Wooden highchairs get passed down through generations but the cushion doesn't always survive as well as the chair. All highchairs are not the same. These directions will guide you through the steps to create a custom pattern and sew a custom cushion for a highchair. Pattern making material such as newspaper or Pattern Tracing Cloth Fabric of your choice - an ample amount for your pattern, ties, and trimBatting or padsCording or pipingThread Fold paper to "sit" in the chair the way you will want the cushion to fit. (Use tape if needed to hold the pattern material in place.)Trace the outline of the desired finished cushions. (You may want to fold the pattern in half to be sure you are even on both sides)Add a 1/4" to 1/2" seam allowance to all edges of the pattern.Mark the location that you will need to attach ties to hold the cushions in place.Mark anywhere you need an opening for a strap, a fold or other need. Lay out the pattern on doubled fabric (You will need two of each pattern piece.)
Cut 1" bias strips for tiesFor a corded edge -- Cut bias strips for piping cover - (How to Cover Cording to Create Piping)orFor ruffle edge -- Measure around the edge of the pattern and cut strips that are double the length of the edge of the pattern and wide enough to be folded in half for the desired ruffle and seam allowance. Sew a ruffle in place of piping for the remaining instructions. Fold the tie strips in half with the wrong sides together.Open the strip and fold the edges into the newly created fold line.Re-fold the first fold and press well. Cut the strip into desired length for the ties, leaving extra to turn in one end of the strip.On one end of each strip, turn in the end to enclose the raw edges.Sew close to the folded edge to hold the tie closed.Sew the unturned end of the ties to the back fabric pieces where you marked on the pattern pieces. Join the Seat and Back. In the example, the seat will be sewn to the back cushion.Sew the back and seat together at the back of the seat using the chosen seam allowance.
Leave an opening in the center of one seam for turning the cushion right side out later.Press the seams and apply a seam finish. Create the piping (How to Cover Cording to Create Piping)Decide which edges will be have a piping edge. (In the cushion shown here, the seat is sewn to the back at the rear of the seat so I will not be attaching piping to that seam. If you choose to have two separate cushions, you may want the piping on all edges.)Attach the piping to the front fabric pieces, using the seam allowance that you chose when creating the pattern.Clip the seam allowance where needed for the edges to lay flat. Join the Front and Back of the Cushion Cover. Placing right sides of the fabric together, line up the edges of the front and back of the fabric pieces.Pin in place, matching any seams and curves.Sew using the piping stitches as a seam guide.Trim the seam allowance if needed and apply a seam finish. The choice of padding for your cushion is yours. If you choose to use batting, you will want multiple layers for enough padding.
Using the pattern pieces you created, without the seam allowance added, trace the pattern on to the padding.Cut out the padding.Optional - Use basting spray to hold multiple layers of padding together. Adding the Padding to the Cushion. Line the edges of the padding up with the seams on the fabric.If needed, hand baste or tack the edges of the pad to the seam allowance to hold it in place while you turn the fabric right side out.Turn the fabric right side out.Smooth the padding and fabric. Slip stitch the opening closed.Use evenly spaced bar tacks or quilting to hold the padding in place. Using your pattern as a guide, mark the places you need an opening for a strap to pass through the cushion.Measure the width of the strap that will need to pass through the opening, allowing a bit extra to prevent tearing the fabric.Sew a buttonhole at the strap passing location. /tutorial-how-to-design-and-sew-a-slipcover-part-1/ on this server. Your technical support key is: 36b3-e577-1756-6707
Dress up your favorite IKEA highchair: the iconically simple, sturdy and (most importantly) easy to clean “ANTILOP,” with these easy to whip-up birthday decorations! Banish any thoughts of buying one of those generic 1st birthday highchair decoration packs that you’ve seen at Party City! With just a few simple supplies and a few spare minutes, you can make a seriously pretty and totally customized celebration highchair for your little babe! A word about the ANTILOP–it is the bomb! For $25 you just can’t go wrong! We were lucky enough to get ours free as a hand-me-down from Kamryn’s auntie, and boy do we love how easy it is to clean up after our notoriously messy little eater! I can’t recommend it enough–and it just looks so darn cute all dressed up for the big birthday! Use this idea for any and every special occasion: Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas–options are endless! Or just dress up the legs in crepe paper to jazz it up a bit for everyday use!
Using double-sided tape to secure in place, wrap the legs of your highchair in the crepe paper. Wrap the paper tightly to ensure that the color really saturates the legs. When you’re done, the legs should look like this: After your legs are wrapped up start cutting your ribbons. Use one piece of ribbon to measure the length from the back of your highchair tray to the bottom of the floor. I cut my pieces long and then trimmed them at varying lengths once they were taped on. I was lucky enough to have my mom help me do the ribbon-cutting part–we had a lot to cut since I chose thinner width ribbons (thicker width will be less cutting, but if your a slut for the details like me–it’s worth it!). Place strips of the double-sided tape along the back of the highchair tray lip until you cover all the area you want to–I only did the front and a bit of the sides since my little one has serious grabbing tendencies! Press firmly to “break” the tape around those parts of the plastic that stick out along the perimeter–you’ll “feel” what I’m talking about when you run your hand along that back edge.