Some people spend most of their waking hours at their dining room table, eating, reading the newspaper, visiting with friends, and playing games…others let the surface stack up and overflow with discarded junk mail or just never really see that room at all.

Whether you use your dining table for dining or not, it is one area that tends to get neglected when it’s time to decorate the home. Many people just think that since it’s just a table, there isn’t much you can do to “dress it up” short of adding a centerpiece.

That’s just not true!

Have you ever considered adding some dining room chair covers?

They give you a way to completely transform the room without much cost or effort, and they can be changed at a whim in case you decide to repaint, add a rug or new tablecloth, or just feel like going pink for a while.

If you use one of the following simple and inexpensive ideas, dining room chair covers just might become your newest favorite decorating tool. There is a slip-cover idea here to fit almost anyone’s sense of style!

Creative, Casual and Artsy

These are the people who like things described as hippie or bohemian. Casual and comfortable takes precedence over beauty, and colorful seems to be the only standing theme.

Those people who like things in this genre usually flip over dining room chair covers made from old t-shirts. Some simply slip the shirts over the backs of their chairs and consider it done. Others use ribbon or pins to tie the arms and neck-openings back to make the front and top of the chair smooth.

Popular forms of this easy trend include vintage band and concert t-shirts, tie-dyed tops, and solid shirts chosen strictly for color (either all-the-same or a random mix).

Practical and Simplistic

Those who describe themselves as practical usually lean towards a simplistic décor with clean lines and stain-resistance. Frills and added whimsy are usually “too much,” and dining room chair covers would fall into a category of things that can serve a purpose.

For the best in practicality, chair covers can be made of washable, stain-resistant materials. There are even waterproof pads that can be placed in the chairs before the cover is in place.

You can make your own simple yet cute dining room chair covers with the fabric of your choice and some fabric glue.

Here are the steps:

1. Take a piece of string or a tape measure and measure the chair from the floor on the front, up and along the seat, up the back, and back down to the floor behind it.
2. Measure the width of the chair and cut your fabric in a long rectangle. Add an inch for “hemming.”
3. Measure the “square” on each side of the seat and cut the squares from remaining fabric.
4. Lay the rectangle in place along the chair, only UPSIDE DOWN so that the back of the fabric shows. Glue the edges along the sides of the chair back.
5. Glue the squares in place on the sides.
6. Once the glue is dry, pull the chair cover off, flip it right-side-out, and place it back on the chair.

There you have it…simple, inexpensive chair covers that cost no more than a couple yards of fabric. If you’re feeling adventurous and want more durable covers, you can sew the edges in lieu of the fabric glue.

Elegant and Fancy

One of the best things about chair covers is that they can be used to completely transform a plain chair into a fancy one for a special occasion. Weddings and festive parties are great places to use dining room chair covers to change the look of an entire room. They can add a lot of décor with very little work!

For a fancy occasion, try draping the chairs with a large piece of satin, and tying a big satin bow (maybe in a contrasting color) around the chair back.

You can also add flowers, ribbons, and other embellishments to your dining room chair covers to create more interest!