Burlap & Denim

 Have you ever had a stroke of genius?  Where you know an idea is going to turn out amazing?  Well this was one of those times, only it wasn’t my idea, it was my brilliant sister’s.

Recently an awesome company called BurlapFabric.com contacted me about advertising on my website.  I volunteered to make something using their supplies.  I looked over their website, selected a few items and promised them I’d come up with something once the supplies arrived.

That huge roll of burlap melted my heart.  It is 12 inches wide and 100 yards long!  My sister Amy came over and that’s when the idea came to her; weave it through my ladder back chairs and make slipcovers.  And so it began.

I measured the length I wanted from just below the seat, up and around the top, and back to the start.  I measured it to 58″ but later trimmed it to 54″ for each chair (I made 8).  Now, just because I have ladder back chairs and you have something different, don’t think this pattern won’t work for you.  Almost all kitchen chairs have a semi straight top and a space where the seat meats the back.  Just weave it over and then back through the seat space and tie around the legs.  These could actually unify a non matching set of chairs.

To add charm and interest to the back of the chair I got out my collection of pockets.  With four boys we go through a lot of pants and shorts.  When a pair gets a hole or is ready to be thrown out, I ALWAYS cut out the pockets.  You never know what they could be used for, well now this.

Trim all the excess fabric from the pocket.  I chose all khakis for a farmhouse feel.  Iron the pockets as flat and square as possible.  Layout your supplies.  Use fabric fusing to tack the pocket in place (I used part of a roll I had and then all of the free stuff you get with Ikea curtains).  Lay the pocket face down, cover the back with the fusing tape, lay the burlap over the pocket and iron.  In order to make sure the pocket was not going anywhere I used Aleene’s OK to Wash-It permanent fabric bond.  It is thin and runs through the burlap to the pocket.  (note:  I thought about sewing it to the burlap, but didn’t want it to pull and stress the burlap.  I also tried hot gluing through the back of the burlap to the pocket, but it was not runny enough to penetrate the burlap)

As you have probably noticed by now, I love numbers.  So, why not number my chairs.  I made my own stencils by printing off the design on regular paper, layering a pice of cooking parchment paper on top and cutting it out with an Xacto knife.  A ruler marks the placement while I sprayed it with stencil adhesive spray.  With a piece of saran wrap under the burlap stipple the wet brush over the stencil until the burlap is saturated.  Let dry.  I used an off white house paint I had on hand, any paint will do.

To keep the burlap taut on the chair I wanted to tie bows around the bottom.  So I didn’t tear the burlap, I added four grommets to the bottom of each slipcover (two on each side at the bottom).  If you have never added grommets to something, it is much easier than you think.  I used silver and purchased them at JoAnn’s, but if you are interested in gold, Harbor Freight has a steal of deal ($4.99 for 50 sets, JoAnn’s are $8 something for $10!).

Mark the center of the grommets location and snip it with scissors.  Place the mandrill (the heavy round piece on the bottom and then place the volcano looking piece on top of that.  Then layer the fabric  (front side down for the cleanest look) with the metal popping through the pre-cut hole.  Layer the donut piece on next with the sharp points down.  Fit the anvil inside and hammer hard 3-4 times.  Be sure to do this on concrete for a great seal.

I messed around with a few ideas of what I could put in the pockets and here’s a look at a few.

The Artist, Place Card Photo, Starfish and Sand Dollars, Mason Jar Vase, and Silverware.

A special thanks to the beautiful Sun River Gardens for providing the amazing backdrop for the following photos.  They are open year round and have amazing decor, plants, trees and staff.

Ready for a garden party.

Thanks for coming to my virtual garden party.  Now I wait for the snow to thaw and the roses to bloom to have my real garden party in my own back yard.

To purchase the roll of burlap and make your own slip covered chairs, visit my sponsor, BurlapFabric.com for this unique roll of burlap and the best prices on the net.

UPDATE: Click HERE to see these chair covers in my Easter Tablescape

Linked Up: Funky Junk, Sew Much Ado, Junk in their Trunk, Primp, Shabby Chic Cottage, Somewhat Simple, House of Hepworths, Beyond the Picket Fence, Tatertots & Jello, Home Stories A2Z,

Crafty Scrappy Happy,  36 Ave.,  DIY by Design, How to Nest for Less