Chair pads...

One of my favorite things to look for at the thrift store is fabric! I'm always checking out the sheets and pillow shams for beautiful patterns. Sheets work great if you need extra large pieces and I've found some quilted pillow shams that I've used to decorate with. But this time I needed something to cover my dingy chair pads. I thought about buying new but they were all too thick and at $12.00 each - no thanks. I got lucky with 2 red pillow shams. I could of used this material in a multiple of ways but I decided to cover my chair pads with them. Here's what I did...

This is what my old chair pads looked like...

These are the red pillow shams I found ( not bad for $2.00 )

First I laid my old pads on top of the fabric and cut out the shape.

There were 2 shams so I was able to get 4 pads out of them...

Next, I used the extra fabric to cut strips for ties.

Fold them in half and sew them right sides together.

I find the easiest way to turn them is to use a safety pin.

Simply pin it on the end and then push it through.

After I sewed the pads together and sewed on the ties,

I inserted my old pads, kind of like a pillow case.

Sew the opening shut and your done!

Not bad! 4 new chair pads for about $2.00 total. The pillow shams had a trim on the edges which I just left on. I think they turned out pretty good. And the red is great with my Christmas decor.

The next time you are at the thrift store check out the bedding department,

you might just find some fabric.