Make Your Own Bar Stool Covers

Making new covers for backless bar stools is a fairly straightforward project and is a good way of hiding worn or faded seat cushions and giving your old bar stools a makeover.  Making removable bar stool covers is a practical idea if you’ve got kitchen counter stools that get used on a daily basis, as you can easily take them off and wash them if they get dirty or stained.  Covers can also be used for aesthetic reasons if you decorate and find the upholstery on your bar stool seats doesn’t match your new color scheme.  Here are our tips on how to make your own bar stool covers.

Fabric

You can choose any color or pattern you like, but it’s best to choose one that can be machine washed, such as cotton, which can also stand up to lots of use.  Measure your seats to work out how much fabric you’ll need, remembering to allow for enough to cover the sides and for the hems.

To make your first cover, place your fabric with the good side facing down on a suitable, flat, clean surface.  Stand your bar stool upside down on the fabric and draw round the edge of the seat using a piece of chalk.  You can then cut around this outline, including enough extra fabric to cover the side as well as 1.5 inches for the hem.

Sewing

You will need thread to sew the hem, plus elastic to give a tight fit and make your covers easy to remove for washing.

Fold the edges of your cover over by half an inch, then turn it over by another inch to make the hem and secure it with pins.  Sew the hem, either by hand or machine, leaving a small gap so you can insert the elastic.

To do this, fix a safety pin to the end so you can easily move it through the hem.   Pin the ends of the elastic together and fit the cover over your bar stool seat.  Adjust the position of the pin to get the right fit, then sew the ends together and finish the hem.

Padded Seat Cushions

As well as using this method to cover padded bar stools, you can use it to make covers for wooden bar stools with solid seats.  If you wish, you can add padding.  To do this, sew a pocket of fabric to fit the size of your bar stool’s seat.  You can use any cheap fabric as it won’t be visible once it’s covered.

Then stuff the pocket with pillow stuffing, which you can buy from a craft store or recycle from an old cushion.  Once stuffed, sew the cushion shut and place it on your bar stool before fitting the new cover over the top.

By making homemade bar stool covers you can add your personal touch to your furniture and give your bar stools a smart new look without spending much money.