How to Create Your Own Seat Cover

Making your own seat covers allows you to customize your car and protect your upholstery. For a new car, prevent the dings, stains and rips that reduce your car’s value. For a not-so-new car give it a fresh look and cover the damage. By creating your own seat covers you save money and get to choose your own color and materials. Car seat covers provide an opportunity for self-expression. With some planning, you can create a comfortable and attractive seat cover to suit your car.

Things You'll Need

•       -Tape measure
• -Pen and paper
• -Thick material

• -Sheet suspenders
•       -Scissors
•       -Yardstick (optional)

• Measure the length and width of the car seat. Use a measuring tape to measure. Extend the tape from the bottom of the seat on the side by the car door across the seating area to the bottom of the seat on the opposite side. Take the seat's measurement from the bottom of the seat in front to the bottom of the seat at the back: extend the tape over the back of seat--under the headrest, if the headrest is removable. Add a foot in each direction to the measurements to have room to tuck the fabric and pull some of it under. Double the length measurement. This gives the amount of fabric to cover two matching car seats. There are 36 inches in a yard, so divide the measurement by 36 to come up with the number of yards of fabric you need. (See References 1)
• Select the material. Choose a thick, durable, insulating material in a non-raveling fabric such as faux sheepskin for no-sew long-lasting comfortable seat covers for year-round use. (See References 2) Good fabric sources include fabric stores, dollar stores and variety stores.Buy some sheet suspenders.
• Spread the seat cover material out on a clean work surface such as a table or a counter. Use a yardstick or tape measure to mark a straight line. Cut the material. Use the first piece of material as a pattern to cut the second one.
• Remove the seat's headrest. Drape the material over the seat and adjust so it hangs evenly with the same amount of extra fabric front to back and side to side. Use the scissors to poke holes in the fabric for the headrest to fit through. Most fabric stretches a bit, so make small holes.
• Attach the suspenders to the rear corners and pull the suspenders under the seat. Guide the suspenders across the top of the bar or wire to keep them from catching in the mechanism when you adjust the seat. Attach the other end of the sheet suspenders to the front corners of the fabric. Tuck the material between the seat back and the seating area to get a smooth fit.
• Follow the steps above to make a rear seat or bench seat cover. You may have to remove a bench seat to install the seat cover.

How to Do the Corners on a Vinyl Upholstered Chair

Complete a do-it-yourself project by attaching vinyl to an upholstered chair seat for a professional-look to the seat surface and corners. Vinyl has a plastic-like texture that creates a sturdy and washable surface that works well on kitchen and dining room chair seats, versus covering an entire chair in this type of fabric. Purchase vinyl for upholstery at fabric and craft stores for a low-cost project that you can do in about one hour.

Things You'll Need

• - Staple gun
• - Staples
• - Scissors

• Staple or tack the vinyl to the chair seat, leaving the vinyl loose 1 inch on each side of the corner.
• Pull one side of the corner taut with a crisp edge from the end of the staples about 1 inch past the corner point. Staple this edge to the chair seat.
• Pull the other side of the corner taut to create a crisp edge. Fold the vinyl to the backside so the corner is smooth and the excess vinyl does not show when you flip of the seat. Make a pleat fold at the corner if the vinyl shows on the right side. Staple the or tack the vinyl to the backside of the seat.
• Repeat these steps on each corner to secure the vinyl to the upholstered cushion.
• Cut off excess vinyl on the backside of the seat cushion to a distance of 3/4- to 1-inch from the staples.
• Attach the seat cushion on the chair after securing the corners. Trim additional vinyl from underneath the seat if it does not lay flat on the chair frame.

How to Sew Your Own Golf Cart Seat Covers

After enjoying many sunny mornings or afternoons on the putting green, your golf cart seats will eventually look like they've seen better days. Golf cart seats--like many upholstered pieces of furniture--are covered with vinyl, leather or cloth. The way the original coverings were attached to the seat is the same way you can make your own golf cart seat covers.

Things You'll Need

• Phillips or flathead screwdriver
• Scissors
• Staple gun
• Sewing machine
• Thread

Remove the Old Covers

Locate the screws that hold the seat cushions to the golf cart's seat frame.

Lift off the seat and the backrest parts and remove the old fabric.

Use the old covers as a template for the new ones.

Replacing the Fabrics

• Measure the required yardage needed to cover your golf cart seats using the old seat covers as a guide.
• Select your favorite replacement fabric from your local fabric store. Choose durable outdoor fabrics that will stand up to the elements.
• Spread the new fabric onto a work surface and lay the old seat covers on top. Pin the old fabric to the new fabric if it's not too thick. Otherwise, trace the outline of each old piece onto the new fabric.
• Cut out the new pieces and lay them down with the right side facing down.

Assembling the Seat Cover

• Lay the seat cushion with its top facing downward onto its new fabric piece. Center the cushion width- and lengthwise.
• Use a staple gun and staple the fabric to the underside of the seat frame or use the same fastening method that was previously used. Start at the center of the top and bottom and then move the center of the two sides, pulling the fabric taut.
• Staple the fabric along each side, from the center out to the corners.
• Pull the fabric at the corners downward and stretch it downward to avoid any pleats. Sew the corners into a bowed corner or give each corner a tight, neat fabric fold before folding under and stapling.
• Cut away the excess fabric, position the seat cushion onto the golf cart and screw it back in place.

Assembling the Backrest Cushions

• Lay the backrest cushions onto the new fabric pieces and center them both by width and length. Fold over the fabric at the middle of each side, securing the opposite sides in order and pulling the fabric taut.
• Staple the fabric along the sides to the corners, and either sew squared or boxed corners or pull the fabric taut for a neat corner finish.
• Cut away the excess fabric and screw the backrest cushions back into the golf cart seat frame.

How to Pick the Right Material For Your Rug

Rugs come in many different fibers,such as nylon, wool, acrylic, cotton or polyester. Less common are silk, and leather, but they are definitely worth looking into if you want a rich look. With so many options available it can be confusing, but the fibers used in a rug do play an important role in how it looks, how long it will last and how stain resistant it proves to be.

Generally speaking natural fibers, especially wool, may be a better choice, as far as longevity and quality are concerned. However, synthetic fibers have the advantage of being easily affordable and now offer a wide range of choices.

Which material should you choose for a rug? There is no single answer as it depends on many factors.

Where Will You Place Your Rug?

Your selection may have a lot to do where you will be placing the rug. Will the rug be placed in an entry, or will it be placed in a corner of the living room? Will it be displayed on a wall? Where you place your rug will determine how much use in terms of foot traffic it is going to get.

Placing a very expensive wool or delicate silk rug in the entry might not be a good idea, however these will add a very luxurious look to a protected part of the living room or the bed room. Bamboo rugs, while they don't offer a very soft feel underfoot will last a long time in high traffic areas such as entries.

Have You Determined How the Rug Will be Used?

What kind of use will your rug be subjected to? Is it a heavy traffic area, or is the purpose mainly display in an area that does not get much use? Will pets and children also be using it? If it is going to be subjected to rough use, consider a synthetic fiber with durability like nylon or polypropylene. If your rug will be used in an area that gets subjected to moisture, you might want to look into a mildew resistant synthetic material such as acrylic. Wool, which absorbs moisture is not a good choice in this situation.

Have You Decided on the Look and Feel You Desire?

What kind of a look are you striving for? What kind of a texture do you need? This should determine how and where you want to use your rug. Although synthetic fibers, especially nylon, do offer a lot of variety in color and texture, the look and feel of a natural fiber rug will be different. Even within natural fibers, a sisal rug would offer a very different look from a silk rug. And chenille, which is a synthetic material offers you a silk-like look and texture, but may be more suitable for an area that gets a reasonable amount of traffic.

Select Rug Quality

And very importantly, what kind of quality are you looking for? Do you want the rug to retain its value over a period of time? If so, you might be better off with a wool or silk rug. If high quality and a long life is not a consideration, you could buy rugs in less costly natural fibers such as cotton or jute, or go for an endless variety of choices in synthetic fibers like nylon, acrylic or polypropylene.

Decide on a Budget

Consider your budget. Are you willing to invest in a quality rug? A natural fiber rug such as wool or silk, could cost you considerably more than a synthetic rug. If you just need an attractive floor covering and are not going after very high quality at the moment a synthetic fiber would be a better choice. Less costly options in natural fibers such as cotton, sisal or jute are also available depending on the look you desire.

9 Quick and Easy Fixes for Wood Surfaces

It is easy for wood surfaces to get marred by scratches and stains. It is just as easy to recover the beauty of wood through quick fixes, at least in most cases. Deeper gouges will require more thorough methods, but if the damage is only skin deep you have recourse to several quick ways to make it less apparent and maybe even fix it.

 Fix Surface Scratches

It is usually the tops that suffer the most from heavy usage. Dragging objects across the surface or throwing things down on it often contributes to the wear and tear. It is not possible to prevent these from happening in a normal household. But you can take care of these unsightly scratches.

• It is easy to find wood polishes that blend in surface scratches and damaged stain. These polishes are available in different shades to match most commonly found wood finishes. Select a shade that closely matches your piece’s finish and apply the wood polish to blend in any surface damage. The polish will come with instructions. Some polishes that do the job well:

• A light coat of wax can also fix superficial scratches. If you need to apply wax more thoroughly,find the instructions here.

Some homemade recipes can work in a pinch. These materials are easy to find, and can also be used to treat light scratches and discolorations with some success:

• Crayons are one of the easiest ways to fill in scratches. Find the color that matches your finish most closely. You may have to mix two colors to get the desired effect. Rub into the scratch, then smooth with a soft cloth. Crayons are also great on painted finishes.
• Brazil nuts are not only delicious and nutritious,  but can be used to fill in scratches in light wood. Be sure to cut them first to release the oil. Rub into the scratch and smooth.
• Iodine from your medicine cabinet can hide surface scratches on darker wood, though you may have to apply more than one coat to get the right shade. Use Q-tips to gently rub into the scratch and then let it dry. I have tried this method with success.

Erase Water Ring Stains

Another problem that besets table tops, especially those with varnished finishes is water ring stains. They can look very unsightly and using coasters is an easy way to prevent them from happening in the first place. Here are some ways to get rid of them if they do happen:

• This method works best if the stains are fresh and haven't had time to sink into the surface deeply. Place a thick piece of cloth over the water ring and press it with a warm iron. Make sure to drain all water from the iron before you do this. You don't want more moisture. Rub the warm iron over the cloth-covered water ring until it disappears. Take care not to go beyond the cloth or you’ll end up with a singed surface.
• Use lemon oil or orange oil for stubborn water rings. Let the oil set on the water ring overnight, or at least a few hours. Wipe off excess oil. Even if it doesn’t disappear completely the stain will be less apparent.
• An equal mixture of white toothpaste (not gel, but good old fashioned white toothpaste) and mayonnaise is also effective. Apply, then wipe off with a soft cloth. You may have to rub it for a little while for the ring to lighten considerably. Afterwards, rub the area with orange oil or lemon oil to make it go away completely.
• If you don't want to try out home remedies, look for water ring stain removers in the market.

You may have to try out several remedies, and possibly try one out several times before it goes away completely.

Where to Find Bargain Upholstery Fabrics, Curtain Fabrics, and More

Those gorgeous fabrics you see in decorating magazines and design showrooms can cost hundreds of dollars per yard. Fortunately, you can find some of those same fabrics (and some that are even more fun) cheap or free when you know where to look. Here’s where to find bargain upholstery fabrics, pillow fabrics, and more:

Fabric Samples

Custom upholstery manufacturers discontinue fabrics several times per year. Their samples range from just big enough for a pillow front to enough to reupholster a small wood-framed armchair.

Furniture stores have to pull discontinued samples from their displays -- and they usually end up in the dumpster. Stop by a local store or design gallery and ask if you can look through the discards.

Fabric Remnants

A remnant is the fabric remaining on a nearly empty bolt. Nearly empty might mean one yard or 12. Dye lots (fabric dyed together in the same vat) are hard to match, so most shops won’t use the end of one bolt with yardage from a new one.

Pricing is often just pennies on the dollar.

Look for remnants at:

• Upholstery shops
• Retail fabric stores that carry upholstery and drapery fabrics
• Upholstery manufacturers in your area
• Craigslist and eBay

Used Clothing

Even if you don’t want to wear it, scan the secondhand clothing at flea markets, yard sales, estate sales, and thrift stores. You won’t be able to reupholster a sofa with yardage from a gathered skirt or vintage caftan, but you might make a set of throw pillows or reupholster your dining chair seats.

Vintage Home Textiles

While you’re bargain hunting, remember that you don’t have to use anything for its original purpose. Sometimes it’s far more interesting when you don’t. Here are a few ideas for repurposing vintage textiles:

• Use a bedspread or quilt as a tablecloth
• Use a tablecloth as a bedspread or shower curtain
• Cover chair seats with the good sections of damaged rugs
• Make café curtains out of old embroidered pillow cases
• Make pillows out of nearly anything

How To Clean All Types of Curtains

I've had my eye on some new curtains for our front room.  They are gorgeous and will add just the right touch to this part of my home.  As much as we love our curtains, sometimes knowing how to care for them can be a mystery. How often should you be cleaning curtains? How do you protect delicate sheers? Can you use a washing machine? Cleaning curtains doesn't have to be difficult...these tips will help.

Weekly Care

For weekly care, use the upholstery brush attachment on your vacuum cleaner to vacuum heavier weight curtains. For light weight curtains, an occasional shaking is more practical to protect delicate fabric. When cleaning the curtains weekly, be on the lookout for stains or areas that need more in depth care. The tops of the curtains along the rod are especially susceptible to dust accumulation.  You can use a long handled dusting toolto gently brush and dust the area or the wand of your vacuum cleaner.

Drying Curtains

Line drying or using a low setting on a clothes dryer will both work for washable curtains. Remove the curtains from the dryer before they are 100% dry. Aim to remove them when they are about 95% dry. Over drying will set wrinkles, but removing while still slightly damp, make ironing curtains a super simple job. A quick ironing will be all that is needed before replacing your curtain hardware, and rehanging your curtains.

Dry Cleaning

Some curtains may have a label that reads dry clean only.  Doing anything other than dry cleaning is done at your own risk.  Some fabrics may bleed and fade if they aren't properly dry cleaned.  Others may shrink or pill on the fabric surface.  If you do decide to try to machine or hand wash dry clean only curtains, use a very mild detergent and a gentle cycle.  Be sure not to wash anything else with them in the cycle as they may not be colorfast. Hang to dry and only resort to a light ironing if absolutely necessary.  You may be able to iron curtains with a thin white towel, tee shirt, or  blanket in between the curtains and the iron.  When in doubt, follow the directions on the curtains themselves.

Steam Cleaning

Some steam cleaners have attachments to steam upholstery or curtains.  Be aware, though, that only machine washable curtains will hold up to steam treatment.  For me, I get better results washing machine washable curtains than steaming them.  It's not that much more trouble to take them down and wash them, and I feel they come out a lot more clean.  If you do want to try steam cleaning, be sure that your curtains are in fact machine washable before proceeding.

What You Need To Clean Curtains

• Vacuum cleaner
• Upholstery Attachment
• Laundry Detergent
• Washing Machine/Hand washing supplies
• Clothes Dryer/Clothesline
• Dry Cleaners for Dry Clean Only curtains.

Choosing the Best Sofa Upholstery

A new sofa or chair can be a major investment for many families. If that is true of your family, you may be worried that no upholstery will stand up to the tornado that is your son or daughter. Never fear! Here are some tips on upholstery fabric that will guide you to the right choice for your family.

• Durability. Fabrics with a higher thread count (the number of threads per square inch) and a tighter weave are more durable that those with looser weaves. They will stand up the hard abuse that your family dishes out!

• Cleaning. Fabrics made of natural fibers will absorb stains more quickly than man-made fabrics, but they will clean up better. Fabrics made with man-made fibers are soil-resistant but don’t clean up as well (those popsicle stains may be difficult to remove!)Look st the fabric tag: the tag should say S for solvent cleaning, W for water-based cleaning and S-W if both can be used.

• Wear. Highly-textured fabrics, such as tweeds, can fray easily when they get excessive use. The fabrics which stand up best to fraying are flat weaves such as cottons or jacquards.
• Stains. Light colors show soil, while dark colors show debris and dirt. Why not try a medium color with a pattern? Patterns can hide a multitude of forgotten chocolate chips!

Remember after you bring that new sofa or chair home, rotate the cushions every month and vacuum them regularly. It will add years to the life of your sofa. And most of all, enjoy!

Before & After: Painted Upholstery Chair Makeover

Materials needed:
1 Quart of latex satin paint in the color of your choice (I just got word that though Valspar called it latex, this paint is acrylic.  It’s also good to note that others have tried the whole process with just latex, just acrylic craft paints and even Annie Sloan Chalk Paint.  It does not seem to matter.)
1 Spray bottle full of water, ready for refills
1 Paint brush
Fabric medium (equal to the amount of paint that you use)
Acrylic craft paint in the color of your choice (It should match the color of the Latex paint should you want to use my exact method and do the final coat in acrylic craft paint.)
Sand paper in super fine grit

Note:  The fabric medium is white and could lighten your paint color a bit.

Tutorial:
1.  Make sure the chair is wiped free of dust and debris.  Clean it well.

2.  Mix 1:1 parts of paint and fabric medium.

I used Ocean Soul by Valspar.  Below is a more accurate depiction of the color used:

Below is the textile medium that I used.  It is by Delta Ceramcoat and I purchased it in 8 ounce containers at Michael’s.

Fabric medium keeps the fabric from getting too hard.   Note:  Some fabric mediums require that you place an iron briefly on the fabric (or a hair dryer) after the paint dries.

I didn’t use much paint – maybe 1/8 of the quart.  I mixed mine in an old cup.  A little goes a long way in this phase, as it will be very watered down.

This will be your base coat.

3.  Water that paint/ textile medium mixture down.   Mix in about 1/2 the amount of water as paint.  (1 part water to 2 parts paint.)  Stir.   It should look more like a stain than a paint.

4.  Remove all seat cushions that are not attached from the chair or other furniture item.

5.  Spritz (fine mist) the part of the chair you will start with first with water.  I started on the seat cushion first.  Don’t be shy, you want the fabric wet.  Rub the water into the fabric.

Sorry about the pics!  I was new to blogging when I posted this!

6.  Brush on the paint slowly while blending the best you can.  Work the paint into the fabric.   Don’t be afraid to use your hands.  Always make your last stroke with the grain so the fabric lays in the right direction as it dries.

Note:  I tried it on a pillow first.  If you have a pillow or if there is an underside of a cushion, start there and see how it goes.

The watered down coats should give you light coverage, almost like a stain.  It will also act as a primer.

7.  Do two coats this way.   Each should be VERY thin.  Water it down even more if you have to.  Let the first one dry fully before beginning the second.  I let mine dry overnight.

It will look worse before better.  This is after one coat.

8.  Don’t worry, your arm won’t fall off.  It is tiring, though, so you won’t mind resting between coats.

9.  Sand any particularly rough parts.   Sand lightly with a fine grit sandpaper.  In the direction of the grain, if possible.

10.  Once my chair was dry, I chose to spray painted the legs in a glossy white.

Below is the chair before the legs were painted, with two coats of paint on the upholstery.

After the legs were painted.

11.  Now, it’s time for a final coat using the acrylic paint.  Mix it 1:1 with the fabric medium, like you did with the latex paint.

Note:  It is not necessary to do an acrylic coat.  You can use latex if you prefer.  I just got word that the Valspar paint that I used is acrylic.  However, most say that acrylic has more pigment.  Either way, you want a third coat and you will want this coat a little thicker.  

I mixed this in a cup as well.  But, this time, be more generous with the paint and dilute it less.  I’d do a full cup of paint, this size. (See below.)

Add just a few thimbles of water to dilute it a little.

I had to mix my own color since the acrylic paints didn’t come in the color I wanted.

Spray the fabric with water again, just like you did on the other two coats.  It simply helps it blend and go on more smoothly.

Paint this layer much more generously.  This will be the layer that will cover the chair more completely. Don’t glop it on, but be generous.  It should provide full coverage unlike the base coats.

12.  I thought my chair needed a little bling, so I added some nail head trim on the arms.  I got the spacing right by folding a piece of paper and taping it so as to laminate it.

Then, I simply hammered them in!  Nothing to it.

13.  Congrats, you have a new chair!