandi Coast Homes's new link party.  Have you seen it yet?  It's here


31 comments:

  1. Both chair and cushion are delightful.
    Carolyn

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  2. Cute as Kylie! Office chairs truly are dreadful looking, aren't they?
    Cas x

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  3. It is so pretty :)

    I am now wondering where I can place my order for you to come and tidy up and make over here :)

    x Loulou

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  4. It looks lovely, unlike my very unsuccessful trip to IKEA fresh off the plane last night to get some chairs that are currently out of stock and won't be in until the weekend!!!

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    Replies
    1. Oh I do hate it when you make the trip to IKEA and it's not in stock. Hope they can deliver for you.

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  5. Great job Kylie. I had the exact same Freedom chair (only in red) and was contemplating making a cover for it as well. However the gas lift died and then the bottom assembly fell to pieces - so that was the end of that. Currently on the lookout for an office chair that looks reasonably attractive. I agree, all the ones I have seen are quite hideous. ;)Sharyne

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    Replies
    1. Thanks Sharyne. I know, what is it with ugly office chairs. Hope Pottery Barn include their office chairs when they open in Sydney next year!

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  6. looks sooooo cute! I bet she loves it. Great colour combination.
    Bec x

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    Replies
    1. Thanks Bec, me too. The pink and aqua is so pretty together.

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  7. Lovely idea to cover the chair and to make such a beautiful cushion (I'm a hardcore pom pom fan) and I just adore your daughter's drawing of said cushion - so sweet!!!

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    Replies
    1. Thanks Brenda - yes I loved being handed the drawing!!!

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  8. Adorable! What a great idea. Easy to change when she's in a different stage - maybe she'll make the next one? :)

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  9. Hi Kylie,
    What are you going to spend the $100 on? tehe ;O)
    I would love to be able to sew like that.
    It all looks absolutely lovely!!!
    Tania xx

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  10. Really cute!....I had my mum make me an ABBA cushion for my room at that age......lucky your little one is more stylish!!
    Allison

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  11. What a great solution! I really like your pattern book idea... am going to try and remember to jot things down in future too. Enjoy your weekend x

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  12. Very pretty. I especially love the trim on the cushion. x

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  13. Kylie, that looks just beautiful! I dream of being able to use a sewing machine.....sadly after many attempts, I've accepted that I'm not a seamstress xx

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  14. Nice Look, I love the color combination of cushion..
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  15. Pretty! This has been a really wonderful post. Thank you for providing these details.

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  16. This is the solution in fixing a chair that fits our office or room. we can make a total makeover in our old office chairs and turn it on an eye catching design. This blog is really amazing! and can help those who want to make old office chair into new one.

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  17. I agree with the majority of the points in this article and it’s great without any doubt. Really a wonderful post! I like it very much. Here I find everything in details. I hope I will see this type of post again in your blog
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