Ironing Board Cover Tutorial

At last! The project I have long been anticipating is complete!

One becomes aware, suddenly or gradually, of the ill repair of certain items about the home. An ironing board cover is mayhap overlooked more than any other object, but -- oh! when at once one becomes aware of its drab and filthy state (yick!), one is determined to rectify the problem. And promptly.

A dear friend in a larger Alaskan city has been so gracious and faithful to shop for my family as we are able to buy few things in the village (at an exceptional price). However, when purchasing particular items, it is not possible to know exactly what we will be receiving as the specifics of the item is determined by another. =) Upon receiving the fabric in the mail, how happy was my surprise to see what our friend selected. Daisies I specified, but  the colors I did not. Yellow and green were exactly the colors I had hoped for! A blessing indeed.

This project was so fun and blissfully simple! After reaching a general understanding from online tutorials, I adapted the process to suit my preferences. I am sharing my instructions in hopes that they might be helpful to someone.

You will need:

• 1-1/2 yd. fabric (I used medium-weight 100% cotton)
• 3 yd. bias tape (extra wide, double fold)

1) Remove the original ironing board cover. They are usually made including a drawstring. Either pull the entire string out through the opening or cut where necessary for easier removal. Also keep the original padding which was underneath the old cover.

 

2) Lay the new fabric on the ironing board; place the old cover atop. Using the old cover as a guide, cut the new material to match.

3) Cut the bias tape in half along the center fold. Doing this will double your amount of bias tape to six yards. You will need only four yards, approximately.

4) Pin the bias tape to entire outer edge of the material, placing the material and the drawstring between the fold of the bias tape. When one strip of bias tape ends, continue with the second half which you earlier made.

You may have a bit of trouble pinning the curved edges. The easiest way I've found to do this is to lay the bias tape, folded, on top of the material. Simply pin it to match the curve  and press it. (I just pin straight into the padding of the ironing board for this step, which prevents anything from slipping away from me.) Re-pin as usual, matching the curve you just created.

5) Once the ends meet, trim the excess bias tape one inch away from the other end.

6) Sew the bias tape to the fabric, taking care to keep the drawstring within  the bias tape.

7) Place the new ironing board cover on the ironing board, pull the strings tightly, and tie the excess string into a bow.

 

"All things grow with love." Isn't that fabric the sweetest? =) The design and colors are perfect!

Your new cover will be wrinkled, so...

8) To complete the effect of your new creation, press it neatly.

9) Admire your work. 

10) Put to good use.

If you have any further questions concerning how to make an ironing board cover, please drop a comment and I shall do my best to assist you.