The Easy Pillow Hack That Gives Old Worn Out Chairs Stylish New Life

Looking for ways to soften the aesthetic of your dining room? You can add a big rug, switch up your drapes, or add some accent lighting. If you don't have room in your budget or time in your schedule for these potentially pricey renovation solutions, there's another option that will cost a few dollars and a rummage through your craft supplies collection. (We know you have a haberdashery hoard.) Pillowcases just happen to match the size of high-back chairs, at least width-wise, so all you need to add oomph to a lackluster dining space (or any room with chairs, for that matter) is a couple of pillowcases in a pattern that resonates with your current interior decor or personal style. Slip one over the back of the chair and, if your chair has a cushion, the other over the cushion. Tuck any overhang under the cushion or back inside the pillowcase.

Because this method is so easy and cheap, you can use it to spruce up a room for all kinds of events. Think special family dinners, birthday parties, and even backyard or do-it-yourself weddings. You could probably whip up a set of these six easy no sew pillowcase covers for both seat backs and cushions in less than an afternoon. Plus, theming these chair covers to a specific holiday or event is easy. Tie a bow around the chair back, pull the cover tight with cheap (but cute) brooches, or add festive prints with stencils and fabric paints.

To get started on this clever DIY way to repurpose unwanted pillowcases, you need to source the linens at the heart of this craft project. Before heading to the store, online or in-person, measure your chair back and cushion at their widest parts. Pillowcases come in a range of sizes depending on what style of bed they're destined for use on. For example, a standard pillowcase measures 20 by 26 inches, while its king-sized counterpart measures 20 by 36 inches. Clean used pillowcases work great as do, of course, new. At the affordable end of the spectrum, Dollar Tree Home Collection satin pillowcases come in plain or patterned black and white for $1.25 each, or you can go vibrant and contemporary with a multicolor-striped SNÖDROTTNING king pillowcase for $7.99 from IKEA. U.S.-made cotton slips with original designs are going to cost more, like the Blue Bonnet floral pillowcase set for $45 from Red Land Cotton.

Decorative features, however, add personalization and can help you match existing decor and themes and make the cover look more professional. A thick satin ribbon tied in a bow or length of twine wrapped a few times around the chair cover and adorned with a neutral Christmas tree ornament gives modern farmhouse vibes. Stencil people's initials or names onto the back of these DIY chair covers with fabric paint so everyone knows where to sit at your next dinner event.

Wash and iron flat your pillowcases. Once they're wrinkle-free, hold the pillowcase by the corners of the open side and bring it down over the chair back. Tuck any overhang where the back meets the seat inside the case, and add your decorative elements. Likewise, for loose seat cushions, slip the cover over the pillow, turning the open side to face the back of the chair and folding any overhang under the cushion. Apply stencils or other bespoke painted or hand-drawn patterns to the pillowcases after ironing and before fitting the cases-turned-covers to the chairs. If you're decorating the pillowcase with fabric pens or paint, wedge some layers of newspaper into the pillowcase to stop the pigment from bleeding through to the other side.

To reduce bunching, cut the sides of the pillowcase with sharp scissors until the edges are flush with the chair seat. Tuck the flap of fabric at the front through the chair back to hide it. Slip the second pillowcase over the chair back as before. Those with access to a sewing machine can tweak the size of the pillowcase for a better fit. To do this, add 2 inches to your original chair measurements and measure that width on an ironed pillowcase turned inside out. Cut the fabric vertically at the measurements — you're shrinking the width — and sew the cut edge closed.