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Do you have one of those " papasan " or "satellite dish" rattan chairs? These chairs are easy to spruce up by recovering the cushion with a slipcover. All you need to do is measure the cushion, pick out fabric, cut it to size and sew it up. Your papasan chair will soon look like you just picked it up at a chic furniture store.
Steps
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1Acquire about 4 yards (3.5 meters) of fairly heavy fabric . Twill, denim and some of the heavier decorator fabrics work well.
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3Lay your fabric out flat on the floor and place your cushion on top of it.
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4Trace a line approximately two inches (5 cm) from the edge, holding the marker as shown and using your forefinger as your distance spacer. [1] X Research source
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5Remove the cushion and cut along your traced line, smoothing crooked lines as you go. [2] X Research source
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6Fold the circle in half , then quarters, then eighths and trim the resulting edge even to get as perfect a circle as possible.
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8Fold your cut circle in half and lay the center fold approximately 1.5 inches (3.8 cm) from the aligned selvage edges; 3 inches (7.6 cm) for non-selvage edges. Smooth any wrinkles.
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9Cut around the perimeter of your "original" half circle (using it as a stencil of sorts) to make two half circles that each have a flat, selvage edge.
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10Clip the corners of your folded circle to mark the diameter line at the edge of the circle.
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11Roll the straight edges of the half circles and hem them at 1.5 inches (3.8 cm). For non-selvage edges, repeat.
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12Sew the loop half of your "hook and loop" or "Velcro" to the top side of one hem, approximately one quarter inch (6 mm) from the edge. [3] X Research source
- Note: Sew each edge of the Velcro rather than down the middle to avoid issues with your machine thread catching on the Velcro "hooks".
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13Sew the hook half of your "hook and loop" or "Velcro" to the bottom side of the other hem, approximately one quarter inch (6 mm) from the edge. [4] X Research source
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14Stick the two sides of Velcro together, which should cause your two half circles to form a full circle of material.
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15Place your original circle and the newly formed circle right sides together. The outside of the cover should now be on the inside.
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16Pin the ends of your Velcro seam to the edge where you clipped to mark the ends of the Diameter of your circle. Refer to picture for close up view.
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17Lay both layers flat, carefully smooth out any wrinkles and pin the edges together as they lie flat. The edges may or may not be exactly aligned at this point. You will sew them as pinned, thus evening out minor differences. Allow enough seam allowance to sew both edges together.
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18Sew the outer, pinned edge .
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19Open the Velcro seam and slide your new cover over your old cushion. Reverse the cover, so that the outside of the cover is now revealed.
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20Close the Velcro seam , smooth out any bunches, and throw that thing back on its frame.
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21Relax in your chair , knowing that you can easily launder your new cushion cover!
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Tips
- Measure your cushion before you start and adjust fabric accordingly.Thanks
- Heavier materials may require a more robust sewing machine and stronger needles.Thanks
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Warnings
- Needles and scissors are sharp. Handle with care.Thanks
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Things You'll Need
- Sewing Machine (you can do this by hand, but it would take a long time.)
- Four yards of twill, denim, or heavy decorator fabric.
- Scissors
- Marker
- Matching thread
- A yard of 1/2 or 3/4 inch wide "hook and loop" or "Velcro" tape. Avoid getting the "peel and stick" type. You want the "sew on" type.
References
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