Burlap fabric lends a homespun touch when you use it to cover kitchen chair seat cushions, however you could also sew a slipcover that surrounds the whole chair to guard it. The method you choose is dependent upon the final look you’re after. After quantifying for the yardage, prewash and dry the burlap to shrink it before cutting, and eliminate shredded strands.
Measure First
If you plan to only cover the seat cushions, then measure the dimensions of a single seat cushion. This may require that you remove it from the chair. Turn the chair upside-down to examine how the seat is held in place. Often, staples or small nails may keep the seat cushion attached to the chair body. Eliminate the attachments with a similar tool. Measure across the width and length of the seat cushion. Add 2 to 3 inches to every measurement, since you’ll need to bend the cloth over the cushion to staple it on the back. Multiply the longest measurement by the number of chairs to figure out the total number of feet needed. To calculate yardage, divide by three. Select fabric that is at least 45 inches wide.
Disassemble the Cushion
Remove the staples or upholstery nails from the back of the chair to release the cover you’re replacing. Peel the old fabric away. Iron it flat so you can use it as a template for cutting out the new seat cushion covers. Examine the padding to check whether it needs replacing. In that case, replace it, then using the old padding to calculate the amount you require. Cut out the seat covers for the chairs with the old cover as a template.
Re-Cover the Chair
Insert the newest padding, in the event that you decided on this option, and cover one seat cushion using the cutout piece of burlap. Turn the seat over and put a staple on just one side. Pull the cloth taut across the top and then insert a staple on the back, opposite the one previously added, after the cloth is as firm as you want it on the seat cushion. Repeat for the top and bottom so that when completed you must have four staples which represent noon, 3 o’clock, 6 o’clock and 9 o’clock over the back of the seat. Keep adding staples until the cloth is smoothed across the seat. Because you staple, fold beneath the borders to protect against the burlap from shredding on its raw edges. Duplicate for every cushion.
Slipcovers for Chairs
The other alternative is to make slipcovers for the kitchen chairs. Pick up enough burlap to create a template to follow every chair after quantifying the seat’s dimensions. Treat the legs and seat of this chair as a box along with the chair back as a rectangle using the cover which slides over it. Measure and cut out fabric to the front of the chair back, to get the seat and for three sides which hang from the seat. You can use a single piece to cover the seat and two of the sides. Measure and cut on a longer piece which runs from the surface of the chair back to the ground, and teeming with the three sides. Pin the fabric together on the chair, leaving enough borders to get a seam allowance and hems. Cut to fit as necessary. Use that as the template to sew covers for every chair. You can add ties to either side of the chair back to link behind the chair, if needed.
Burlap Factors
After you wash burlap, it begins to fray at the edges. You don’t need to clean the cloth in the event that you just intend to create seat cushions — burlap is so cheap you can just replace as needed. For slipcovers, though, cut away the frayed edges following washing, and sew in where the fraying starts to maintain the burlap from coming apart. As a loose weave, without sewing the borders, burlap will continue to fray.