Thanksgiving and Christmas Chair Shrug

Changeable Holiday Decorating

Oct 2, 2008 Mary Welling-Bonney

Make one set of chair shrugs that easily change from Thanksgiving to Christmas.

To make a chair shrug you will need to measure your dining room chairs. You need to measure the widest point on the back of the chair from the top to twelve inches below the top. For example, if your chair back is 14 inches wide but bows out 20 inches from the top your measurement will be fourteen inches. This is because the bow is lower than the shrug will fall. If most of the back of your chair is 14 inches in width but the top rail is wider, your measurement will be the measurement of the top rail.

Whatever your width measurement, add six inches to accommodate the sides of the chair. A 14-inch width would then be 20 inches for each chair. The length is going to be 12 inches for all of the chairs unless you prefer to make your shrug longer or shorter.

On average you will need two yards of fabric for a set of four chair.

Directions will be for a 14-inch width chair. Alter the numbers based on your own measurements.

Materials Needed:

Two yards of deep wine colored felt
Four yards of velcro
Sewing Machine
Scissors
Artificial fall leafs
Artificial poinsettias
Hot glue gun and glue

Preparation

Cut four pieces of felt measuring 20" x 26".
Cut eight pieces of felt measuring 14" x 12".

Sewing

For each of the 20" x 26" felt pieces, fold the piece in half so that it measures 20" x 13". With the fold on top stitch up the right and left side. This leaves the bottom open. Turn fabric so that seams are on the inside.
Sew one side of the velcro tape to the outer top back side and the right and left outer back sides.
For each of the 14" x 12" felt pieces, sew the opposite side of the velcro tape to one long side and two short sides.

You should now have a sleeve that slides over the back of your chair with a piece of felt that will velcro on and off the back. You have extra velcro on one side left over.

Hot Gluing

On four of the 14" x 12" felt pieces you will hot glue fall leaves in any design of your choosing. If you don't have one in mind, just fill the space with the colors.
On the other four 14" x 12" felt pieces you will hot glue the artificial poinsettias to fill the space or in a pattern of your choosing.

Assembling

Slip the shrug over the back of the chair. Simply velcro on the back of it the panel of your choosing. You can make a different panel for each family member of guest, make different panels for each week or even use them to countdown the days until Christmas.

The copyright of the article Thanksgiving and Christmas Chair Shrug in Crafts is owned by Mary Welling-Bonney. Permission to republish Thanksgiving and Christmas Chair Shrug in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

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