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DIY Car Seat Cover

Published: Jan 26, 2010 by Ashley Phipps · 975 words. · About 5 minutes to read this article. · 44 Comments · This post may contain affiliate links · This blog generates income via ads and sponsored posts · This blog uses cookies · See our privacy policy for more info Filed Under: Craft, DIY

Car+Seat+Cover+Side+copy DIY Car Seat Cover 9

When I had my daughter, 3 years ago, and wanted to cover her car seat so she could sleep or so that no one would disturb her, I would throw a blanket over the handle bars and call it done. She was covered so it worked but you still had to put your arm underneath the blanket if you wanted to carry the car seat which was a bit inconvenient and still let light in. And heaven forbid a strong wind come along and that blanket was half way down the street before you knew it!

Apparently, in the last 3 years, some wonderful person came up with an idea to remedy this!

I started noticing a few of them around town and just thought they were the greatest thing ever! And with number 2 on the way, I decided I pretty much needed to have one.  I assumed that I could find and buy one off of an Etsy shop somewhere if I wanted to, but it looked so easy to make I thought that surely I could find a way to make this myself!

(Enter my husband’s raised eyebrows here.) Ok, so I can do floral design, interior design, even manage some crafts, but sewing is not my forte. Let’s just say I have had a few mishaps with sewing during our marriage. Ha ha ha! However, I am proud to say I can sew a straight line so I figured I could do this project on my own for sure…if only I could find instructions somewhere…

I found a great tutorial here and, also, fell in love with the fabric that she had done it in! My instructions below are an adaptation of the tutorial I found. For more information or to see all her detailed photos, go here.

Unfortunately, where I live there are very few fabric stores and needless to say, most of the fabrics are uninspiring. However, my mom lives close to lots of great fabric stores….so she was able to find the exact fabric for me that the tutorial had used! I was so excited!

I still had great plans to make this. My mom was coming out to visit for Christmas and was going to bring the fabric for me so I could do the project. And as it turns out, I ended up in the hospital for several days and then was put on strict bed rest starting a week and a half before they came out. Just my luck.

So this project ended up being a joint me/mom project...with me mostly being a supportive peanut gallery and  with my mom doing most of the work. Thanks mom!

But I am just SURE I could have done it on my own if circumstances were different! It really is THAT easy!

So here we go! How to make a fabulous car seat cover!

You will need:

• 1 yard each of two coordinating or same fabrics (this is for the main part of the cover and the underneath side of it). HOWEVER, if you choose a directional print like I did, you will need more fabric so that the “animals” in my case, are facing the right way and not to the side. I used the animal print for the front and a brown with turquoise dot print for the underneath side.
• 6” width of another coordinating fabric that will end up being the turquoise with brown dot fabric on the handles/straps that you see in my photos.
• 2.5” width of another fabric (this is the brown with turquoise dot fabric you see on the handles)
• Sewing machine
• Thread
• Fabric scissors
• Iron

Car+Seat+Cover+Inside+copy DIY Car Seat Cover 10

The How To:

1. Cut the main fabrics to approximately 37”w x 45”l (this allows for ½” seam) where “l” is your total length from front to back and “w” is your total width from left to right across the carrier. However, I suggest measuring your car seat carrier. If I had followed the original directions to the letter, my cover would have been a bit short for my carrier. So use your carrier as a guide.

2. Round the corners.

3. Place the two fabrics, right sides together and sew them with about a ½” seam, leaving a little space for turning.

4. Notch the corners, iron the seams open and turn so right sides are out.

5. Iron the whole thing.

6. Edge stitch around the entire blanket.

7. Cut each of the remaining fabrics for the handles in half so you have two 6” x 22” pieces and two 2.5” x 44” pieces.

8. Using the 6” wide pieces, with right sides out, fold both edges in to meet the middle. Iron.

9. Do the same with the 2.5” wide pieces.

10. Lay the narrow strip on to the wider strap so all unfinished edges are facing each other. Do for both straps.

11. Sew both the narrow and the wide strips together.

12. Tuck the ends in and edge stitch both ends of each strap together.

13. Sew the straps on the blanket.

  • Again, measure your particular carrier, but on mine, we sewed the straps 19” down from the back side edge of the blanket. And used 5” clear spacing between the two straps. 
  • Each strap was sewn in a square shape onto the blanket that was about equal to the width of the narrow strip.
Car+Seat+Cover+copy DIY Car Seat Cover 11

Tie those handles/straps on to your car seat carrier and voila! Wonderful, miraculous car seat cover that won’t blow away in the wind and will allows you to keep baby covered even while carrying it!

I just can’t wait to use this!

Car+Seat+Cover+Side+copy DIY Car Seat Cover 9
This tutorial participated in the following awesome link parties:
My Backyard Eden
It's So Very Cheri
The Thrifty Home
Reinvented
Making the World Cuter


Keeping it Simple
A Soft Place to Land
Today’s Creative Blog
A Silly Little Sparrow
My Frugal Family
Tip Junkie
Someday Crafts
Beyond the Picket Fence
The Shabby Chic Cottage
Tales from Bloggeritaville
Fireflies and Jellybeans
Skip to My Lou

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Lelan @ Good Gravy!

    January 26, 2010 at 2:46 pm

    I wish I knew of this idea when my kids were infants! Great tutorial. <br /><br />And thanks for stopping by my blog! I look forward to seeing your post about the Vday printables! 🙂

    Reply
  2. [email protected] theherberfamily.blogspot.com

    January 26, 2010 at 9:21 pm

    I am planning to make one of these soon for my cousin, who is expecting!

    Reply
  3. [email protected] theherberfamily.blogspot.com

    January 26, 2010 at 9:21 pm

    Please feel free to add these to Talented Tuesdays at My Frugal Family!<br /><br />http://theherberfamily.blogspot.com/2010/01/talented-tuesday.html

    Reply
  4. sarah

    January 27, 2010 at 10:57 am

    so cute! I love the fabric!

    Reply
  5. Maridith

    January 27, 2010 at 1:28 pm

    Love this!! Wish I had this when I had my son in the dead of winter and wanted to keep him covered. Great tutorial!! Thanks for sharing

    Reply
  6. B : )

    January 28, 2010 at 7:42 am

    this is a fantastic idea - I&#39;ll pass it on to my step-daughter. Thanks for sharing.<br /><br /><a href="http://bleemcguire.blogspot.com&quot; rel="nofollow">Why don&#39;t you come on over to my blog and visit a while</a>

    Reply
  7. simplydesigning.blogspot.com

    January 28, 2010 at 3:06 pm

    Lelan - Thanks for checking out my blog!

    Reply
  8. simplydesigning.blogspot.com

    January 28, 2010 at 3:07 pm

    Heather - Good luck making one of these for your cousin! I would have loved to receive one of these as a gift! Send me photos to let me know how it turns out!

    Reply
  9. simplydesigning.blogspot.com

    January 28, 2010 at 3:08 pm

    Sarah, thanks for stopping by my blog!

    Reply
  10. simplydesigning.blogspot.com

    January 28, 2010 at 3:08 pm

    Maridith, thank you for stopping by my blog and checking out this tutorial!

    Reply
  11. simplydesigning.blogspot.com

    January 28, 2010 at 3:09 pm

    B :), Thank you for visiting my blog! I hope this is helpful for your step-daughter! I will be sure to check out your blog. Thanks for the link!

    Reply
  12. Lori

    January 28, 2010 at 11:27 pm

    Love it! Neat idea!<br /><br />Thanks for joining my party Get your craft on Thurs. I hope you join me next week. Mr. Linky disappeared for a while tonight I thought I lost all of my guest, but it finally came back. I will not be using Mr. Linky anymore!

    Reply
  13. simplydesigning.blogspot.com

    January 29, 2010 at 3:37 pm

    Lori, thanks for checking out my link! I enjoy your parties! I am so sorry to hear you had Mr. Linky issues. I am interested to see what other link party source you use though!

    Reply
  14. [email protected]

    February 01, 2010 at 1:50 pm

    Awww...so cute!<br />Cindy at Lakewood

    Reply
  15. simplydesigning.blogspot.com

    February 02, 2010 at 2:02 am

    Cindy, thank you for visiting my blog! I am glad you like this car seat cover!

    Reply
  16. Cha Cha

    February 03, 2010 at 1:16 pm

    I just wish I had a baby to put underneath there. You did a great job, and I will keep it in mind for future bab showers. Thanks for sharing.<br /><br />Cha Cha

    Reply
  17. The Persimmon Perch

    February 03, 2010 at 3:39 pm

    Love it. I find out next week what I am having and I can&#39;t wait to get started adapting things for the new one. Love your tutorial. Thanks for sharing with Made it Monday! Jules

    Reply
  18. this blessed nest

    February 03, 2010 at 4:02 pm

    this is brillant! honestly. those old blankets will blown in the wind during winter. the ties are so smart of you! i know - i have twin babies. (they are in the next size carseats, however.) but honestly, you have something here!<br /><br />awesome!

    Reply
  19. simplydesigning.blogspot.com

    February 04, 2010 at 3:01 am

    Cha Cha, thank you so much for visiting my blog! This would make a fabulous baby shower gift!

    Reply
  20. simplydesigning.blogspot.com

    February 04, 2010 at 3:03 am

    Jules at the Persimmon Perch. Congratulations on your pregnancy! That is SO exciting! Good luck and if you decide to make a car seat cover, send me photos! I would love to see them! Thank you!

    Reply
  21. simplydesigning.blogspot.com

    February 04, 2010 at 3:05 am

    This Blessed Nest, thank you so much for visiting my blog! I am glad you like the idea...I had to hold on tight in the winter to the blanket I put over my daughter&#39;s car seat too...this will be a MUCH improved version for baby #2. And I should get to use it within a month! Hurray!

    Reply
  22. Carolyn @ My Backyard Eden

    February 06, 2010 at 4:22 pm

    That is such a great idea. When my kids were babies I&#39;d just throw a blanket over them too! This is so much more stylish. LOVE the animal fabric you chose. <br /><br />Thanks so much for linking up to Make It Yours day this week. I look forward to seeing more of your great ideas!

    Reply
  23. Its So Very Cheri

    February 06, 2010 at 4:35 pm

    It looks great. Thank goodness for Moms. <br /><br />Cheri

    Reply
  24. Its So Very Cheri

    February 06, 2010 at 4:36 pm

    I added your button to my side bar and would love for you to add mine,<br /><br />Cheri

    Reply
  25. simplydesigning.blogspot.com

    February 07, 2010 at 4:17 pm

    Carolyn - Thank you for stopping by my blog and for the nice comments! I have such a hard time finding fabric I love where I live, but I definitely fell in love with this animal print!

    Reply
  26. simplydesigning.blogspot.com

    February 07, 2010 at 4:20 pm

    Cheri - thanks so much for stopping by my blog! And thanks for adding my button to your blog! I added yours on my blog under the featured catagory!

    Reply
  27. Tiff @ Making The World Cuter

    February 16, 2010 at 9:42 pm

    Love the carseat cover and will for sure need to make one for my number 4! Thanks for sharing with me all the time! Love your stuff!<br />-Tiff

    Reply
  28. Kaysi

    February 17, 2010 at 12:23 am

    I love this, I&#39;ll have to try this out!<br />Kaysi

    Reply
  29. bec4

    February 18, 2010 at 8:28 pm

    I love this. I have a few baby showers coming up--great directions too. Thanks for linking up!

    Reply
  30. fawnda

    February 18, 2010 at 10:58 pm

    very cute! I love the fabric!

    Reply
  31. Leigh of Bloggeritaville

    February 19, 2010 at 12:39 am

    Fabulous!<br />Thanks for linking up to Thrifty Thursday this week!<br />Hugs,<br />Leigh<br />Tales from Bloggeritaville<br />www.lbratina.blogspot.com

    Reply
  32. Anonymous

    February 20, 2010 at 11:32 am

    Good brief and this post helped me alot in my college assignement. Thank you for your information.

    Reply
  33. The Price's

    March 03, 2010 at 8:30 am

    This is a wonderful idea! What a great baby gift. I am wondering if there is a way to make it reversible?? I have a monogramming machine, so I can monogram a name at the bottom to add to the cuteness....<br /><br />Nice job!!!! I&#39;ve added you to my blog list. Can&#39;t wait to see what else you have in store!<br /><br />Paige

    Reply
  34. Micah and Tawni

    March 10, 2010 at 4:48 pm

    Adorable! We have the same graco pedic car seat, you did mention that yours would be a bit short if you had followed the dimensions exactly, what did you end up cutting the fabric to?<br /><br />Great blog!

    Reply
  35. Anonymous

    March 10, 2010 at 6:35 pm

    This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    Reply
  36. Anonymous

    March 11, 2010 at 11:30 pm

    This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    Reply
  37. simplydesigning.blogspot.com

    March 12, 2010 at 2:59 am

    This comment has been removed by the author.

    Reply
  38. simplydesigning.blogspot.com

    March 12, 2010 at 3:01 am

    Micah and Tawni - The finished size for my cover is 36&quot;w x 44&quot;l. I would love to see picts if/when you make one! Good luck and thanks for visiting my blog!

    Reply
  39. Anonymous

    March 14, 2010 at 12:36 pm

    This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    Reply
  40. Anonymous

    March 19, 2010 at 3:47 am

    This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    Reply
  41. Meredith

    April 11, 2010 at 11:44 am

    Neat idea, and the tutorial makes it seem easy! Thanks for sharing. Oh, and what adorable fabric you have!

    Reply
  42. [email protected] My Frugal Family

    April 12, 2010 at 10:03 pm

    I never did get around to making one of these, and I know I don&#39;t have enough time/fabric on hand to make one by this weekend, but I may still try this for once my new cousin is born!<br /><br />Thank you so much for posting this to Baby Week at My Frugal Family! I&#39;ve featured this post on my Talented Tuesday post this week!

    Reply
  43. Anonymous

    April 13, 2010 at 8:20 am

    This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    Reply
  44. Anonymous

    August 25, 2010 at 3:48 pm

    Rather cool site you&#39;ve got here. Thanx for it. I like such themes and everything that is connected to this matter. I would like to read a bit more soon.<br /><br />Anete Kuree

    Reply

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