Does your ironing board cover have stains, rips or is it just looking cruddy? Perhaps it’s time to replace it, and I’m going to show you how to easily make your own! It’s an easy sewing project that you can make in no time at all.
Not only will you save money by making your own cover; you can customize it by choosing the fabric. There are so many options.
I will demonstrate on a mini ironing board, but you can do the same thing with a full-size ironing board. (You will obviously need more fabric, elastic, and bias tape to cover a full-size board).
By the way, I love my little mini ironing board! It is great because there are so many little ironing projects (my sewing projects) that don’t require the big one. I can just throw it on my counter top and go to town. It saves so much room and stores away real nicely. The legs can fold down. This is the one I prefer. It comes with a cover, but I have already replaced mine due to iron water stains. However, making a new cover is NOT a big deal, if you know how. 🙂
video tutorial available at the end of this post
If you are a visual learner, the short video tutorial will show you the process step by step and give extra bonus tips. Check it out below.
Ironing board cover items and materials needed
- 1 1/2 yards 1/4 inch elastic
- Pins
- 1 yard cotton fabric (or recycled cotton sheet)
- Fabric or paper for the pattern (I like to use a recycled sheet or inexpensive muslin fabric)
- Scissors
- Sewing machine
- Safety pin
- 1 package wide single fold bias tape (or learn how easy it is to make your own)
- Seam gauge/or ruler
- Chalk pen/or pencil
- New padding – optional (cotton batting or thin foam)
Instructions
1 – Make a pattern
Place the board wrong side up on top of the material you are using for the pattern (paper or cloth). Using a seam gauge or measuring tape, measure 1 ½ inches away from the edge of the board and mark with a pencil or chalk. Connect markings to create an outline. Cut out along the line.
2 – Save the pattern in a marked envelope for later use.
This makes it so you don’t have to trace the board every time you want a new one.
3 – Take the pattern and place it on top of the fabric you’re using to make the cover.
Pin in place and cut out.
If you need a new pad, cut one out using a piece of cotton batting or thin foam. (You may want to double the batting).
4 – Apply the bias tape.
With the right side of the fabric facing up, apply the bias tape to the edge of the fabric. Start at the middle bottom of the board. Line up edges and pin in place. Curve the tape around the corners.
When you get to the beginning, overlap the bias tape by 1 inch and cut. Fold the edge of the bias tape on the bottom up by ½ inch and place the other end over the top. (This is where you will be inserting the elastic).
5 – Sew the bias tape onto the cover.
Start at the overlapped tape and sew all the way around. Sew in the pre-pressed fold of the bias tape closet to the edge. Backstitch at the beginning and end of seam.
6 – Fold the bias tape over and topstitch, just inside the fold all the way around.
7 – Apply the safety pin to the end of the elastic.
7 – Apply the safety pin to the end of the elastic.
8 – Insert a safety pin into the little hole you created with bias tape and thread all the way around, pulling as you go.
(Make sure you don’t pull too much and loose the end of the elastic). I like to pin the end when I start getting close to the end of the elastic.
9 – Place the cover onto the ironing board and adjust elastic to fit.
Overlap elastic to fit and pin in place.
10 – Sew ends of elastic in place with the sewing machine and cut off extra elastic.
11 – Even out the fabric and elastic.
12-Remove cover and topstitch folded ends of the bias tape to keep it from fraying when washed.
There you have it, a nice new, clean, and styling ironing board cover.
Have fun sewing!
Jan Howell
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Jan Howell
Whether it’s a new recipe, a fun craft, or some handy tips for your garden and home, I hope to empower and inspire you with skills that you can use to create joy, improved health, and to do it in a simple way.
