Fitted dining room chair covers are a great way to hide flawed chairs or to protect your valuable furniture by using stain-resistant or fabric with a waterproof backing.

They can be expensive, but you can make your own with a few materials and a sewing machine.

Step 1: Materials

The great thing about these DIY dining room chair covers is that you really don’t need much to make them!

• Enough fabric to cover the chair on all sides and surfaces…usually 2-3 yards. Try a stain-resistant or plastic-backed material to protect your chairs.
• Thread and a sewing machine or ribbon to “lace” the edges together for a more casual crafty look.
• Scissors and a measuring tape.

Step 2: Measuring

 You’ll need to measure the chair in a few places to know what size and shape to cut the fabric.

First, measure from the floor in the front of the chair over to the back. Keep the tape against the surface of the chair, across the seat, and up and over the back. Then measure the width, adding TWO inches to each side and ONE inch to the length. Mark this measurement.

Then measure the chair on the sides from front to back and from the seat to the floor. Add TWO inches to the front-to-back measurement and an inch and a half to the seat-to-floor measurement.

Step 3: Cutting

Lay your fabric out and cut three pieces.

You’ll need one long rectangle according to the first measurement and two pieces according to the side measurements.

Step 4: Hemming

With the fabric facing down, fold half an inch of each edge inward and pin it. Sew the hems in place. You can also use fabric glue to hold them if you don’t want to sew it.

Step 5: Fitting the Back

Take the long rectangle and lay it on the chair where it will go…but lay it with the outside facing in. You should be looking at the backside of the fabric.

Pinch the edges along the back of the chair together and pin it. Allow a half inch of “looseness,” and mark where it meets with the seat of the chair.

Pull it off and sew the sides of the back-cover.

Note: For ribbon-laced dining room chair covers, make holes every inch along the edges that do NOT meet the floor. Place the big rectangle on the chair and tie a small piece of ribbon through each hole (through front and back on the chairback, and through the long rectangle AND a side-piece on the sides. Tie each ribbon in a bow. Your result should be a small ribbon-bow every inch or so along all the chair edges.

Step 6: Attaching the Side Panels

Put the cover back on the chair back, still inside out.

By now you should have the chair covered in a wide strip all but the sides. The back should be attached on each side, like a big upside-down pocket.

Take a side square and place it on the chair side, pinning to the chair cover on three sides. Use pins or fabric glue to hold the edges together. Do the same on the other side.

Pull it off and sew the two sides in place.

That’s it! Flip it back right-side-out and you have a new dining room chair cover!