How Do You Make Bar Stool Covers?

To make bar stool covers, trace the seat shape onto paper, add a seam allowance of 1.5cm plus the depth of the seat pad, cut two matching pieces of fabric, sew them together with a channel or casing around the lower edge, then thread elastic or a drawcord through it so the cover grips underneath. A round seat needs one circular piece and one long side strip. A square seat needs a top panel and four short sides.

That is the whole method in one paragraph. The details below are what turn a workable cover into one that looks tailored rather than improvised.

Deciding what kind of cover you need

There are three broad approaches, and choosing the right one saves unpicking later.

A drawcord cover is the simplest. It sits over the seat pad like a shower cap and pulls tight underneath. It suits round and drum shaped seats, works on stools you may want to change seasonally, and can be made in an afternoon.

A fitted cover has a separate top panel and a boxed side band, giving a crisp edge that follows the shape of the pad. It takes longer and needs more careful measuring, but it looks considerably neater on a square or rectangular seat.

A tie on cover uses fabric ties at the corners or around the legs. It is the practical option when the seat is fixed to the frame and cannot be lifted, and it allows for quick removal in family kitchens.

If your stools have a fully upholstered back as well as a seat, a slipcover is a different project with its own method. Our separate guide on making slipcovers for stools with backs covers that in detail.

Choosing fabric that will last

Kitchen seating takes a great deal of wear, so fabric choice matters as much as construction. Look for a medium weight woven fabric with a stated rub count if one is available. Upholstery weight cotton, cotton linen blends, and heavy weight canvas all behave well under a domestic sewing machine.

Avoid loose weaves that snag, very thin dress cottons that will wear through at the seat edge, and anything with a strong one way pattern unless you are confident about matching it across panels.

Wipe clean options such as faux leather and coated cotton suit stools used by children, though they need a slightly longer stitch length and a fresh needle. Textured fabrics soften a hard kitchen scheme, which is why upholstered designs such as our modern fabric bar stools UK sit so comfortably next to stone and quartz surfaces.

Buy more fabric than the pattern strictly requires. An extra half metre allows for a mistake, a spare cover, or matching cushions elsewhere in the room.

Measuring and making a template

Lift the seat pad off the frame if it unscrews, because working flat is far easier. Place a sheet of paper over the seat and press it down around the edge so the outline shows, then trace the shape with a pencil. Cut the paper template out and check it against the seat.

Measure the depth of the pad at its thickest point and the circumference or perimeter around the outside edge. Note whether the pad is domed, because a domed seat needs slightly more fabric across the top than a flat one.

Add a seam allowance of 1.5cm all round the template. For a drawcord cover, add the pad depth plus a further 5cm for the casing and the tuck underneath. For a fitted cover, cut the side band to the perimeter measurement plus 3cm, and to the pad depth plus 3cm in width.

Mark the centre front, centre back and both sides on your template and transfer those marks to the fabric. They keep everything aligned when you pin the panels together.

Cutting and sewing a drawcord cover

Lay the fabric face down and pin the template in place, keeping the grain running front to back. Cut the top piece, then cut the side strip if your seat is deep enough to warrant one.

With right sides facing, pin the side strip to the top panel, easing the fabric gently around any curve. Notch the seam allowance every few centimetres on tight curves so it lies flat. Sew with a straight stitch, then finish the raw edge with a zigzag or an overlocker.

Turn the lower edge under twice to form a casing wide enough for your elastic or cord, leaving a gap of 3cm to thread through. Stitch the casing down close to the folded edge.

Thread flat elastic through with a safety pin, pull it up until the cover grips, then overlap and stitch the ends securely. If you prefer a cord, add a small toggle so the tension can be adjusted later.

Turn the cover right side out, fit it over the pad and smooth the top panel. Any slight puckering usually settles once the cover has been sat on a few times.

Making a neater fitted cover

The extra step that transforms a fitted cover is piping. Sew a length of covered cord into the seam between the top panel and the side band and the edge becomes crisp and defined rather than soft.

Work in this order: make the piping, tack it around the top panel with the cord facing inwards, then pin the side band over the top and sew all three layers together with a zip foot. Join the band at the back of the seat where the seam will be least visible.

For a removable finish, add a short hook and loop strip or a few press studs to the underside rather than elastic. It gives a flatter profile and makes washing simple.

Fitted covers work particularly well on the boxy seat shapes found on leather designs, and a fabric cover is a useful way to soften a wipeable seat without giving up the frame you already like. Our modern leather bar stools UK sale tend to have exactly the regular shapes that suit this method.

Fitting, care and small refinements

Press every seam as you go. It is the single habit that separates homemade from handmade, and it takes minutes.

If the cover slips in use, add a strip of thin non slip matting between the pad and the fabric, or sew a length of elastic across the underside from front to back. Both are invisible once the stool is in place.

Wash covers on a cool cycle and put them back on while very slightly damp so they dry to shape. Prewashing the fabric before cutting prevents an unpleasant surprise if it shrinks.

Making covers also gives you a chance to link the stools to the rest of the room. Using the same fabric on a pair of stools and a nearby footstool ties a scheme together quietly. We stock the pieces to build on that idea at Furniture in Fashion, from modern foot stools UK to coordinating bar stools UK sale if you decide a new frame would serve you better than a new cover.

Adapting the method to different seat shapes

Round seats are the easiest and most forgiving, because a circular top panel and a single gathered casing will accommodate small errors. If your template is a centimetre out, the elastic hides it.

Square and rectangular seats need boxed corners. Sew the side band as four separate pieces with a seam at each corner rather than trying to force one strip around a right angle. Clip the allowance at each corner so the fabric turns cleanly.

Drum shaped seats, where the pad is deep and the sides are vertical, look best with a long side band and piping at the top edge. Without piping the top seam tends to roll and the cover looks slack.

Domed or dished seats need a slightly larger top panel than the flat outline suggests. Measure across the curve with a flexible tape rather than in a straight line, or the cover will pull tight in the middle and lift at the edges.

Working with pattern and colour

A patterned fabric adds a further step. Decide where the motif should sit on the seat before you cut, and mark the centre point of the pattern on your template so every stool in the set matches.

Stripes are the least forgiving. On a round seat, a stripe running front to back looks deliberate, while a stripe that drifts off centre reads as a mistake. Cut one cover first and check it on the stool before cutting the rest.

If you are covering several stools, alternating two coordinating plain fabrics is often more successful than one busy print repeated four times. It gives the run rhythm without visual noise.

Frequently asked questions

How much fabric do I need for one bar stool cover?
Half a metre of standard width upholstery fabric is usually enough for a single round seat. Deeper pads, piping and pattern matching can push that closer to three quarters of a metre.

Can I make covers without a sewing machine?
Yes, for simple drawcord covers. Hand stitch the casing with a strong backstitch, or use a fabric adhesive tape for the hem, though a machine sewn seam will last longer.

What is the best fabric for kitchen bar stool covers?
A medium weight woven cotton or a cotton linen blend gives a good balance of durability and drape. Coated fabrics are easier to wipe clean where children eat.

How do I stop the cover twisting on the seat?
Mark and match the centre front and back when cutting, add elastic across the underside, or use a thin non slip pad beneath the fabric.

Can I cover a seat that does not unscrew?
Yes. Use a tie on cover with fabric ties at the back corners so the cover can be fastened around the frame without lifting the pad.