How to Make No Sew Slipcovers for Outdoor Dining Chairs
How to make washable, no sew outdoor chair slipcovers for outdoor dining chairs or any porch or patio chair using ready made terrycloth beach or bath towels.
I made and posted about outdoor chair covers when I first started blogging. I was reminded of them when my friend Linnea, commented on a recent post about how I used jelly jars to make outdoor candle holders around an umbrella table.
Linnea wrote that she liked the idea of the candles, but really was more interested in how I made the outdoor chair covers around the table.
When I lived in my previous home, we had chaise lounges by our pool. The cushions on them were always wet from people sitting on them with wet bathing suits.
This gave me the idea to make slipcovers for the cushions out of beach towels or large sheet style bath towels to absorb some of the water while at the same time making the cushions feel more spa-like.
I liked the idea so much that I took the concept to the outdoor patio dining chairs and made simple no sew covers using beach towels to make the chairs look more colorful and stylish.
How to Make No Sew Washable Outdoor Dining Chair Slipcovers
Since I no longer have the chairs from my previous house that are shown in the photo above, I put one of the no sew beach towel covers I still have on a sling chair on my deck to show you how they are tied on to keep them from slipping down on the chair.
This tie-on style towel cover will fit on most outdoor style dining chairs. The towel is draped over the back of the chair so it kind of creates a front and back section.
- How long the towel is draped over the back will depend on the height of your chair back and where you will need to place the ribbon ties to secure the towel.
The towel is held in place with 4 pieces of ribbon – 2 on each side of the towel that are attached by threading the ribbon through eyelets punched into the towel.
- The best section of the chair to place the ties is around the arm.
supplies needed:
- Beach towel – Walmart, Target and HomeGoods are good places to find affordable and colorful beach towels.
- Ribbon – 1/2 -inch
- Straight pins
- Scissors
- Eyelets and Eyelet Pliers
Time needed: 15 minutes
How to Make No Sew Washable Outdoor Dining Chair Slipcovers
- Fit Towel on Chair
Place towel over chair to figure out where to attach ribbon ties. Make sure to cover the entire seat of the chair. It is better to have more on the seat and less draped over the top and falling to the back of the chair. Mark where ribbon ties will go with straight pins. - Punch In Eyelets
Remove towel from chair and place on a work surface. Use the tip of a small pair of scissors to make a small hole in the towel where one end of a ribbon tie will go. Place a metal eyelet in the home and use eyelet pliers to attach the eyelet to the towel.
To do this, you line up the tip on the pliers into the eyelet in the hole and press.
TIP: This tip comes from a reader, Sheryll. To help keep the fabric around the towel from fraying, use some Fray Check around he hole before punching in the eyelet.
Option: Another reader, Linnea wrote that instead of eyelets to make button holes or loop and buttons to attach the cover to a chair.
- Repeat
Remove pliers. Eyelet is attached. Add an eyelet for other 3 ribbons. - Place Beach Towel Back on Chair
Place towel back on chair and line up ribbon ties on each side and tie front and back of towel using the ribbon ties. Tie into a knot or bow. Notch ribbon ends.
- OPTION: Attaching Ribbon Without Using Eyelets
If you have a sewing machine, you can simply sew the ribbon onto the towel where needed for your chairs.
I sewed the ends to the wrong side of the towel so the end of the ribbon was hidden when front and back of the towel are tied onto the chair. - All done!
The beach towel dining chair slipcovers are easy to take on and off and can be laundered and dried whenever needed.
