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DIY Dining Chair Slipcovers from a Tablecoth

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. I may receive a small commission, at no cost to you, on purchases made after following an affiliate link. See my full disclosure here.

August 2, 2011 By Jackie

Dining Chair Slipcover from Tablecloth

The chairs are done!!!  They turned out fabulous, if I do says so myself.  I decided to just use the Prakesh tablecloth fabric, from my dining room inspiration board, on the head chairs.  It makes the head chairs special and allows the pattern to pop.  You can see the full back of one of the head chairs from the foyer.  On the other end of the table you see the pattern “continue” on the other head chair.

Dining Chair Slipcovers from modern tablecloth

They involved a little bit of tricky construction, but overall they were easier to make than I thought.  If you recall, I used a $10 slipcover from Ikea to make a slipcover pattern.  With the pieces of the slipcover as a guide, I reconstructed my own slipcovers using the following steps:

  1. I prewashed the tablecloths and some plain white broadcloth (more on that in step 4).
  2. I used my dissected slipcover as pattern pieces to cut out the Prakesh tablecloths.  To ensure the pattern lined up perfectly down the center of the chairs.  I fold each pattern piece in half and laid the folds along the centerline of the tablecloth.Tablecloth as slip cover
  3. I opened each centered pattern piece and pinned it to the tablecloth.  I cut out each piece from the tablecloth.  Yes, the naked pink chairs sat around the table cheering me on.Tablecloth Slipcover
  4. The tablecloth fabric was too thin to cover the pink foam of the naked chairs.  I had to cut out matching fabric pieces in white broadcloth.  I used the longest stitch on my sewing mahine to baste the broadcloth to the wrongside of the tablecloth pieces.  This combination covered the pink foam and made for a nice crisp white slipcover.Tablecloth turned slipcover
  5. I assembled the top half off the slicpover first, to get my feet wet.  This involved pinning the front pattern piece to the back piece.  The back piece wraps around to cover the sides and has tight curves at the top corners.  I used lots of pins to secure the corners and then basted them together on my sewing machine.  I pinned the straight edges about 1″ in from the edge.  That allowed me to quickly run it through my serger without removing the pins.  I serged the entire seam connecting the front and back pieces with a 4-thread overlock stitch.
  6. Here is where I paused to try the top half on the chair.  I was fully prepared to cry give up if it did not fit.  Luckily, it fit like a glove.
  7. With confidence after Step 5, I proceeded by assembling the seat portion of the slipcover.  The bottom half of the slipcover included the seat, the front apron, and the two side aprons.  I serged the short sides connecting the apron pieces together in one long strip.  Then I pinned the apron to the seat.  The sharp curves at the corners required lots of pins and a little basting.  Then I serged the apron to the seat.
  8. Here is where I paused to try the bottom half on the chair.  I was fully prepared to cry give up again if this part did not fit.  Luckliy, it fit too.
  9. Now to connect the top half and bottom half together to create one complete slipcover.  This part was easy.  I just serged the appropriate seams together to connect the top half to the seat.
  10. Okay…I know I am paraniod, but I just had to try the whole thing on the chair again before I put in anymore effort.  There is nothing worse than completing a whole project only to find out it does not fit.  Lukily, it fit really well.
  11. The last step was to hem the bottom edges around the apron and attach velcro to secure it around the frame of the chair.  Before hemming, I finished the edges of the apron with the 4-thread overlock stitch on my serger.  Then I folded them up 1/4″ and hemmed with my sewing machine.  I attached 4 strips of velcro to each side.  The slipcover pulls tightly around the bottom of the chair frame and attaches with velcro.  They don’t even look like slipovers at all.

Tablecloth turned into chair slipcover

Update: I also used one of these tablecloths to create an easy slipcovered bench.

DIY Bench Slipcover

Sharing this project here:
House of Hepworths
Under the Table and Dreaming
Miss Mustard Seed

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Comments

  1. Krystal says

    August 2, 2011 at 12:02 pm

    those turned out fab! you should be so proud of yourself! thanks for sharing!

  2. Kristi~The Slipcover Girl says

    August 5, 2011 at 8:32 am

    They are amazing! Fantastic work! I’m gonna feature you Friday.

  3. Mel says

    August 6, 2011 at 8:32 pm

    Totally adorable. Beautiful fabric choice and you did a fantastic job on them.

    Visiting from the Sunday Showcase.

  4. Lisa @ Fern Creek Cottage says

    August 7, 2011 at 8:57 am

    I fell in love with that fabric when I saw that tablecloth at Target. I never would have thought of turning it into slipcovers. Your chairs look so so cool!! I love them! The wheels are now turning in my head. Hmmm, what can I use that tabecloth for…..

  5. cheryl says

    August 7, 2011 at 9:25 am

    very nice!! they look fantastic.
    great tutorial – thanks for sharing.
    just popping by from sunday showcase
    cheryl xox.

  6. Andrea . Charcoal and Crayons says

    August 8, 2011 at 2:51 am

    They look amazing! I love that pattern… bold yet sophisticated!

  7. [email protected] says

    August 10, 2011 at 9:35 pm

    Love the pattern!

  8. Helena says

    August 10, 2011 at 10:40 pm

    I have the same tablecloth. Looks just as lovely on chairs! :)

  9. Rachel says

    August 11, 2011 at 11:50 am

    They look AWESOME!!! I have those same chairs from Ikea. Did you sew and attach that little piece of fabric that pulls threw the top and bottom of the chair and velcros underneath to keep the bottom part of the cover nice and tight or did you leave it out altogether.

    • Jackie says

      August 11, 2011 at 4:44 pm

      Rachel,

      I totally left out that flap. They fit so tight already and the cover itself is already designed to tuck in at the seat crease. Honestly on the other covers I thought getting that flap in between the cushions was such a pain so I just kind of shoved them in and did not even Velcro them.

      Thanks for stopping by!!!
      Jackie

  10. Ashley says

    August 11, 2011 at 12:27 pm

    These turned out so awesome…I love the fabric (well, tablecloth). I have four craigslist chairs similar to this that need slipcovers…I really want to make my own but haven’t had the balls to try yet. What if I out in all that effort and they don’t fit? I would cry too! Your turned out great though…perhaps I’ll officially add this to my project list.

  11. Allison @ House of Hepworths says

    August 18, 2011 at 12:29 am

    You are so awesome that I featured you this week at my Hookin Up with HoH party!

    Feel free to stop by and grab a button if you’d like. :)

    Allison @ House of Hepworths

    • Jackie says

      August 18, 2011 at 9:40 am

      Thank you Allison. What a lovely surprise! I am totally blushing and excited! Your readers are so fabulous and have already been stopping by to comment!

  12. Kerrin says

    August 18, 2011 at 12:48 am

    Wow! You did amazing work on these! I am so excited for you!! I love the print and your idea to make the head chairs extra special. I am sure that they make a great focal point. Way to go!!

  13. Maridith says

    August 18, 2011 at 2:15 am

    BEAUTIFUL! Great slipcovers and I love the end chairs are different from the side chairs. Found you through HOH.

  14. jamie says

    August 18, 2011 at 5:18 am

    that fabric is fabulous!!!! I can’t believe it was a tablecloth

  15. Whitney Lemons says

    September 29, 2011 at 12:46 pm

    This is a wonderful tutorial…thank you! I’d love to slipcover some antique chairs I have that are similar enough to use your tutorial.

    If you have time, I have questions about the velcro:
    – where did you attach it?
    – did you really use 16 pieces (“four on each side”) or am I reading that wrong?
    – would you mind flipping the chair for a picture?
    – is the hook side of the velcro glued to the chair base? (maybe the ikea chair already has this?)

    Your bottom edge looks so tight, but that’s the part that’s giving me the most trouble. I have loads of velcro leftover from something else…it’s pretty much by-the-yard so I can attach it anywhere you suggest. :)

    Thanks for any advice you can give and again for the amazing tutorial,
    Whitney

    • Jackie says

      September 30, 2011 at 8:07 pm

      Whitney,

      Thanks for stopping by and all the wonderful questions. The Ikea Chairs and slipcovers come with the velcro already attached. The hook (rougher) side of the velcro was already stapled on the bottom edge of the chair frame. There were four strips per chair (one on each side). The ikea slipcovers come with the loop side (soft side) of the velcro sewn onto the slipcover. For my slipcovers, I just boot the loop side of the velcro (they sell packages at Joann’s) and sewed it onto my slipcovers the same way as the Ikea model slipcover.

      You could easily do this with any slipcover. You just have to extend the length to wrap under the frame and make the notches at the corners to accommodate the chair legs. Sew on strips of loop velcro right at the bottom edge/hem line. Then just staple the hook velcro strips to the bottom edge of the chair frame. Pull the slipcover on and wrap the bottom around to attach velcro. This is pretty forgiving so it works even if the velcro is not lined up perfectly. It also really holds the cover in place well even if the chairs get a lot of use.

      Good luck. I’d love to see your slipcovers when you finish them. Share them on http://www.facebook.com/tealandlime

      Thanks,
      Jackie

  16. Paige says

    November 1, 2011 at 2:18 am

    These are simply amazing! Thanks so much for the great tutorial.

  17. Lisa says

    November 1, 2011 at 8:34 am

    These are beautiful! Great job on this makeover, thanks for the tutorial!

  18. Sandy says

    November 2, 2011 at 5:41 pm

    Girl, you are some kind of amazing! Those chairs are awesome. Thanks for sharing the how to.

  19. Kattie says

    November 20, 2011 at 3:56 pm

    I have had these chairs for years! I have three children so you can imagine what the white ( or almost white ) chairs looked like after years of spills! I wanted to buy new covers, but didn’t want to spend a bunch of money on a pattern I “kinda” like. Thank you for these directions. I just finished making 6 new covers out of a laminated cotton using one of my old worn out covers. I was even able to reuse all the Velcro from the old covers! Now when the kiddos spill it just wipes off. I saw you left out the little flap. I left it off at first as well, but it wouldn’t stay in place with the kids pulling at it. I ended up reusing the old one as well. It was really easy to add it as an after thought. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

    • Jackie says

      November 20, 2011 at 5:24 pm

      Kattie,

      That is so wonderful! The laminated cotton sounds like a dream. I used the dark grey covers for the kids chairs for a reason ;). I am so glad if my process helped you. I am super impressed you made all six!

    • Patty says

      January 4, 2012 at 11:53 am

      Hi Kattie,
      I am planning on making the very same thing…these covers in a laminated cotton. Need it with 3 little kids! Any words of wisdom with working with this chair and laminated cotton?
      Patty

      • Jackie says

        January 4, 2012 at 5:15 pm

        Kattie,

        I am sure the laminated cotton will be great! I scotch guarded my chair covers and I was less worried since they are in the formal dining room. The best thing I did was buy the cheapest slipcover for this chair at Ikea (for $10) and dissect it to create a pattern for my slipcovers. I got the best fit this way. You can read about how I made the pattern here:
        http://www.tealandlime.com/2011/06/making-a-chair-slipcover-pattern/

      • Kattie says

        February 25, 2012 at 10:27 pm

        Patty,

        Used a Teflon coated presser foot! I tried to do it without and seriously regretted it! Since it is hard to do the more narrow hems around the edges I used a fabric glue to hold it in place before stitching it. Other than that, laminated fabric takes a lot of patience, don’t give up!

  20. [email protected] says

    January 2, 2012 at 8:23 pm

    Awesome idea!! I did some roman shades with a similar Target tablecloth, but I am loving this idea!! Great minds, right? ;-)

    http://evolutionofstyleblog.blogspot.com/2011/08/no-sew-all-faux-roman-shade.html

    • Jackie says

      January 2, 2012 at 9:56 pm

      Jenny,

      Thanks! I saw your awesome shades a while back and shared the project with my Facebook fans. I love what you did. I need to do something similar for the windows in my kitchen eating area.

  21. Marsha says

    February 23, 2012 at 1:00 pm

    I swear I almost passed out from sheer, unequivocable awesomeness when I saw this post….I..swear…

  22. Anne says

    February 23, 2012 at 2:34 pm

    love this! They turned out so fantastic. I have some plain brown chairs just like this that are begging for a makeover :)

  23. Newlyweds on a Budget says

    February 23, 2012 at 3:08 pm

    found you through younghouselove.
    have you considered turning this into a profession or as a store on etsy? like tailor-made slipcovers? i dont know how to use a sewing machine but would love some vibrant ones like this in a light yellow pattern!

  24. kathy says

    February 25, 2012 at 4:53 pm

    Also found you through YHL.
    Would you consider making these and shipping them to me? I have the exact chairs but don’t even know how to sew a button. Please email me , id be willing to discuss pricing.

    Thanks.

    • Jackie says

      February 25, 2012 at 5:40 pm

      Hi Kathy. I am super flattered you like the covers that much. Unfortunately I cannot make them to sell. I work full-time in addition to blogging and work really hard to maintain a good balance of time with my family. My mission in blogging is to share my projects and how-to’s so others can do their own DIY. I am sure you can find a local seamstress to make a set for you! Thanks again.

  25. Laura says

    February 26, 2012 at 10:41 am

    I just saw your post over at YHL and cracked up because I have that same tablecloth and made a couple things out of it, including a rice heating pad (http://www.planteatcreate.com/2011/12/how-to-holidays-make-rice-heating-pad.html)

    When I initially saw the tablecloth, all I could think of is how to turn it into something else. Well done on your chairs!
    -Laura

  26. Inspire Me Heather says

    March 30, 2012 at 8:06 am

    Your chairs are gorgeous – I love that fabric! I have this linked to my slipcovers post too today, well done!

  27. Vanessa says

    June 9, 2012 at 9:10 pm

    OMG!!! Amazing! I have the same bench from ikea… If you would be willing to sell a slipcover like yours for the bench, please contact me =0)

  28. Mark says

    June 11, 2012 at 5:02 pm

    Question for you, Jackie. I’m considering taking this on as a project, following the same steps as you (and being brave as I’m not a sewer, but am buying upholstery fabric to match my living room chairs). You used tablecloths to upholster your chairs, but I’m not sure how that equates to the number of yards needed, per chair, to make a slipcover. Sorry if I missed this detail in your blog, but am wondering if you have an idea as to how much I’d need per chair if buying fabric, assuming it’s 54″ wide.

    Thank you very much!

    • Jackie says

      June 12, 2012 at 9:29 pm

      Hi Mark. I wanted to make sure I went back and checked measurements before writing you. The tablecloths were about 60″ wide, so slightly larger than your fabric, but I did not use the full width. I would estimate there was an extra 12-15″ in the width. The tablecloths were 84″ long and most of the length was used. You will be safe with 2.5 yards per chair if you want to make them the same way I did. If your fabric does not have a pattern, you may be able to cut the pieces from less fabric.

      Good luck with your project. I would love to see pictures when you are done.

      • Mark says

        June 15, 2012 at 4:00 pm

        Jackie,

        Thank you so much for looking into this and for helping me to estimate the amount of fabric to buy for this project. I ordered upholstery-weight woven chenille from newtoto.com to match the living room chairs I’m having made from the same fabric.

        That said, I’m going to follow your lead and attempt the first slipcover with some inexpensive fabric so I can make sure I get this down before cutting into the fabric I’m using for the chairs.

        When this project is done, you’ll be the first to get some pictures! I don’t really have experience sewing, but I’m not afraid of it (yet) and am excited to try it and with any luck, can produce something similar to what you’ve achieved (which is amazing)!

        Thank you again!

        All the best,
        Mark

  29. Tracy says

    September 30, 2012 at 8:56 pm

    I think you just saved me $3000… The dining set I was looking at was almost $4000 and doesn’t look as good as this, plus I wasn’t willing to commit to one look for 10+ years! I LOVE that I can make it new every so often, by spending a couple of quiet ours with my sewing machine.
    And who doesn’t love a trip to IKEA??! LOL!
    Thaaaaank you!

    • Jackie says

      September 30, 2012 at 9:40 pm

      Wow! I am not sure I can take credit for saving you $3000, but happy to inspire you. Would love to see you chairs once you get them done.

      • Tracy says

        October 1, 2012 at 1:31 pm

        I will post pics for sure, and I’ll put them up beside the expensive option… to remind myself how much cash my time spent customizing is worth!

  30. Mel says

    September 8, 2013 at 5:13 pm

    I realize this is almost a year old, but I have to ask: I am not handy with a sewing machine AT ALL, so is there any chance you have a little shop & sells these, or willing to make these for a Canadian girl with no sewing skills?

    • Jackie says

      September 8, 2013 at 7:46 pm

      Mel, Unfortunately i don’t offer sewing services. I recommend looking for a local seamstress to help you. For me, an amateur seamstress, it took less than a few hours to sew two slipcovers. So imagine it would be easy for a professional seamstress. Sometimes asking at your local dry cleaner is a good way to find a seamstress. Best of luck!

  31. Judy Garcia says

    March 29, 2014 at 8:19 am

    Wow! I’ve always wanted to try this. I have the same chairs. Yours look beautiful, thanks for posting, inspirational!

  32. Violet says

    September 22, 2015 at 11:40 pm

    Love the tutorial. Where did you get the table?

    • Jackie says

      September 23, 2015 at 9:44 pm

      Violet, Our table is from Room & Board.

Trackbacks

  1. Hookin Up with HoH #62 says:
    August 18, 2011 at 12:17 am

    […] Teal & Lime recovered her dining chairs. I love the fabric, plus she gives a good tutorial so you can do it too. […]

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