Sometimes when I finish a project I’m doing yahoos all over the town. This parsons chair slipcover project is one of those. As part of the brown bear project I desperately needed color in my kitchen. I considered buying some end chairs to liven up the space… but buying means actually spending money and I don’t like to do that. I have six simple parsons chairs that I really like around my table and I thought covering two of the parsons chairs with slipcovers oughta do it! The total cost was $10, and $10 never looked so good! Here’s the before and after:
This project was easy. Like capital E easy. Follow my tutorial below to add some color to your home with new parsons chair slipcovers!
Parsons Chair Slipcover Tutorial
Before you start, if you are sewing with patterned fabric decide RIGHT NOW that it’s okay that it doesn’t line up to perfection. Because especially with a chair that has curves, it’s not going to. If you’re committed to not be a crazed line-up-girl, continue (if you can’t handle it buy plain fabric!):
1. Pick a fabric that makes you heart sing. I got this chevron from Amazon.com, I used about 1.5 yards for both chairs, but measure yours out carefully before starting. Use upholstery fabric, or a heavier fabric, anything light weight will tear and you will cry. Well you might not cry, but I would. My fabric wasn’t super heavy, but it does the trick.
2. Decide how long you want the skirt around the bottom. I kept mine short, about 1 inch below the chair seat itself. Drape fabric over the back of the parsons chair. Allow an extra inch or two on the back of the parsons chair below where you want it to end for a slipcover hem, be generous, I thought I was leaving tons and it was barely enough. Also allow 2-3 inches where the seat meets the back of the chair to adjust that connection as well. (This is called “blocking”). Make sure the fabric is lining up decently, then cut (allowing for the extra inches in the front and back.)
3. With the fabric right sides in, pin the each side of the chair, this will be your first sew line.
4. On one side use a ruler and a pencil to mark a connection line from pin to pin, kind-of like connect-the-dots. Sew along this line to insure a good fit. (fyi there are fabric pencils you can use, but on the inside out stuff you won’t ever see a pencil works fine)
5. Right sides in and one side sewn together, put the fabric back on the chair and adjust pins where needed. Repeat step four (draw a sew line) and sew the second side.
6. At the top of the chair pin the corner down into a triangle and mark a pencil line where the chair ends… for the best fit the line should be more like banana shaped than straight. Sew along the line. You can cut the excess off if it is bulky fabric.
7. Where the back meets the seat part draw a pencil line. Be generous. If you pull too tight the seam will be too high. Pin along this line and then sit in the chair before you sew it… if your bedonk-a-donk is anything like mine you will need to make some adjustments. (the first go around I sewed and unpicked this step TWICE! If you get this part right the rest is a breeze!) Sew. After this step put the cover on right side out and test it out before proceeding, adjust if necessary.
8. More than half done, easy right? Now you are going to apply the skirt. Put the cover inside out and on the chair. Pin the skirt in the front center first at the corner of the chair and then work your way around to the sides. Then pin to the back piece on each side. Be generous on this as well. The parsons chair slipcover will hang better if the seam is not on the seat itself but right on the crease or a little lower. Sew.
9. Last step! Put your parsons chair slipcover on your chair right side out and pin your hem along the bottom. You can measure this out, but I just did it by eye, feeling the bottom of my chair and folding the fabric to meet it. Before sewing the hem iron it for an easy crease.
Iron any creases in your slipcover and viola…new parsons chairs! Ahhhh, finally a little color!
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Greetings! Really beneficial guidance on this informative article!
I love this! I’m getting ready to do a surprise bedroom redo for my 12 y/o’s birthday, and part of the redo includes covering a parson’s chair just like these… in something more appropriate than brown pleather. 🙂 I’m thinking (don’t laugh) faux shag fur…. that would be awesome if I can manage to sew it.
ummmm… faux shag fur is BRILLIANT! i have some on my couch and i’m wishing i could cut some off and send it your way. will you please send me a pic of the finished project, i am loving the idea! thanks for the comment! (your blog is beautiful by the way)
Oh man! This looks so easy. I was going to try and make Ikea slipcovers fit, but this’ll look a lot better. Thanks for the tips!
I hope you or some one can help. when you sew the side seams on the backs do you go all the way. I mean do you sew from the fold to the end, and then do the top corners. I have tried and tried and the corners do not turn out. That would be #6 on your directions. So when you fold the corner down is the seam in the middle of the corner. I hope I am explaining right. Thank you so much in advance.
Yes! I can help… can you send a picture to sarah@iamhardware.com? I would love to help if I can.
Awesome — really such a good idea and your tutorial looks detailed enought to folow – gonna give this a go, after seeing some GHASTLY stretch covres for sale, and thinking I was turning into my granny even thinking about it!
This is the best, most complete tutorial I have found so far. I have a slipper chair that is a little wider that I am going to slipcover with a canvas drop cloth and your instructions have been the best that I have read. Maybe I will get brave and try piping too!
Thank you! Good luck!
I’m in the process of making these slip covers and am following your tutorial. My chairs are thicker on the top, so I’ve made changes along the way. I now have 3 different “tops” – can’t wait to see what the 4th will look like. LOL. I’m new to sewing… so what do you mean by “be generous”. Do you mean not pull too tight? I’m nervous about making the seat and skirt part. Also, the instructions to make the skirt are confusing to me. Did you make them 2 different ways or am I reading the pictures wrong?
Hi Chantal, Good job for jumping into a new project! Thanks awesome.I apologize for the late reply. You are probably done by now, but maybe this will help the next person in their project. By “be generous” I did mean don’t pull too tight, your words are so much better. If you leave a little room to adjust the seam if you need to then the fabric won’t rip when you sit down and going tighter on a seam always seams easier to me than trying to loosen it. I’m sorry the skirt instructions are confusing… which part? I’d love to clarify. Thanks for your comment! Keep going!
Oh, and I’ve done step #6 three different ways so far. Yikers. Any clarification with that step would be so appreciated. Thanks much,
Chantal
Oh man, I am way behind on everything (been out of town). I would love to add some clarification. Do you have specific questions or just general?
Excellent instructions! The tips on pencil markings and sewing one side and then repinning to get it tight were so helpful in getting a good fit. Thanks so much. You made my project much easier.
Beautiful slipcovers and I love your fabric! I plan to follow your very detailed and appreciated tutorial for my 4 parsons chairs, but I have a question first. If, sometime after they’re used, you want to dry clean or wash them, are they easy to slip off? Yours look like they fit beautifully but can you get them off easily if you need to? Or would I need to put a zipper on them? Thanks!
Hi there just sewing up this project now but I have a question. When sitting on the covers do they slide up at all? When brainstorming my potential pattern I was thinking of adding a thick wrap around flap underneath the seat with Velcro in order to keep the slipcover in place. Just wondering if you think this would be necessary…thanks 😀
Hi Brittany, great question. The seat cover in the front does ride up a little bit when someone is sitting down, but if your fabric is thick/durable enough it will hold well and it has not bothered me… I get the occasional little one climbing all over the chair and in that case Velcro would be a great idea. I am trying to picture your pattern and I’m guessing that if you want to add Velcro it would certainly help, as long as you allowed slack for the fabric to give when someone is sitting down and you won’t get any tears. I’m not sure if it’s worth the effort, but it is a great idea.
What if the base of the top (near the seat) is smaller than the top of the chair. Unless there is stretch how can you get it on and off? Or is it better just to make everything rectangular?
That’s a good question. I think your options are a little more limited. You could consider a flap you could button closed, sewing the bottom few inches with a hem and using an elastic, or having slack in the fabric. Let me know what you decide, I’m curious! Good luck!
I’m wondering what you think of Ana White’s slipcover and how it would look compared to your pattern. I ask because I’m no seamstress and need the easiest instructions I can find. http://www.ana-white.com/2012/05/plans/easiest-parson-chair-slipcovers. Also, wouldn’t it be a good idea to tuck excess fabric down into the space where the seat meets the back, assuming it’s possible? It seems to me it would keep the cover in place better. Thanks!
Thanks for your comment! I think Ana White’s site is awesome and I haven’t made this pattern but have built projects with her plans and they were all great. Could you give me more detail on the excess fabric? There are no seams in the back on this pattern, but I’d love to figure it out…
Comment hola me puedes ayudar estoy tratando de hacerle unas fundas a mi sillas pero no puedo
Hola! Si, hablo Espanol… que preguntas tiene?
Hi! I am making covers according to your tutorial, (well done!). The back The my chairs are tapered. I’m thinking I will put Velcro in the side seams of the back…thoughts?